Are you having problems finding some quality decorations for your home?

Do you suffer from deprivation of green scenery at home?

Fear no more fam. The folks at Pasture have your back.

It is my humble opinion that having plants at home brings joy- even if you don’t like plants, you probably like sunlight (unless you’re a vampire, in which case you may want to just move on to our next blog now). Sunlight is required for plants to grow (you’ll have to open your blinds), and humans require sunlight to produce vitamin D. Vitamin D seems to be in short supply during these dreary winter months in the Kansas City area. Fun fact: you’re going to want to keep that level above 30ng/dL, but your doctor has probably already told you this if you’re getting blood work done. Some researchers at the University of Georgia have even shared information on how important plants and nature can calm your nervous system and knock out stress. A study by NASA even showed that house plants can purify the air and remove dangerous toxins, but it was done in a controlled environment so the data is somewhat inconclusive. Regardless, the plants are taking CO2 (carbon dioxide) that we are pumping out and turning it into O2 (oxygen) which is a good deal.

Anyways, I digress…

This blog will give you some sturdy plant options that can improve your home air quality. These plants are practically indestructible AND quite beautiful. I know I said previously that sunlight is require for plants to grow, but some of the following plants in this list really make me wonder. So, without further adieu here are our all-star plants that you should decorate your house with.

-an up-close photo of my snake plant- it started as 3 strands and I now have 8 in a little over a year!

The Snake Plant (Sansevieria trifasciata)

I have to admit, I included this plant first because it’s my absolute favorite. It comes in many different varieties, but all are extremely hardy. It grows fast, and is easy to propagate if you want to replant or share with friends! It’s unique in the way it exchanges O2 and CO2, so it is able to easily withstand drought. Perfect for those of us that sometimes forget to water our green friends. The NASA study I mentioned earlier found that the snake plant removes 4 out of 5 of the toxins associated with Sick Building Syndrome (SBS), a medical condition attributed to poor air quality indoors.

Basically this plant is a TOTAL BADASS.

Taking care of this beaut is pretty easy:

I recommend getting some quality soil and also some cactus potting mix. Also grab a bit of gravel- this will allow your plant’s roots to “breathe” in the pot, and allow water to trickle through the soil more easily- allowing us to avoid root rot.
Make sure to mix up the three components of your soil very thoroughly! Once your mixture is ready, go ahead and place the snake plant’s base in and cover up just a bit over its root system.
Water your plant approximately once a week, but don’t worry if you can’t get this down to an exact science. At the risk of sounding like a total hippie: get a feel for your plant. Notice its health and how it looks. Sometimes too much attention is a bad thing, and it’s easy to OVERWATER these plants.
This plant thrives in direct OR indirect sunlight. Mine is right next to a wide-open westward facing window, but I’ve seen people have them in rooms without any windows at all.
Last but not least, once a month you need to FEED your plants. Make sure to measure out enough plant food for the amount of water you’re using to maintain happy plants :)

Pachira Money Tree By Karl Thomas Moore - Own work, CC BY-SA 4.0, https://commons.wikimedia.org/w/index.php?curid=60359379

2. The Money Tree (Pachira aquatica/Pachira glabra)

This plant is ALMOST as hardy as the Snake Plant. Almost. I can confirm that it does not survive dog attacks (RIP to my last Money Tree). This brings up a good point- if you have animals you will want to make sure that your plants are safe for your animals. It’s unlikely that your dog or cat will chow down on your plant, but an ounce of prevention is worth a pound of cure!

This baby can grow up to 18 meters tall (approx 59 ft) in the wild, and it will certainly grow quickly in your home but is only likely to grow to a maximum height of about 2 meters (approx 6 ft).

