About green thumbs and wellness for the eyes: Working healthier and more pleasantly with plants in the office
Why are plants in the office so important for our well-being? And what are the positive aspects of decent greenery in the office space? The countless studies on this topic usually come to a similar conclusion. Plants are an important part of our everyday work. We would like to give you some practical examples that you can use to make your everyday working life a little 'greener'! (also the relevant article Private items in the office)
1.1 The study by the University of Cardiff
1.2 Common sense
1.3 What effect do plants have in the office?
2. Practice
2.1 It all starts with advice
2.2 The best possible compromise for people and nature
2.3 The Ficus Rumor
3. Tips & Tricks
3.1 The earth is a world of its own
3.2 Which plants are right for my office?
Sources
1. Providing evidence using green thumbprints
1.1 The study by the University of Cardiff
The University of Cardiff titled an article on its homepage in which it presented the results of the first scientific field study on this topic: “Flower Power” in a flimsy but quite apt way. This refers to the most astonishing result of the research: anyone who plants a previously plant-free office can increase the productivity of their employees Desk increase by 15 percent. This claim is supported by the work of Marlon Nieuwenhuis from the School of Psychology at the university and his co-authors, Dr. Craig Knight from the University of Exeter and Professor Alex Haslam from the University of Queensland School of Psychology. In the first field study of its kind, they investigated how plants in the office affect work, well-being and the indoor climate.
In three large company offices in the United Kingdom and the Netherlands, they monitored employee satisfaction for months, measured air quality and conducted studies on employees' ability to concentrate. The result could not have been clearer and belies the assumption that a working environment that is as barren as possible promotes concentration. Carefully placed plants for the office do not distract from work, but rather measurably promote the ability to concentrate. The improvement in air quality was just as measurable – with equally clear results. And last but not least, the employees reported feeling noticeably happier and better.
1.2 Common sense
As nice as it is that renowned scientists have provided this proof, the matter becomes logical after a moment's consideration. First of all, as is well known, humans are part of nature and not part of office equipment. And anyone who has ever taken a walk in spring across bright green meadows and through a freshly sprouting forest knows the feeling of indefinite happiness that can come over you in the face of so much green. Calculated down to a few square meters of office, such feelings are unlikely to be created - especially since there is also a small secondary matter in the office: work. Nevertheless, a person needs oxygen, which plants in the office produce as we know; In this respect, improving the office air is a very logical matter. And it should also be clear that there is a difference between pleasant surroundings and distraction. On the Office chair While sitting, your gaze from the monitor often wanders to a green plant.
1.3 What effect do plants have in the office?
Jan Gisewski, who is responsible for the “interior greening” department at Ambius Germany, also refers to a whole series of studies. The division of the global service provider “Rentokil Initial GmbH” specializes in the delivery and care of plants in the office in commercial interiors. This includes offices as well as reception areas, retail spaces, public buildings, hotels, hospitals and doctor's practices. “Office plants have a stress-reducing effect, filter pollutants, relax the eyes and significantly improve the well-being of employees,” he confirms. An entrepreneur who provides plants for the office not only ensures a better office climate between people office furniture but also for more oxygen, sound insulation and more attractive workplaces. “Sometimes sick leave in companies even falls by up to 3.5 days per employee,” says Gisewski. Office plants have a measurably positive impact.
Since the furnishings of companies are often subject to a specific design, a complete solution for the office is recommended. "Especially in open-plan offices, a lot of emphasis is placed on a straightforward design concept that may also reflect the style or design line of the company. "If every employee brings a different pot with a different cactus from home, the effect is counterproductive," says Gisewski. The expert recommends a coherent overall concept that takes into account the spatial conditions, the client's preferences, the lighting and space conditions and the budget.
2. Practice
2.1 It all starts with advice
There is an order to be noted: In most cases, the greeners come after the furniture makers; Whether the facility has been there for a long time or has just been purchased. During a site visit, we find out how much space there is for plants in the office, how much light is available in each place and what tasks the plants should perform in the office. If the focus is on generally improving air humidity and quality, the experts turn to large-leaved plants, which usually also need a lot of light, water and air. Gisewski: “The rule of thumb applies: the more leaf surface a plant has, the more water it can release through its leaves and generate oxygen.” If the focus is more on visual stimuli, not only the office plant but also the container in which it is planted is of great importance. “There are pots from renowned designers like Colani or designer item manufacturers like Koziol, there are plant troughs that are decorated with mother of pearl – there is nothing that doesn’t exist.”
