Having too many plants won't result in anything terrible, and in fact, growing several plants in your home has plenty of benefits. One upside is that they help to purify the air during photosynthesis, when they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, according to The Mode Mag.
Truth be told, many plants release carbon dioxide at night. But there's nothing to worry about. Really really small amounts of carbon dioxide won't be a problem for humans. A few plants will never produce enough to be harmful, maybe unless you are sleeping in some sort of a jungle… Plus, it's all about plant selection.
Although it is difficult to say exactly how many plants are needed to purify indoor air, Wolverton recommends at least two good sized plants for every 100 square feet (approximately 9.3 square meters) of indoor space. The bigger the plant and leafier the plant, the better.
The magic number for optimum purification and wellbeing benefits was 10 plants in an average four by five metre room. While one plant makes very little difference to your wellbeing, a range of plants in different sizes and varietals are capable of making you feel more relaxed, inspired and positive.
Can my house plants be making me sick? Yes, it is possible. Some plants emit gaseous toxins that are toxic to humans and animals. The most common toxic indoor plants are dieffenbachia (Dumb Cane), philodendron (Philodendron), and aloe vera (Aloe Vera).
While some house plants, like the Peace Lily or English Ivy can actually help filter indoor toxins from the air, many house plants can make asthma symptoms worse when they develop mold from over-watering.
And though they may be aesthetically pleasing, are houseplants good or bad for your health? “Houseplants in moderation are fine for most of the population,” says Alan Redding, M.D., an allergist at Piedmont. In fact, Dr. Redding admits to having several houseplants in his own home.
NASA recommends one plant every 100 square feet - which is about 9.2 square metres. In a home of about 1800 square feet in size (roughly 167 square metres), NASA recommends 15-18 houseplants.
Having too many plants won't result in anything terrible, and in fact, growing several plants in your home has plenty of benefits. One upside is that they help to purify the air during photosynthesis, when they take in carbon dioxide and produce oxygen, according to The Mode Mag.
They Improve Air Quality
This is probably the most widely-known benefit of owning indoor plants. The plants you have in your home or office remove toxins and pollutants from the air you breathe (and even convert them into energy), working as natural air purifiers.
Houseplants with large, shiny, and waxy foliage, provide extensive surface area to attract and capture dust. Just like outdoors, indoor plants trap these dust particles through an unambiguous process and release fresh air. Some of the best ones for this purpose are Hoyas, philodendrons, anthuriums, water lilies, etc.
So, how many plants do you need to purify a room? You'd need 10 plants per square foot in your home to enjoy any impact on indoor air quality. Let's break that down: For a 320 square-foot room, you'd need 3,200 plants for that room alone.
Add plants
Tall plants can do double duty by bringing the spaciousness of the outdoors inside and by focusing the eye upward. This illusion of height can make rooms feel more spacious. Adding plants can also reduce the feeling of claustrophobia.
Plants in the bedroom: the disadvantages
During the day, the plant exhales much more oxygen than it inhales, thus providing fresh air. However, at night the plant cannot photosynthesise due to the lack of light and therefore the plant takes up more oxygen.
The bedroom is the space you spend the most time in, so the power of plants can impact you the most in the bedroom. Plants can bring in life and nature energy. Some feng shui practitioners do not recommend plants in the bedroom because the wood element also has an aspect of upward and expansive energy.
A Plant in the bedroom can absorb harmful gases through the pores in their leaves, filtering and cleaning the air you breathe every day. Not only do bedroom plants have many health benefits, but they also add a nice touch of decor and bright energy to any indoor space.
Like any other object in the house, indoor plants can collect dust and therefore may need to be wiped down regularly. Indoor plants may also outgrow their containers, which means that you will have to take the time to repot them periodically. It may also be necessary to prune indoor plants occasionally.
Since plants recycle carbon dioxide through the process of photosynthesis, houseplants assist in our breathing. A few plants are especially beneficial – orchids and succulents – which take in carbon dioxide during the day and release oxygen at night.
A person would need to be in a room with about ten thousand leaves. About 300 to 500 plants would produce the right amount of oxygen, but it's much harder to estimate the amount of carbon dioxide the plants absorb, especially if every time a person breathes out, they inhibit oxygen production.
On average, you will need around 300-400 plants to produce enough oxygen for a person.
How long does it take an air purifier to clean a room? This mainly depends on the setting of the air purifier, your current air quality, and the size of your room. It can take your air purifier 30 minutes to clean air in a small room. For larger rooms, it can take up to 2 to 3 hours.
Some people worry that plants in the bedroom will cause carbon dioxide (CO2) poisoning, but this is an urban myth. It's true that when you turn off the light, the plant no longer has a source of energy, and so photosynthesis stops.
Snake plants, spider plants, rubber plants, peace lilies, ferns, and English ivy are some of the best indoor plants for boosting oxygen levels and purifying the air.
Being around plants and nature lowers stress and helps combat anxiety and depression. Plants improve physical health too, reducing blood pressure and improving indoor air quality. The calming effect of houseplants benefits everyone, but if you struggle with depression, you might get even more out of them.