Planting some plants and herbs around your home is great way to improve your environmental footprint. Growing plants indoors helps clean the air inside our homes as they absorb toxins and help to create a calm environment. You don't need to have a garden or conservatory for herbs and plants as there are plenty of species that grow easily indoors throughout the year. When you grow your own herbs, you also save money on buying them.

CARING FOR YOUR PLANTS

Maintenance
• Like temperatures ranging from 18-24°C.
• Don't like to be too close to the window, radiators or vents because blasts of hot or cold air are not good for them.
• Need good air circulation and the right amount of light according to their species.
• Need air humidity between 35-65 percent. The best way to keep a plant moist is by regularly misting its leaves, as well as grouping plants together or standing the plants on pebbles.
• Water your plants according to their species and less in the winter as they need a rest period.
• Water your plant when it needs it, not as a matter of routine. If you're not sure if the plant needs watering by touching its soil, leave it.
• Signs of over watering are yellow leaves, poor growth, rotten patches and mouldy flowers.
• Signs of under watering are soil that doesn't drain, leaves wilt and curl, leaves become brown and dried.
• Feed your plant with fertilizer in its growing period to boost its minerals – usually six to eight weeks after purchase or repotting.
• Cleaning the leaves of dust is also important as dust blocks the leaf pores.
• Potting on means moving plants to a larger pot in their growing period and is necessary for some plants such as ferns. This shouldn't be done if the plant is resting as no new roots will grow.
• Repotting a plant usually occurs in spring to add fresh potting mixture, but is not necessary for all plants.
• Monitor plants for pests and disease. Treat immediately if affected.

THE FACTS

Growing plants indoors helps clean the air inside our homes as they absorb toxins and help to create a calm environment.