User:Aeong/Indoor Gardening

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Indoor Gardening refers to the act of raising and nurturing plants indoors, regardless of whether they bare food, and can cover a diverse range of plant care, from Windowsill Gardening, tower gardening, and gardening with growlights. It is a great first step for beginners who want to learn gardening but do not have the time or resources to garden outdoors. Unfortunately indoor gardening is also filled with many beginner traps and scams. This article is intended to help the average person navigate many of these pitfalls, and dispel many myths related to the subject.

Indoor Plants In A Solarpunk World

The first thing many people see when they are introduced to Solarpunk is all the plant life in many pieces of Solarpunk artwork. While most of these plants are outdoors, indoor plants have their own place in a world like this too, not just for the food they can provide for all the health benefits they provide us. Make no mistake though, the only proven health benefits of Indoor plants are for one's mental health. A common myth is that houseplants can purify the air in a home. While it is true that plants take a part in purifying the air around us, they do so in great numbers. The effectiveness of air purification would vary from plant to plant, and noticable air purification may require a large unreasonable concentration of plants in each room, if successful at all. There are some companies such as Neoplants that claim to sell plants that were genetically modified to excel at purifying air, but these claims have been met with skepticism, and the subscription based products sold by these companies raise further suspicion along with ethical concerns.

But the positive effect indoor plants have on mental health should not be understated. Plants have been shown to drastically improve the effects of people with mental illnesses. (go into further detail on this, and the effects the mind can have on physical healing. Possibly also cover the medical benefits of plants such as the aloe vera)

Where to Buy Plants

Indoor plants are abundant at big box stores. But the plants sold in them are often poorly maintained by underpaid employees who usually do not prioritize the health and well-being of these plants. Often these plants can go a very long time with no water, and are stuck in places that receive inadequate lighting. Buying a plant from places like these is not only a gamble, but also an ethical issue (elaborate further). Buying plants online is a better option, as you are given access to plants that have received a higher quality of care, but the time it can take to transport these plants can have a negative impact on their health. You are also trusting overworked delivery drivers (who are expected to be fast) to handle your somewhat fragile plants with care (this may be a bit paranoid and unnecessary). The safest and most ethical option is often to support your community by buying locally from Mom and Pop stores that sell these plants. If you do not have any in your area, you may often find household plants being sold at farmers markets, or online community marketplaces. The quality of these plants may vary as the barrier of entry to sell them at community markets is much lower, but you are still supporting your community.

Common misconceptions to address in article:

*Plants in low concentration do not effect air quality

*Misting your plant and putting rocks in it for moisture is often useless

*Growing poles are often a scam

*Self watering pots are not recommended.

Other stuff to address:

Easy plants and beginner traps

Plant toxicity levels

Plant apps

Food bearing plants

Best way to water most plants

Repotting and soil types

Pests

Grow lights

Variegation

Grafting

Invasive plants and scam concerns

Seeding, pollinating, and Propagation

Misclassified plants, such as a Peace "Lilly" or a Sago "Palm"