Costa Farms is a wholesale grower that discovers, develops, and grows plants for your home and life -- indoors and out. We’re your online gardening resource for plant info and inspiration. Our articles, blogs, tips, and photos help you use plants to beautify your living spaces and enhance your life. Learn more about Costa Farms Houseplants Sweep the Air Clean On Earth Day and Every Day Thank a plant today! Silently and always “working,” these green heroes toil tirelessly to purify our environment and enrich our lives, naturally cleansing the air we breathe. And remember to thank your indoor plants this Earth Day for providing truly amazing health benefits! They filter the air we breathe, sweeping it clean from dangerous chemicals and toxins while continuously releasing oxygen in our homes and offices. According to a NASA study, at least one or more medium sized houseplant for every 100 square feet in your home or office will help maximize the health benefits and freshen the air.

When selecting indoor plants, consider the plant's “job.” Does it work the day shift or night shift (is it for the home or office)? Does it work in bright light or low light? to search for just the right plants for your space. Why Are House Plants Green Heroes? Our lives depend on technology, but ordinary household products such as paints, tobacco smoke, printer ink and carpets hold hidden dangers plants can help reduce. Former NASA research scientist Dr. Bill Wolverton found plants improve air quality through their natural “filtering” ability. He discovered houseplants can absorb up to 87 percent of volatile organic compounds (VOCs), such as formaldehyde and benzene, found in many homes and offices. Houseplants work around the clock to clean the air! They absorb these VOCs into the potting soil, where the harmful chemicals are broken down by microbes. Some of the hardest-working plants are the peace lilies, ferns and palms. Bring a Houseplant to Work

Put a plant on your desk to feel happier, enjoy better health and be more productive. The NASA study recommends office workers should have at least one medium size plant in their “personal breathing space” at work to effectively remove indoor pollutants. Research conducted in the Netherlands supports this, finding office workers who had plants in their workspace out performed co-workers without plants. Workers reported they felt better and their concentration improved with plants on their desks, especially working at computers! Another test conducted in Norway reports that 25 percent fewer health problems occur -- in particular respiratory ailments, headache, and fatigue, when plants were introduced to their workspace. Snake plants, broad sword ferns and rubber plants are among the top ten air purifiers recommended by experts. They’re easy to grow, are natural humidifiers and remove airborne chemicals. Other green heroes are philodendrons, dieffenbachias and ZZ plants.

Take a Heavy Night Breather to Bed Some plants actually work at night while we sleep! These green heroes “breathe out” oxygen (O2) and absorb carbon dioxide (CO2) at night, rather than in the daytime, when the majority of plants do their “breathing.”friedrich air purifier consumer reports We recommend snake plants and orchids, particularly in the bedroom. green giraffe air purifierThese natural botanical air purifiers make perfect bedroom buddies to refresh and beautify these spaces for a healthy, restful night’s sleep!honeywell air cleaner ozone Consider the light, humidity, and temperature to determine the best spot for your plant. Put a majesty palm in your living room, fern in the family room and a peace lily in the kitchen, for example.

Or add golden pothos or philodendron. Look for the ‘O2 for You’ displays at your local garden center. Houseplants in Vintage Vessels Vintage style and houseplants go so well together. Discover some great pairings. Celebrate National Indoor Plant Week For National Indoor Plant Week, we're celebrating houseplants!Two species of majesty palm (Ravenea rivularis and Ravenea glauca) are well-suited to living in pots indoors. Very bright light with even soil moisture is key to the palms' success in your home's dry air. One species that has a twisted frond is more tolerant of overwatering than the other. Majesty palms will eventually outgrow your interior space. Majesty, or majestic, palm is a name assigned to plants in the botanical genus Ravenea. Most of these palm species grow in partially shady, moist forests with limited tolerance to dry conditions. Simulating these habitat conditions in your house promotes healthier plants. Household majesty palms commonly found in plant stores are Ravenea rivularis and Ravenea glauca.

The former has horizontal fronds that twist 90 degrees so that the top half of the fronds are perpendicular to the ground. The latter has fronds that flat and horizontal. Provide majesty palms with partial sun to very bright light in the home. One to three hours of direct sunlight through a window is ideal, but a brightly lit room with only indirect light is acceptable. The consistently moist soil in the container should be fertile, peat-based and drain well. A lack of water and low humidity causes fronds to brown, especially at leaf tips. Use a granular or liquid fertilizer per product directions only in spring and summer. Ravenea rivularis is more tolerant of wet soils and is a better choice for homes since overwatering is difficult. Conversely, if you often forget to water houseplants, Ravanea glauca is a better choice. Majesty palms are good houseplants only in their youth. Often sold in a three-gallon-size container, they will need repotting every eight to 16 months to support root growth and addition of more fronds.