Purchasing an Interior Plant

Select only those plants that appear to be free of pests. Check the undersides of the foliage and the junction of leaf and stem for signs of insects or disease. Select plants that look sturdy, clean, and well-potted. Choose plants with healthy foliage. Avoid plants with yellow or chlorotic leaves, brown leaf margins, wilted foliage, spots or blotches, or spindly growth. In addition, avoid those with torn leaves. Plants that have new flower and leaf buds along with young growth are usually of superior quality.

Optimal light and watering requirements are usually included on the tag with the plant. Make sure your interior can meet the requirement from natural sunlight. If not, artificial lighting may be required.

How to Grow Bamboo Houseplants

Growing Bamboo as houseplants, has become somewhat of the rage. It's popularity has increased steadily. Bamboo is easy to grow with little attention, and thrives in almost any light. Native to China, Bamboo is the favorite food of Panda Bears. There are several hundred varieties of bamboo.
When grown indoors as houseplants, bamboo is planted in containers filled with decorative stones. Water is added and voila..................you have a beautiful green plant.
You can also grow some varieties indoors in soil.
Bamboo is a lucky symbol, bringing you good fortune. This is a major cause to its popularity. It is most notably a symbol to be lucky in love.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Propagation:
Bamboo can be grown from cuttings. Select young canes and root in water.
Bamboo is also propagated from Rhizomes. The Rhizomes should be planted in large containers. The basic varieties are categorized as clumping or running which describes the growth of the plants. Clumping varieties are best for indoors.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Care and Maintenance:
Bamboo Grown in Water:
Place rooted canes in a container filled with decorative stones. Fill the container with water. The water should be replaced routinely. Fertilizers are not needed. Place the plant in full, partial, or filtered light. The plant will grow slowly.
Bamboo Grown Indoors in Soil:
Clumping varieties work best. Select a large container with holes in the bottom for drainage. Bamboo likes loose and rich soil that drains well. Use plenty of peat moss and other loose medium. Fill partially with soil. Plant the rhizomes an inch or two deep. If you have a small plant, plant it in the container about level with the depth the roots currently are at. Water thoroughly, and keep soil moist.
Place the plant in full to partial sunlight. Water when the soil begins to dry out. At no time should the rhizomes be allowed to be wet. When growing in soil, apply a general purpose fertilizer, or one high in nitrogen on an occasional basis. Plant spikes work well.
Whether grown in water, or in soil, plants should be long lived.

Indoor Plants Can Reduce Formaldehyde Levels

The toxic gas formaldehyde is contained in building materials including carpeting, curtains, plywood, and adhesives. As it is emitted from these sources, it deteriorates the air quality, which can lead to "multiple chemical sensitivity" and "sick building syndrome", medical conditions with symptoms such as allergies, asthma, and headaches. The prevalence of formaldehyde and other volatile organic compounds (VOC) is greater in new construction.

Researchers are studying the ability of plants to reduce formaldehyde levels in the air. A study led by Kwang Jin Kim of Korea's National Horticultural Research Institute compared the absorption rate of two types of houseplants. The results of the experiment on Weeping Fig (Ficus benjamina) and Fatsia japonica, an evergreen shrub, were published in the Journal of American Society for Horticultural Science.
During the study, equal amounts of formaldehyde were pumped into containers holding each type of plant in three configurations: whole, roots-only with the leafy portion cut off, and aerial-only, with the below-ground portion sealed off, leaving the stem and leaves exposed

The results showed the combined total of aerial-only and roots-only portions was similar to the amount removed by whole plants. Complete plants removed approximately 80% of the formaldehyde within 4 hours. Control chambers pumped with the same amount of formaldehyde, but not containing any plant parts, decreased by 7.3% during the day and 6.9% overnight within 5 hours. As the length of exposure increased, the amount of absorption decreased, which appeared to be due to the reduced concentration of the gas.