The topic of feng shui of plants in the bedroom and either it is good feng shui or bad feng shui to have them in your bedroom triggered a lot of e-mails from our readers. Feng Shui-wise, as I stated before, plants are not recommended in the bedroom because:
As it often works in life, you receive what you ask for. One of my recent clients has extensive background in horticulture and a lifetime love affair with plants. Her name is Cheryl Dawn, she is the owner of HortyGirl in Langley, BC, Canada. Below is Cheryl's brief explanations on plants, CO2 and other life matters.
"Plants do release CO2 in the process of respiration (burning energy) called the Krebs cycle. This process is not light dependent, therefore is continuous. Photosynthesis is the process responsible for the release of oxygen and is light dependent (takes place during daylight only). The chemical equations are equal but respiration contributes CO2 through the dark hours while photosynthesis is inactive. However, temperatures during the day and night directly affect the rates of each of these processes. In a normal climate; it is warmer during the day and cooler at night so the amount of O2 is much greater than the amount of CO2 in a 24 hour period. That is why we can breathe comfortably all night long.
It is very important to keep in mind that humans (& animals) release CO2 with every breath, all day and all night (and we are not harming ourselves by doing so). If a person lived in a greenhouse (full of spinach or soybeans) that was kept cool during the day then warm during the night, there would be some concern.
Although the amount of CO2 released by plants at night is not outrageous, feng shui-wise, plants are not recommended for a small to mid-size bedroom.
In conclusion, here is a quote from Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D. at PG Research Foundation in Darien, Illinois: "Plants generate carbon dioxide by much the same mechanism as animals. They combine glucose with oxygen in many steps to make carbon dioxide and water, giving them the energy they need to carry out their life processes." ( Ask A Scientist (c) Botany Archive, US Department of Energy )
More Feng Shui Quick Tips
- Plants have a strong and vibrant energy of growth and movement - yang energy - which is not the feng shui energy recommended for the bedroom. There are many excellent areas in your home to have lush, vibrant plants, such as, for example, East and Southeast feng shui areas. Your bedroom, however, is not the best feng shui area to have plants.
- Plants do release CO2 at night. (Yes, I said it again!) The amount depends on many factors, but insisting that plants release only oxygen is like saying you only inhale air without ever exhaling it.
As it often works in life, you receive what you ask for. One of my recent clients has extensive background in horticulture and a lifetime love affair with plants. Her name is Cheryl Dawn, she is the owner of HortyGirl in Langley, BC, Canada. Below is Cheryl's brief explanations on plants, CO2 and other life matters.
"Plants do release CO2 in the process of respiration (burning energy) called the Krebs cycle. This process is not light dependent, therefore is continuous. Photosynthesis is the process responsible for the release of oxygen and is light dependent (takes place during daylight only). The chemical equations are equal but respiration contributes CO2 through the dark hours while photosynthesis is inactive. However, temperatures during the day and night directly affect the rates of each of these processes. In a normal climate; it is warmer during the day and cooler at night so the amount of O2 is much greater than the amount of CO2 in a 24 hour period. That is why we can breathe comfortably all night long.
It is very important to keep in mind that humans (& animals) release CO2 with every breath, all day and all night (and we are not harming ourselves by doing so). If a person lived in a greenhouse (full of spinach or soybeans) that was kept cool during the day then warm during the night, there would be some concern.
- Did you know….90% of the Earth’s oxygen supply comes from the blue green algae in the Oceans?"
Although the amount of CO2 released by plants at night is not outrageous, feng shui-wise, plants are not recommended for a small to mid-size bedroom.
In conclusion, here is a quote from Richard E. Barrans Jr., Ph.D. at PG Research Foundation in Darien, Illinois: "Plants generate carbon dioxide by much the same mechanism as animals. They combine glucose with oxygen in many steps to make carbon dioxide and water, giving them the energy they need to carry out their life processes." ( Ask A Scientist (c) Botany Archive, US Department of Energy )
