Indoor Plant Technical Info
Introduction
Most building interiors are designed for efficiency and for the comfort of the people that use them.
That means a fairly constant indoor environment without too many fluctuations in light, temperature and humidity. Buildings are also designed to keep the weather out. Wind and rain aren’t comfortable and they aren’t conducive to good business, either.
Those plants that are adaptable enough to cope indoors have their own particular requirements for light, temperature, water, growing media, nutrients and humidity.
Light
Of all the elements required for plants to survive, light is perhaps the most important. Without it, plants die very quickly.
But how do you know which plants will survive in the different light levels that are found in a building? Some plant species may only thrive in a well-lit atrium, whereas others might be able to cope with the low light found in a seldom-used conference room.
Imagine a rainforest…visualise the plants there…a lot of the indoor plants we use at Ambius Indoor Plants are rainforest plants that live in the under-story where they get very little in the way of light filtering through the thick canopy.These plants make the hardiest of indoor plants as they have adapted to very low light levels.
We don’t want plants to die, so our Ambius Indoor Plant technicians have been trained to help…They will be able to measure your light levels and advise which indoor plants will do well in your interior environment.
Temperature
The temperature inside most occupied buildings usually falls between 16 °C and 25 °C. This is comfortable enough for most people.
So, if you want indoor plants in your building, you need to find those that can survive well at the same temperatures.
Luckily, there are hundreds of species and varieties from the tropics and sub-tropics to choose from. All ideally suited to such year-round indoor temperatures. View our plants.
Your Ambius Indoor Plants technician will be able to advise which plants will suit your specific needs and indoor environment conditions.
Water
Water is essential if indoor plant displays are to survive for more than a week or two. Indoor plants need just enough water to maintain their physiological wellbeing, but no more.
Water enters the plant by its roots, highly specialised organs that regulate the uptake of water and nutrients, as well as provide anchorage and physical support.
Unless the plant is an epiphyte (a specialised group of plants that live among the tree tops, e.g. bromeliads and many orchids) or a water plant, the roots of a plant are buried in the soil.
This is where the water needs to be and that is why Ambius Indoor Plant technicians use different subterranean irrigation systems to deliver water directly to the rooting zone, where it is needed.
Roots need oxygen to work properly, so a supply of air is also necessary. That is why compost media with large numbers of air-filled pores are essential, and why water-logged soils cause plants to die.
Growing media
A wide variety of growing media are used by Ambius Indoor Plant technicians.
The growing medium has many functions. It must provide a suitable anchorage for the plant’s roots; act as a reservoir for water and nutrients; be a buffer against sudden changes in the environment (especially changes in temperature).
And, for indoor plants in containers, it must be heavy enough to provide stability and reduce the risk of the plant display toppling over.
Your Ambius Indoor Plant technician will take care of all the details for you so you won’t have to ever worry about which type of growing media is best.
Plant nutrients
Like people, plants need nutrients to maintain health, colour and growth.
Fertilizer is usually applied to the growing medium, where it can be extracted by the plant roots.
The three most important plant nutrients are:
- Nitrogen (N), for healthy green leaves and stems
- Phosphorous (P), for healthy root growth
- Potassium (K), for better flowering and colour
A good fertilizer will contain a balanced ratio of these elements, plus essential micro-nutrients, or trace elements.
Your Ambius Indoor Plant Technician will take care of all the details for you because we want to make it easy to be greener on the inside…call 0508 AMBIUS or enquire now.