Care for your money tree as follows:

Make sure you have a good sized pot that allows for growth- you don’t want to have to replant too soon
Use a similar mix as I described above (potting soil and cactus mix) but go a bit heavier on the potting soil side of things).
The money tree requires a good amount of light, so make sure it’s near a window! Be wary when summer approaches though. Harsh, direct sunlight can “sunburn” the leaves so you may want to give your Money Tree time to adapt to the summer months. You can accomplish this by starting somewhere with less direct sunlight and slowly moving your plant closer to a window.
The plant’s natural habitat is swampland, so consider using a humidifier or diffuser to add some extra humidity to the room you keep your plants in.
Avoid root rot by adding some pebbles to your soil. This will create channels for the water to flow through the pot and prevent your soil from staying too moist!
If previously mentioned schedule of once a week watering is not working for you and you feel you’re overwatering try this: check your plant’s top 2-4 inches of soil (first or second knuckle on your finger). If it’s dry, water your plant. If it’s still moist, your plant does NOT need more watering! This technique will work for most of the plants on this list!

3. Golden pothos (Epipremnum aureum)

There are claims on the internet that this plant literally refuses to die. This plant is perfect for total beginners because of its extremely hardy nature, but it requires owners to be responsible. It is listed as an invasive species in tropical regions where it does not grow naturally. We don’t have to worry about that so much here in the midwestern US, but it is certainly something to take into consideration. Not trying to totally scare you away from this plant, but it is also listed as a toxic species by the ASPCA (linked is a complete list of toxic species). I usually don’t let this stop me from getting plants as a cat owner because my animals do leave my plants alone for the most part.

Care for this plant is similar to the plants above:

The Golden pothos loves bright, indirect light but can handle a shady corner like an undercover FBI selling dope.
You’ll want to prune/pick off any leaves that are turning brown or yellow in color so that the plant spends its energy growing its healthy portions.
Make sure your soil is set up just like the plants above to assure it drains well.
Propagation is simple! Cut off a strand that’s 6” to 12” in length and place it in some water. Once a node forms you’ll be ready to give your very best friend a new plant.

4. Succulent Plants

Ahhhh, you knew it was coming. It’s just too hard to leave these hardy little critters off the list. The word "succulent" comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning juice, or sap (thanks Wikipedia). These plants are essentially like camels on steroids, which makes sense because they evolved in the same climate. They knew they had to make due with what little water they have access to, so they developed techniques of storing water in various creative ways.

Fun fact- there are differing opinions among horticulturalists and botanists on whether we should include cacti in the succulent realm. For the purposes of this blog, I will side with the botanists and include cacti in the family of succulents because they are also a great plant to keep at home!

Succulents are drought resistant by nature so remember these following rules when caring for them:

DO NOT WATER THEM TOO MUCH. I cannot stress this enough. These plants were born in dry climates and really thrive on limited amounts of water. You should never see standing water in your pot… which leads us to our second tip
Make sure you have a pot with a drainage hole. The water needs to be able to flow freely through the soil to avoid having your plant’s roots sitting in water for too long.
Use the special cactus mix/potting mix trick that I’ve mentioned for other plants, but go heavy on the cactus mix this time! Include pebbles throughout your soil so you can get increased drainage. For a neat aesthetic, you can include pebbles on top of your soil like the sample picture shows.
The best watering method is NOT a light spritz from a spray bottle. Succulents prefer a good soaking. This is a fine line to walk, but make sure the soil is entirely dried out before you water again. The soak and dry method allows the plant to adapt as they would in a natural environment and develop a healthy root system.

5. The Spider Plant (Chlorophytum comosum)

This plant definitely has one of the most interesting ways of reproducing of any plant I’ve seen. The name is fitting, because it sends tendrils down that look very spidery. On these tendrils, grow mini plants that you can pick off and give to friends! It’s very convenient. Like some of the other plants in this list, the spider plant is an expert at purifying air in your living space. They’re particularly good at removing formaldehyde, a known human carcinogen.

Care for the Spider Plant is pretty much the same as the other plants on the list:

Make sure your soil is set up to drain well (include some pebbles with your cactus mix/potting mix).
Plant your Spider Plant in a pot with a hole for draining.
Spider Plants prefer moderate to bright INDIRECT sunlight. Harsh, direct sunlight can be too much for a Spider Plant and may damage its leaves.
Expect to repot them approximately every other year- which pertains to just about every other plant on this list as well.
Follow the same watering regimen you would with the Snake Plant or the Pachira Money Tree.

#planetoverprofit

I’d like to give a shout-out to our friends at Family Tree Nursery here in the Kansas City area for raising happy plants. I appreciate the kindness and helpfulness that your staff always extends when I come by to visit.