INTERIOR PLANTSCAPING

Interior foliage plants are those, then, that have been grown and selected or specially
trained to live indoors for long periods at relatively constant temperatures and under low
light intensities.
Interior plantscaping is therefore is the most beneficial use of indoor foliage plants
within public and commercial interior spaces to perform a functional, psychological,
emotional or aesthetic duty.
In addition to the psychological effect of indoor foliage plants on the inhabitants of
architectural space, plants also perform a number of functional and aesthetic duties for the
designer of interior spaces. Plants do all the following:
1. Plants act as visual screens and sound diffusers in open plan office space
designs.
2. Plants help soften hard architectural surfaces and provide texture to nondescript
surfaces
3. Plants provide a human scale factor and help articulate spatial volume.
4. Plants aid in directing traffic circulation
5. Plants help improve worker morale and efficiency.
6. Plants are simply appealing aesthetically.

PLANTING PROCESS- MAJOR FACTORS

The major factors to be considered during the interior plantscaping are 1. Lighting 2.
Water supply 3. Drainage 4. Temperature 5. Air pollution 6. Air movement and 7. Nutrients
or fertilizers

1.LIGHTING
Light- a major requirement for plant survival

Intensity
It must be remembered that indoor foliage plants are living organisms- that like
humans- react to and depend upon certain environmental factors for survival. For plants,
light in certain quantities per day is one of the most important of these factors. Intensity is the
measurement of the amount of light which plants receive on the leaf surfaces.
It is here that plants utilize light in the manufacture of carbohydrates for the life
process. It is believed that when light of any significant intensity makes contact with green
pigment chlorophyll in the plant leaves, photosynthesis is instantaneous.
It is interesting to note that like a photoelectric cell, the chlorophyll in leaves is not
depended upon natural sunlight to be activated. The photons (light packets or light units)
from any light source, wheatear natural or artificial, can trigger the chemical process of
photosynthesis, providing a sufficient light intensity is present.

Light duration-light period

Proper lighting for interior foliage plants is best described as the product of the
intensity nd duration (or time). This essentially means that the welfare of the plant is
dependent upon not only te intensity of light during the light period, but also the length of that
lighting period. Also involved is the regularity of the lighting period: the lighting period should
be continuous length of time, regularly scheduled, not sporadic intervals of time. Duration of
light then is our second important factor in lighting for interior plantscaping.

Recommended lighting level categories

(Based on a 12 hour lighting period per day, per seven- day week)

Low- minimum light level of 50 foot candles;

Recommended level of 75-150 foot-candles
 Medium - minimum light level of 75-150 foot candles;
Recommended level of 200 plus foot-candles

High - minimum light level of 200 foot candles;

Recommended level of 500 foot-candles

Very high- minimum light level of 500 foot candles;

Recommended level of 1000 foot-candles

It should be noted here that basically all interior foliage plants desire the same
lighting levels. However some varieties, as a result of their particular native habitat, are able
to tolerate lower light conditions than other plant varieties. Hence the different light level
categories.

Artificial lighting
Lighting for plant maintenance must be analyzed in terms of its three components of
intensity, duration and quality.
It is important that the lighting intensity for desired plant material be planned as part
of space design. Duration or lighting period, should be planned for a continuous 12- hour
day, seven days per week.
Interior foliage plants can make use of either natural or artificial light. Recommended
types are those with predominantly blue- light energy emissions, such as fluorescent lamps.
Standard cool white fluorescent lamps have proven superior to plant growth.

Natural lighting
Day lighting is highly encouraged as energy efficient and pleasant ambient lighting.
However, it must be carefully designed and calculated if it is to be the primary lighting source
for interior plant material. Limitations of sky light or vertical glazing also must be realized in
terms of actual light intensity falling on plant materials.
Natural lighting is dependent upon building latitude, season, and altitude of the sun,
weather conditions and cloud cover. Depending upon season, geographical location and
building orientation, sky lights and vertical glazing usually will require some artificial
supplemental lighting.

2. WATER SUPPLY
It is always recommended that plant watering be done manually, not by automatic
watering systems. Convenience of water supply outlets is very critical.
Provide a wide moisture resistant floor surface (quarry tile, terrazzo) around floor
type planters, to prevent future problems in appearance from watering.

Watering techniques
Next t adequate lighting intensities to maintain proper growth activities, soil
moistures constitute probably the most significant requirement of interior plants. Proper
moisture, however, is not something that can be easily discussed in writing. Watering of
interior plants is not routine that simply takes place every 7, 14, or 20 days.
Soil moisture is one of a number of interrelated factors, each having an effect
on the other. For instance, the need for soil moisture is dependent upon light intensities and
how much food is manufactured by the plant. The less light a plant has, the less food is
manufactured and hence the less water the plant needs and can use. Moisture needs are
also dependent upon the temperature, relative humidity, and ventilation, all of which have an
effect on the amount of moisture lost through transpiration.
With hand- watering, plants can be treated individually and their specific
needs met. Occasionally, it would also be good idea to have certain plants misted, in order
to keep the foliage clean. This can be done by simply replacing the water breaker nozzle of
the watering system with fogging nozzle.

