McGill Health and

Wellness Series:
Office Plants for your
Health
 What We’ll be Covering
• Houseplant benefits.
• Houseplants for the office.
• Houseplant care:
– How to water
– Differences in soil
– Pots, and how to use them.
– Fertilizer…?
• Common unhappy houseplant
symptoms.
 Houseplant Benefits

• Several studies using

different experimental
designs have linked the
presence of houseplants to
a range of positive
psychological and
physiological benefits.

(Larsen et al. 1998; Shibata and Suzuki 2002; Han 2008)

 Psychological Benefits
• Fjeld et al. 1996:
– Fatigue symptoms 30% lower in
offices with plants.
• Rappe and Linden 2004:
– Plants in nursing homes greatly
benefitted the mood of patients.
• Larsen et al. 2005:
– Participants reported increased
levels of comfort with plants.
• Bringslimark et al. 2007:
– Self-reported greater productivity
and lower stress.

(Kaplan and Kaplan 1989; Ulrich et al. 1991; Kaplan 1995; Larsen et al. 1998; Shibata and Suzuki 2002; Han 2008)
 Psychological Benefits
• Lohr et al. (1996) Journal of
Environmental Horticulture:
– 96 students
– Looked at images with and without
plants in the room.
– Image recognition test
– With plants:
• Better test results
• 12% faster
• Felt more attentive
• Smaller rise in blood pressure while
performing task (less stress)
 Physiological Benefits
• Include:
– Faster post-operative
recovery time (by 1-3 days).
– Fewer post-operative
complications.
– Lower heart rates.
– Lower blood pressure.
– Greater tolerance to short-
term discomfort.
– Fewer sick days from work.

(Fjeld et al. 1998; Lohr and Pearson-Mims 2000)

 Physiological Benefits
• Fjeld et al. (1998) in Indoor and
Built Environment:
– 51 subjects randomly exposed to
extended periods with and without
plants.
– Study assessed
neuropsychological, mucus
membrane, skin symptoms.
– Plants = 37% reduction in cough,
30% reduction in fatigue, 23%
reduction in dry/hoarse throat and
skin dryness.

(Fjeld et al. 1998)

 Physiological Benefits
• Park and Mattson 2008:
– Compared 90 appendectomy
patients before and after
surgery.
– 45 in plant rooms, 45 in rooms
without.
– Plant room patients:
• Needed fewer pain medications
after day 3
• Lower heart rate before and after
surgery
• Lower systolic blood pressure
before and after surgery.
• Lower rates of anxiety, fatigue
(self-reported)

(Fjeld et al. 1998)

 Houseplant Benefits
• Why would houseplants
positively effect health and
stress levels?
• Psychological benefits
hypothesis:
– We evolved around green spaces,
they still relax us!
– Low stress = better health!
– But may be a placebo effect.
• Also… air quality improvements!

(Fjeld et al. 1998)

 Air Quality
• The great indoors is a harsh
place:
– Low humidity
– High ambient CO2
– High microbe count in air.
– Volatile Organic Compounds
(VOCs)
• Toxic compounds released by
many common household
items.
– Paints
– Cleaners
– Printer ink

(Brown et al. 1994; Orwell et al. 2006; Solomon et al. 2008; Burchett 2009)
 Air Quality
• Increase ambient humidity.
– Release water vapor from
leaves.
– Indirect effect of watering.
• Decrease CO2:
– Stomata in leaves takes CO2
out of air, releases O2.
– Microbes in soil also
sequester CO2.
• Best benefits removal of
VOCs and particulate
matter.
(Brown et al. 1994; Orwell et al. 2006; Solomon et al. 2008; Burchett 2009)
 Air Quality
• Can remove 100% of some
volatile organic compounds
– Effectiveness varies by species
– Function of both plant and soil.
– Soil microbes take up some
VOCs, break them down or
sequester them.
– Plants can take some up directly
through stomata and through
roots.

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
 Air Quality
• Formaldehyde example
– Wolverton et al. 1984
– Common VOC
– As little as ~50 ppb can cause
adverse health.
– Chlorophytum elatum var.
vittatum (spider plant)
• 37 ppm to <2 ppm in 24 hours.

