B-town Dirt Blog

1/23/2018 3 Comments

Cultivating Wellness: Plants do a body good

Cold and flu season is upon us as are long stretches of sunless days. To fight off illness and depression, take an active approach to cultivate natural remedies into your lifestyle. Following are a few suggestions:

Houseplants
Surround yourself with green medicine - houseplants. All indoor plants have the ability to purify the air to a certain degree, but some are more beneficial than others, removing up to 90% of toxins from the air. By adding a 10-12” size plant for every 100 square feet in your home, it will make a difference. Try these easy-to-grow plants for starters.

Aloe vera (has healing properties)
Dracena varieties (do well in low light)
Golden Pothos (one of the top three most effect houseplants)
English Ivy (good for those with asthma and allergies)
Snake plant (does well in low light and little water)
Philodendron (another in the top three)

photo credit: livestrong.com

Herbs
Another plant family known for its health benefits is herbs. Used in teas and essential oils, these natural remedies are worth learning more about. For example, did you know peppermint can soothe headaches, relieve sinus pressure, and calm an upset stomach? Lemongrass aids digestion, regulates high blood pressure, and helps cold symptoms. Lavender, marjoram, sage, garlic, ginger . . . the list goes on. Start planning which ones you will grow this year.

photo credit: gardenersworld.com

Playing in the soil
As you pot up those herbs and houseplants, you will probably notice a lift in your spirits. Recent studies have shown that soil bacteria can act as antidepressants, boost immune systems, and increase learning abilities. So digging in the dirt is an act of wellness, too. Growing your own vegetables is another way to increase exposure to those beneficial soil bacteria as they may be contained in the food – that’s a good thing!

Whether you take a houseplant to the office, end the day with a cup of herbal tea, explore the use of essential oils, or just play in the dirt, make this a year of cultivating wellness the natural way. Start by attending our Gardeners' Retreat on Saturday, February. 17 where the focus is this very topic! Learn more at www.burlingtongardencenter.com.

Tracy Hankwitz
Horticulturist and General Manager of Burlington Garden Center

3 Comments

connie mashock link

2/6/2018 07:07:23 am

What time on February 17th?

Karen Reilly

2/8/2018 09:12:10 am

Would love to learn more about plants and planting herbs

How to take care of the Snake plants and their Flowers? link

2/22/2023 08:08:55 am

There is no such rule for the flowers as I mentioned in the preceding section, but there is at least some to-do list for the well-being of this house plant. You don’t want to mess up, right? So let’s have a look at what is needed for this plant.

Watering
Well, it is essential as we all know for the plants. But in the case of these succulent plants, you have to be picky with the watering. Don’t over-water your plants because the plants will then have a wet medium. You can apply water within 2-3 days for optimum growth. Again don’t give it less water. It will make your plant dropping, and also the plant becomes yellow and dry eventually. There is no reverse button if you make it a dry one.

Light, Temperature and humidity
Again, the plant needs a well-lit space. What does it mean? Enough light for the snake plants is badly needed. You can keep them in a dark room with less humidity and expect them to grow well. Remember, good air circulation and light can booster the plants and flowering stages! You might not allow more than two hours of direct sun exposure to the snake plants. The temperature range could be from 10°-30° Celsius. But, it will die in snow if you keep them at a shade place outside your house. So, be careful.

Soil Type
We all know house plant needs light and quick drain soil for healthy development. So, it’s not different for the snake plants. Use cactus potting mix and indoor potting mix. Some use the perlite, but you don’t need to water it very often like even for 10-20 days off-water is okay for the plants. So, sandy loamy soil can work great for snake plants. Your potting mix ration can be 20% cactus compost, 20% indoor potting and 60% well-drained pot soil. In case of the soil pH, the snake plants would love to grow in pots with pH 6.5-8.5.

Propagation
Well, snake plants can be easily propagated. Usually, you can count 30 days to see the new roots coming out. There are two ways of propagation, like taking a whole leaf and planting it or simply cutting a leaf portion of three inches and propagating it.

Soil propagation is a good idea for snake plant flowers. Water propagation can sometimes ditch you. So, grow the new snake plant cuts in a potting mix and let it grow the roots.

Finally, these are simple things for snake plants to make it louder as a house plant.

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Cultivating Wellness: Plants do a body good

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