One of the last things on a guy’s mind is a house plant. It’s one more thing that you need to remember to take care of and most guys just don’t want to bother with it. There are so many benefits to having them and they are easier to care for than you might think.
House Plant Health Benefits
There are several health benefits to having a house or an office plant. As you may have learned in elementary school, plants absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen. Outside of water and sun, your breathing helps that little plant live a great life. And in return for your generosity, it’s going to give you some added oxygen! Additionally, a study from Texas A&M found that keeping ornamental plants increases memory retention and concentration. Having plants on your desk at work or in your office can help reduce stress and put you in a better state of mind.
When you water your plant, the roots absorb the moisture from the soil and then it’s evaporated through the leaves. This process is known as transpiration. This is kind of like having a natural humidifier. This can help you decrease the chance of getting a sore throat or a cold! Research from NASA discovered that plants can remove trace levels of toxic vapors including carbon monoxide and formaldehyde. NASA recommends one plant in a 6 to 8-inch pot will clean the air of a 100 square foot space. Although trace levels may not seem like much, still it’s cleaning the air you breathe and helps to keep your body on point!
Best Plants for Your Home or Office
Some plants require more care than others. But I’m going to avoid discussing those. All you need is something simple and if you forget to water it the thing won’t die. If you are looking for a plant that looks great and exhumes manliness, check out the following:
Spider Plant
The Spider Plant is my all-time favorite indoor plant. I’ve had one for about 19 years and it’s been through hell, lived for a month without water, and has produced dozens of babies over the years. The babies have been one of the greatest benefits of this plant. If any part of my plant begins to die, I can just root a baby and plant it in the same pot. Also, they make great gifts! Trust me. Chicks dig a dude who gives a house plant that he “made”. The plant loves sun, so just put it near a window and water it once a week. If you over water, lay off watering until the soil dries out.
Christmas Cactus
The Christmas Cactus is probably one of the coolest plants to care for. It doesn’t need a whole lot of sun, but a bit of direct sunlight doesn’t hurt. Give this plant some water once a week or so. Just remember to keep the soil moist without overwatering it. Now for the cool part. If you take good care of your Christmas Cactus, it will bloom pink, white, or purple flowers around Christmas time! There are some tricks to get it to bloom throughout the year, but I’ll let you figure those out on your own.
Mother-in-law’s Tongue
The Mother-in-law’s Tongue (MILT), AKA the snake plant or Saint George’s Sword, is one of those plants that require very little care. You only need to water the thing once every 2 to 6 weeks! Just make sure that the soil is completely dry before you water it. This plant can start out as a tabletop plant, but you’ll eventually want to turn it into a floor plant since the leaves can grow up to 12 feet high! Now if the thing gets too tall for you just trim down the leaves. You can also take the trimmed leaves and replant them to make new plants! Every dude needs a MILT.
Rubber Plant
One of the fastest-growing plants you could own is the Rubber Plant. My rubber plant produced a new leaf every other day. It got to be pretty insane. I repotted it twice and the thing just kept getting bigger. In their native environment, they can grow over 100 feet tall! If you don’t keep upgrading the pot (like I did) you can keep them as a nice desk or floor plant. These plants don’t like to get too hot, so keep them out of direct sunlight. You won’t need to water the thing very often, maybe just once or twice per month. One quick tip put a dab of mayonnaise on a paper towel and wipe the leaves with it. It will give your rubber plant a shine that will last for weeks!
Aloe
The Aloe plant serves two purposes. It looks cool and you can use it medicinally. You don’t need to keep this plant in a window as it will do well in indirect light and you only need to water it once every week or two. This spikey looking plant looks like alien tentacles and the thing can grow up to three feet tall. It all depends on how much room you give the roots to grow. If you get a zit or have any type of skin condition, just break off a small piece of the aloe plant and apply the goo inside the leave to the affected area of your skin. You can also eat it if you are having “bathroom issues”, just remember to eat the goo and not the leaf.
Wrapping Up
Now that you have an idea of how easy it is to take care of some house plants, maybe it’s time to add some for your home or office. Adding some greenery will also add to your masculinity. It may even help you to live a little longer and put you on the path to living an UltiUber Life!