A pot of plant for a breath of fresh air!

Every individual can contribute to counter pollution. Bringing home a pot of plant is a simple yet cost-effective step towards this direction, says Ravipati Kumuda, founder of Green Twigs.

Apart from selling a whole range of plants in eye-pleasing pots and containers, her six-and-a-half-year-old endeavour offers services in landscaping, vertical gardening, roof gardening and gardening solutions along with maintenance works.

An M. Pharmacy graduate, Kumuda says that she is in a line of profession where she could place her heart. "When you are passionate about what you do, your work eventually stands out," believes Kumuda, who discontinued her tutorial centre that focussed on training aspirants in soft skills.

"I wanted to bring down pollution levels in Visakhapatnam. The simplest solution is encouraging people to invest in indoor plants as most of them act as air purifiers and oxygen generators. Moreover, they are affordable and need very little maintenance. Even if each individual brings home a plant, half of my mission is accomplished," explains Kumuda, who has close to 4,000 plants for assorted purposes, varying from Rs.30 to Rs.40,000 each.

Besides investing in indoor plants, Kumuda lays stress on their maintenance. "It really bothers me when people get their dead plants for repair. The trick lies in adding the right amount of potting mix which varies based on the variety of the plant. But a blend of soil, vermicompost and cocopeat aids in longer survival of the plants. Similarly, water requirement and sunlight too differ from plant to plant," explains Kumuda, who underlines the need to understand the nature of the plant and its maintenance before investing.

With the health-conscious keen on finding ways to get rid of indoor pollutants, the founder of Green Twigs says that the demand for natural oxygen-generators has gone up, especially in times of the pandemic. "When certain plants are placed in the rooms, they not only help in sucking away the toxic chemicals present in the atmosphere and purifying the air but also in increasing the oxygen volume. But placement of the indoor plants plays a key role," elaborates Kumuda.

Areca Palm trees, Snake plants and Peace Lily for living hall; Syngonium varieties, succulents and cacti for kitchen; ZZ plants for bedrooms; Boston ferns, Orchids and Bromeliad for washrooms are some of the indoor plants, the entrepreneur says, are best suited.

"Prolonged exposure to low air quality impacts our health at large and leads to respiratory issues, headache, allergies and in some cases even stress-induced infertility. By placing right plants in specific quantities at right corners, the indoor air quality is sure to improve and eventually boosts our overall well-being. However, the number of plants is directly proportional to the number of individuals residing in the house," adds Kumuda.

For instance, three medium-sized Areca Palm trees are sufficient for a person to get good oxygen volume. Similarly, four to five Pothos and Peace Lily plants are required for an adult. However, Kumuda suggests to maintain the soil a little loose and check the topsoil before watering as the frequency is dependent on its moisture retention capacity.

With less investment and minimal maintenance, Kumuda says that oxygen-emanating plants work wonders to enhance indoor air quality.