3. DRAINAGE
When plants are watered, not only moisture but also oxygen is added to the root
system for dispersal throughout the plant. When water enters the soil, a pressure differential
pulls oxygen in to the soil mass. This oxygen settles in the soil pores and is needed around
the root hairs for respiration. If excess water is not allowed to run off, however, oxygen never
comes in to contact with root hairs, because the water settles around root hairs.
This not only cuts off oxygen supply for continued respiration, but also traps
the carbon dioxide can be dangerous to the root hairs, and if continued, the entire root
system can become endangered. For proper plant growth, all excess water must be drained
from the soil mass, so that oxygen can reenter the soil mass.
Although thee cause of the root system injury described above, is often considered
over watering, the real problem is the inadequate drainage. Proper watering procedures
require that the entire root ball be moistened at each water run off. It is mandatory that this
excess be drained away so that the root system is not suffocated.
Three types of interior plantscaping exists; large planting beds, box planting (railings,
divider walls) and movable planters. The drainage alternatives are variable for each type. In
a large open planter, it is recommended that the plant material be direct planted in to the soil
in nursery pots. This is a convenience factor for maintenance and possible future withdrawal
and also a growth control factor. When this is done, however, the surrounding support soil is
the only drainage vehicle available.

With box planters, drainage problems are much the same as with large planters, and
only the resolution is different. Box planters can be used as divider partitions and railing
planters. In these planter types, which are usually custom fabricated, a drainage reservoir
must be provided. If the planter is small, this may simply be a catch basin area which allows
the water to evaporate between watering.
In movable planter, the capabilities of good drainage are not always so
evident. Movable planters made of aluminium, fiberglass, ceramics, plastics and such should
always be specified with an excess water reservoir in the planter bottom. This not only
assures that will have adequate drainage, but also helps reduce maintenance costs, since
the excess water will not have to be dealt with at every watering.

4. TEMPERATURE
Most interior foliage plants thrive well in the human comfort range of 21.5 degree C to
24 degree C during the day or light period and prefer a 10 degree C cooler night or dark
period temperature. Excess temperature either way, however, can usually damage plant
material. Hot stagnant air can burn foliage, and rapid temperature changes of 10 to 20
degree C can damage plants. Temperature should never be allowed to dip below 0 degree C

Temperature requirements
The temperature preference of each plant variety is also an aid to the
designer. These preferences are basically an indication of the temperatures that are found in
the plant varietys natural habitat and represent the most ideal temperature for the plant. All
interior foliage plants, unless otherwise noted, do have the ability to tolerate- and even thrive
in- the indoor temperature range most comfortable to human beings.

Indicated temperature preferences

Cool- 10 degree C to 15 degree C

Temperate- 16 degree C to 21.5 degree C

 Warm- 21.5 degree C to 24 degree C

Most interior foliage plants thrive quite well in the human comfort range of 21.5
degree C to 24 degree C.

5. AIR POLLUTION
This is not a major problem when working with interior foliage plants; however
thoughtful selection of interior finishes can sometimes prevents air pollution problems. Harsh
and volatile cleaning chemicals like strong ammonia and carbon tetrachloride used in
cleaning floors around planters can literally kill plants and turns foliage black, the usual sign
of gas oriented problems.
Heavy concentration of varnish and paint odours can also harm plants, as can
unburned gas (hydrocarbons) from heating units, heavy concentration of chloride gas, (from
swimming pools) and even heavy cigarette and cigar smoke concentrations. Adequate
ventilation and appropriate exhaust systems, of course, will usually prevent most gas
oriented problems.

6. AIR MOVEMENT
In general, god ventilation in the photosynthesis- transpiration cycle because it helps
dissipate the diffused water vapour molecules resulting from transpiration. I this way,
ventilation perform an indirect function that determines how ell this cycle works.
Ventilation, if provided around the foliage plants reduces the vapour pressure build
up, and hence transpiration continues normally. Good ventilation then, is necessary to
maintain a normal transpiration rate, which, in turn, is necessary for a normal photosynthesis
rate. Ventilation also require to keep the surrounding temperature in line.

7. NUTRIENTS OR FERTILIZERS
Nutrients or fertilizers must be present in the soil mass for good plant growth, as the
chemical reactions of the food production, assimilation, and so on require the minerals
supplied in liquid or dry fertilizer, as well as light, water and the correct temperature
Although many elements are available to the plant through fertilizer application, or
soil mixture type, the plant requires only relatively small number of nutrients. A list of these
elements and their basic functions are follows;

a. Nitrogen
Nitrogen is utilized primarily in the plant for the vegetative and reproductive stages of
growth
b. Phosphorous
Phosphorous is essential for all plant growth functions. Changes of starches in to
sugar, cell division and seed development are the major functions
c. Potassium
Exerting a balancing effect to the chemical reactions taking place by increasing the
plants resistance to certain diseases.
d. Calcium
Calcium is an integral component of cell walls. Certain chemical reaction are also
promoted by the presence of calcium and is needed in new tissue whenever growth is
occurring.