2.2 The best possible compromise for people and nature
When it comes to office greenery, it's all about finding compromises. This becomes clear when Jan Gisewski talks about his work. Because it's not just humans who have certain needs for plants - plants, which don't normally grow in buildings but outside, also need certain conditions in order to thrive. Accordingly, interior landscapers are less looking for the perfect solution than for the best possible compromise. Jan Gisewski's employees currently look after almost 30,000 plants throughout Germany and not only take care of planting, but also care, fertilization and irrigation. In doing so, they repeatedly come across the realization that rules of thumb are rules of thumb, but that they are confirmed by exceptions.
There is the story of the thirty birch figs, also known as “ficus benjamini”, which actually need a lot of light and a lot of water - and are quite sensitive to drafts. “And then there is the 31st specimen, which stands in a dark corner, is hardly watered and can handle drafts quite well - because no one explained to it that it should have died long ago.” Gisewski's joking example shows that plants are living beings that can be just as different as people.
2.3 The Ficus Rumor
Keyword “Ficus benjamini”: As a popular and relatively easy-care houseplant, it is also widely used in offices, although a strange rumor has surrounded it for a long time: it is decried as a trigger for allergies. What's that about it? “I can’t certify that it’s harmless,” says the qualified horticultural engineer. After all, the Ficus is a type of rubber tree. Whitish juice that contains rubber flows inside. “If a person allergic to rubber comes into contact with it, an allergic reaction can of course occur.” At the same time, there is an assumption that the plant also binds allergens in the dust it attracts. “The opposite has not yet been proven,” says Gisewski. He points out that such rumors should be viewed with caution, especially in the age of the Internet. The fact is that the reports of allergic reactions in connection with the “ficus benjamini” concentrate solely on this subspecies. There are almost no corresponding reports of the many other Ficus subspecies - although they are also rubber tree species.
3. Tips & Tricks
3.1 The earth is a world of its own
Assume that no company was hired to plant the office greenery and that the employees were given free rein to plant their desks themselves. Then there are one or two things that need to be taken into account - so that the situation described above does not arise. For example, there is no potting soil in the pot. This type of planting requires a high level of care, which is not necessarily compatible with a long absence, a vacation or even a long weekend. Since the beginning of the 1960s, a system has been developed that was intended to make keeping plants easier - and is now so sophisticated that the topic of "watering" may only come up once a month. In so-called hydroponics, inorganic plant granules made from fired clay are used instead of soil. The water and nutrient solution for the plants are stored in special, waterproof planters. The plants then gradually absorb the water and nutrients and the plant is supplied over a longer period of time. Watering is carried out according to the ebb and flow principle; This means that only when the water has been completely used up will water be added again. However, for this method of cultivation, the office plant must ideally develop so-called water roots at a young age.
3.2 Which plants are right for my office?
When it comes to choosing office plants, expert Gisewski recommends looking towards the south. "For the most part, native plants are not suitable for indoor spaces because they are used to the seasons. The enthusiasm of everyone involved would be limited if the plant on the desk showed autumnal symptoms," laughs Gisewski. So if you don't want to start raking leaves in the office or don't want to look at bare or brown grass in winter, you should think about the rainforest. “In the office, temperatures are stable all year round between 17 and 20 degrees, which is more in line with the wishes of subtropical plants.” They also require comparatively little light. His recommendation for office plants would be various Ficus varieties, Dracaena varieties - i.e. dragon trees -, Schefflera species, Kentia or Areca palms. "Around 70 percent of mass office greenery is made up of these plants. In addition, in recent years there has been an increasing number of plants that most people still know from their grandmother's window sills: Sansevieria."
Sources
British study by the School Of Psychology, Cardiff; More precisely: Marlon Nieuwenhuis, Craig Knight, Tom Postmes, Alexander S. Haslam have completed a study entitled “The relative benefits of green versus lean office space – Three field experiments” that examines the influence office plants have on work and output. A text appeared in the “Journal Of Experimental Psychology: Applied, Vol 20(3), September 2014, pages 199-214. Numerous articles refer to it.
University of Cardiff homepage: https://www.cardiff.ac.uk/
Interview with Jan Gisewski, Dipl.-Ing. Horticulture (FH), branch manager at Ambius Germany, a division of Rentokil Initial GmbH.