Add the right combination of plants to your space, and you may not have to crank up the air conditioner as much during the summer heat. Here’s why.
We all know that plants are nice to look at, and if you have enough of them (or one of these powerful indoor plants ), you can purify the air in your home. But these natural wonders can also help you during a heat wave . According to an expert, plants actually cool the air in your home through a process called transpiration.
The green guru teamed up with home builders to show how adding plants to your space can help lower the overall temperature and save you from having to turn on the air conditioner .
Transpiration is when water flows out of the soil and through the plant to its leaves and stem. This is how water and nutrients are delivered, but this process also keeps plants cool as water evaporates from the leaves.
So how does this help us ? “Transpiration also cools the area around the plant.” A study that found that plants on a large scale help combat the temperature rise caused by global warming. On a smaller scale, adding plants to your home can help regulate indoor temperatures, although less research has been done on how transpiration affects temperature on a smaller scale.
But it can’t hurt.
Tips for increasing plant transpiration.
Tips for increasing transpiration of indoor plants to enhance the cooling effect.
- Water indoor plants well: if the plant is not watered frequently, this can reduce transpiration rates as the plant tries to conserve water.
- Increase humidity: placing the plant in a tray of moist pebbles can also encourage transpiration. When water evaporates from the tray, a bubble of moisture forms around the plant.
- Group plants together: Grouping plants together helps to create a moist microclimate.
- Increase pot size. Plants in containers can release less moisture because their roots are often in a small space.
- Avoid pruning in summer: Pruning can reduce the transpiration of the plant because it reduces water absorption.
Best indoor plants for cooling the air
And here are seven of the best air conditioning units to keep your home cool this summer. What do they have in common? Larger leaves.
“Plant species have different leaf structures that affect transpiration rates.” Larger leaf size means more pores through which excess water is released and transpiration increases.
Here are plants that will help you with this
- Snake plant (Dracaena trifasciata)
- Peaceful lily (Spathiphyllum wallisii)
- Aloe vera (Aloe barbadensis ‘miller’)
- Bamboo palm (Chamaedorea seifrizii)
- Boston fern ( Nefrolepis exaltata )
- Golden potus (Epipremnum aureum)
- Spider plant (Chlorophytum comosum)