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
 Air Quality
• Have also been used to
remove unpleasant odor
molecules indoors.
• Oyabu et al. (2003):
– Plants in nursing homes
– Removed hydrogen sulfide,
ammonia and methyl
mercaptan through leaves.

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
 Air Quality
• Particulate matter:
– Wolverton and Wolverton 1996.
– Compared plant filled and empty
rooms in real homes.
– Microbes examined included fungi
and bacteria.
– Airborne microbial levels 50%
higher in plant-free rooms after just
48 hours.
• Modes of action:
– Antimicrobial compounds released
by plants
– Soil uptake.

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
Houseplants for the
Office
 Office Plants
• Office environment is hostile
to many plants.
– Poor light
– Dry air
– Temperature extremes
• However some plants can
thrive in these conditions.
 Office Plants
• Plants we recommend:
– Jade plant
– English Ivy
– Mother-in-law’s tongue
– ZZ plant
– Begonia
– Inch plant
– Spider plant
– Golden pothos
– Christmas cactus

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
 Office Plants
• Make your space more plant
friendly!
• Artificial office light is very
poor for plants.
– Missing a wavelength crucial to
plant growth.
• Can buy a cheap plant light
which provides all the light a
plant needs, even indoors!
– Comes as a halogen light or
normal light bulb.

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
 Caring for
your Plants.
Watering
 How to Water
• #1 way people inadvertently
kill their houseplants.
• There is a proper technique!
• Too much water kills faster
than too little.
– “Killed with kindness”
• Most houseplants like to dry
out between watering.
 Rules of Watering
• Always have a watering tray.
– Never have your plant in a pot
without a drainage hole.
• Water with lukewarm water.
• Water when the soil is completely
dry (for most species).
– A soil moisture meter can tell you for
sure!
• Water until a little bit of water
drains from the bottom of the pot.
– If a LOT drains, pour out the water.
Soil
 What is Soil?
• Soil is your houseplant’s entire
world!
• VERY important.
• Can be made of many different
things:
– Peat
– Sand
– Little rocks (vermiculite and perlite)
– Styrofoam
 Types of Soil
• Different plants need different
soils.
– Soils differ by how well they retain
water.
• Peat holds water well, sand drains
quickly, ect.
– … and how well they retain fertilizer.
• Vermiculite, perlite and Styrofoam do
this.
• Most houseplants are tropical.
– Like ‘water retaining soil’.
– Most ‘houseplant soils’ are water
retaining, with lots of peat.
 Types of Soil
• Specific soil mixes now available in
many stores:
– Use appropriate soil where possible.
– “Cactus soil” for cacti species, ect.
• Never buy dollar store or no-name
brand:
– Sub-par soil.
– Your plants will suffer and may die.
• Best brands:
– Miracle-Gro
– Fafard (Quebec Company)
Pots
 Types of Pots
• Many different styles and varieties
to choose from.
• Decorative vs. the actual pot.
– Many new decorative styles.
– Difference:
• Decorative have NO drainage holes.
– NEVER have your plant in a
decorative pot alone.
• No drainage = dead plant.
• Plant in a cheap plastic pot,
then put plastic pot inside
decorative pot!
 Repotting
• ALL plants will eventually need
repotting.
– Frequency depends on the species.
– If roots are coming out the bottom of
the pot, it’s time.
• Choose a pot at least 2 cm
diameter larger than the previous
one.
– Will increase the time to the next
repotting.
 How to Pack a Pot
• Bottom of pot:
– Can put rocks or Styrofoam to increase
drainage.
• Necessary is you plant in a decorative pot!
– If you don’t want soil falling out of
drainage holes, cover with a coffee filter!
• Planting the plant:
– Leave ~1cm of the pot above the soil
line.
• Will make watering easier.
– Try to cover the old soil with a layer of
new soil.
Fertilizer
 Fertilizer
• All houseplants benefit from fertilizer.
– Some need it to survive!
• The more often you repot, the less you
may need fertilizer.
– Many soil mixes now contain some level of
fertilizer,
• MANY different brands and
concentrations.
• Three numbers on the front:
– N-P-K
– N: Nitrogen Leaves
– P: Phosphorus Flowers and fruit
– K: Potassium Roots and immune system
 Fertilizer
• Higher number of one relative to the
other two:
– Trying to emphasize that type of growth.
• Balanced fertilizer has equal numbers:
– Ex: 20-20-20
• Most fertilizer brands tell you what
they’re good for!
• Too much fertilizer WILL cause
problems.
– Follow the label!
Common
Problems
 Leaf Problems
• Leaves with curling dry ends
(common in ferns)
– Humidity is too low!
– Mist plants periodically.
• Sticky or shiny leaves:
– You have a bug infestation, check for
other symptoms to figure out which
one!
• Leaves with brown edges.
– Watering problem. You are watering
too much or too little.
 Leaf Problems
• Little black dots on leaves:
– Those are likely insect faeces.
– Check for thrips or caterpillars.
• Yellowing of leaves between veins.
– Your plant is suffering from a nutrient
deficiency.
– Fertilize it right away!
• Leaves getting large spots which are
light brown and crispy:
– Have you moved your plant recently?
It’s now getting too much sun and the
leaves are burning.
 Overall Problems
• Plant getting long and straggly (lots of
stem between leaves).
– Plant is not getting enough sun and is trying
to grow towards the sun.
• Entire plant is wilting:
– Likely it has been overwatered very severely
or underwatered very severely.
• Will recover from underwatering, not
overwatering.
• Lots of leaves are starting to die (oldest
first), but the plant was doing well
before.
– You probably need to repot.
– When stressed, plant will kill its least
efficient (oldest) leaves first.
 Overall Problems
• Plant declining slowly, with no
obvious cause.
– Is it in the appropriate soil?
– When did you last fertilize it?
– Did you move the plant to a
darker spot in the room?
– When did you last repot it?
• Go through this list, and you
should be able to figure it out.
Conclusions
 Conclusions
• Even a few plants can have
a profound impact on your
mental and physical
wellbeing!
• Try new plants! Don’t feel
discouraged if some die.
– The people with the most
houseplants have also killed
the most houseplants!

