Making an Alkaline Water Based Indoor Plants

Making an Alkaline Water based

Indoor Plants

You don't have to grow your

houseplants in dirt

Essentially the dirt is just the medium holding the plant up and allowing the roots to pull nutrients through moisture

Benefits of Growing an Indoor Plants

Healthier Reduce allergy; dirt holds

spores, molds, mildew Pest free - no soil born pests

like dirt gnats Reduce odors


Cleaner Easier clean up after spills. No

dirt to sweep Less risk of staining furniture


Watering is easierFertilize when you water, and less frequentlyOver watering and under watering are eliminated

Plants like itNutrients are distributed evenly to

the rootsRoot aeration since pebbles do

not compact like soil


Less maintenance for youPebbles don't have to be replaced

and can be reusedHydroculture plants have smaller root

systems: less transplantingWater less frequently. Your plants are

fine while you are on vacation

Procedures

Indoor plants can be propagated easily using common shrubs in the locality without the rigorous

processes, long wait and the like, in raising indoor plants; and this can be done in just a matter of

three weeks to a month.

It proved to be simple and even entertaining

Your work will paid off when after three weeks or less – the twigs

begun to bud and new white roots are visible at the bottom

Materials: A thumb-size of ornamental plant twig, cut about 6 inches longAn ordinary clear jar-used glass/plastic bottle will do.Styrofoam – from discarded packing of goodsClear VaseSealing material – this can be soft rubber foam from discarded cushions or even rags or any dense fabric will do

Materials:About 300 ml of alkaline water with pH 8.5 to 9 will do. (alkaline powder for agriculture – Exclusively available at Nutriwealth Cooperative)Scouring padTwo toothpicksPebbles, ribbon and other appropriate materials necessary for creative designsArtistic talent and a little patience

1. Cut a thumb-size branch of common tropical ornamental shrub (such as bougainvillea, fortune plant, santan, hibiscus or gumamela, banyan – also known as ‘balite’, etc.) – but there is local shrub named “san francisco” and its variety is easiest to propagate. Use a pruning shear or sharp knife to cut the stem.

2. The cut should be flat at the upper end and slanted on the lower portion. Reason is – the upper part should bud and can be designed into some other odd shape if possible. The slant cut on the lower portion will allow more roots to shoot out creating a better look.

Note: If there are any branches – you may choose to cut them evenly or haphazardly depending on your visual design. If there are smaller branches – you bend these carefully to desired shapes, i.e. heart, half-heart, or even a letter in the alphabet.

Note: In designing the branch – you may drill a hole of same size as the tip of the branch to be bent. Then with a sharp knife carefully peel off the bark of the stem-tip to be inserted to the hole you bore in the stem. This way the bark will grow and cover the exposed end-tip of the stem in about three weeks.

3. With the use of scouring pad rub carefully the outer bark, about 3 inches long on the lower part of the stem - to eliminate flakes of dead skin from the cut stem. This will prevent contaminating the water after a period of time during budding.

Note: Usually if the stem is un-cleaned, the dead outer layers of the bark will fall off thereby polluting the alkaline water and may induce this to become acidic which in turn may stimulate the stem to rot. You would want to avoid that.

4. With a soft rubber foam, wrap around the stem half-way of the stem with a width of about ½ to ¾ of an inch. This will serve as seal and holder of the stem during budding stage.

5. Fill your empty glass/plastic bottle ¾ full with alkaline water. Put the lower half portion of the plant stem inside making sure that it will be soaked in the water for all the duration of 3 to 4 weeks (budding period).

Note: The rubber foam should make a good seal at the bottle-neck; to hold the plant stem in place and at the same time not allowing small insects to get into the water, especially mosquitoes; thereby preserving clarity of the water which can be re-used later.

6. At about 3 to 4 weeks – you should see signs of life on the branch. Small leaves are coming out and white roots are protruding inside the jar. At this stage you may need to transfer the plant into a permanent vase.

7. Cut a round-shape styro-foam at about ½ inch thick. This is normally rigid and could easily break, care is needed.

Note: The circumference should be slightly bigger than the vase neck and it should be a bit conical so as to allow a little tight seal when positioned inside the vase.

8. Measure the stem diameter. The hole to be punched in the styro-foam should be the same size as the stem diameter. In the outside rim of the styro-foam – cut small slots around – small enough that ordinary ants can’t squeeze in.

Note: This will allow you to re-fill the vase in the coming months. Cut the round foam into half after punching a hole at the center or you can cut it in half first and then carve a half-hole as you wish. It should end up with similar results.

9. At this time carefully extract the plant from the milk bottle, unwrap its rubber foam and position the styro-foam (two halves) to where the rubber foam was wrapped

and with the use of two toothpicks, re-join the two halves to secure the stem at the center. This will be your suspension media that will seal the vase to maintain water clarity as much as possible.

10. Fill the clear vase with alkaline water to its neck. You may re-use the water from the glass/plastic bottle you used during propagation.

Position the plant to the vase carefully pushing the styro-foam a snug fit on the neck of the vase. Add water as necessary. You may also put some pebble or sea shells on top of the foam to camouflage it.

Note: Do not expose the plant to direct sunlight. It may affect the alkalinity of the water, and may kill the plant. Do not use mineral water to refill. Use purified water.

Note: Refilling can be done when water level is low and that may take every month or two, or when the water becomes hazy.

Note: Do not use plant fertilizer for it will change the chemistry of the water

This was called bonsai for the simple reason that this stem cut from the

original shrub will never grow again being solely dependent on alkaline water

for survival.

Aside from its beauty, the plant itself serves as

oxygen enhancing media to your living room, which is healthy, and at the same

time absorbing some carbon gases inside the

house improving ambience.

Aside from its ease to produce and propagate, it

is also inexpensive because you can use

recycled materials such as discarded bottles or

rubber foam and styro-foam from discarded

packaging to start with.

You only buy alkaline powder for agriculture (only Php 50 SRP per

sachet – can make about 5-7 plants)

and clear vase which can be optional since it can be

taken from recycled materials.

The best part is it can also be developed into income

generating venture. Creative and well-designed

plants can be sold to houses (living room,

kitchen, dining room), offices, hotels, restaurants

and more

It can also be sold during special occassions like all saints day,

valentine’s day, birthdays and more

You can also give this as a very inexpensive gift during special

occassion like Christmas, Birthday, Graduation Day and more

NutriWealth Cooperative is bringing this projects to Schools. We always

believe that students are very creative and artistic.

This projects also give the school as well as the teachers opportunity

to earn additional income.

Students may have the option to sell their designed indoor plants to

NutriWealth Cooperative

NutriWealth Cooperative is giving away special prizes to best made

indoor plants.

Education

Making an Alkaline Water Based Indoor Plants