(Tarran et al. 2002; Orwell et al. 2006; Liu et al. 2007; Burchett 2009)
Thank You.
Questions?
Pests…
 The Big Bad Five
• Five most common insect pests:
– Mealybugs
– Scales
– Spider Mites
– Thrips
– Fungus Gnats
• Important to know how they
reproduce, and how they spread.
• Also, always isolate an infected
plant!
 Mealybugs
• Looks like a white fungus.
• Lays eggs in the plant itself, or can give
birth to live young.
• Moves from plant to plant by crawling.
• Control:
– Safer’s Soap
– 50:50 ratio of isopropyl alchohol and water,
with 1% detergent.
– If houseplant is cold tolerant, place outside!
• Mealybugs are tropical, they can’t stand the
cold.
 Scales
• Looks like a brown spot on
your plant.
• Also moves between plants
by crawling.
• Similar lifecycle and control
as the mealybug.
– On broad-leaved plants, you
can also wipe them off with a
cloth.
 Spider Mites
• Little red bugs that make webbing on
your houseplant.
– Gets its name from the webbing it makes.
– Less than 1mm long, you’ll see the webbing
but not the bug.
• Doesn’t mind the cold, can’t kill by
putting the plant outside.
• Crawls between plants.
• Reproduces VERY quickly.
– 5 day lifecycle, and each female lays 100s
of eggs.
• Spray with an insecticidal soap, and
spray LOTS!
 Thrips
• Tiny, VERY problematic bug.
• Will likely see damage and
poop, before you see the
insect.
• Adults can fly.
– An infestation can quickly get
out of hand!
 Thrips
• Immediately quarantine infected
plants!
– Putting them outside is best.
• Let the soil dry out as much as
possible without harming the
plant.
– Larvae need wet soil to thrive.
• Spray every inch of the plant with
Safer’s Soap (bottom AND top of
leaves).
• Pray.
 Fungus Gnats
• The traditional office “little fly”.
• Little black flies.
• Larvae live in soil.
• Two ways to control:
– Let your soil dry out completely before
watering.
– Use yellow fly tabs.
• The gnats are attracted to yellow.
• For a VERY bad infestation, use
“pantyhose” method.
– Cover the top and bottom of your pot with
pantyhose.
– Air can get through, but gnats can’t! So
nowhere to reproduce!
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