Indoor plants for a classroom?

Davesnave

Being serious for a moment, the environment you describe is a hostile one for most plants, being dry and often hot with, I'd guess, occasional periods of wild temperature fluctuations. Being fair, you wouldn't want to put your computers in an environment that would be enjoyed by the majority of plants.

Faced with that, you aren't going to find many flowering plants that will do well, so only tradescanthia ('Wandering Jew') Swedish ivy (which is not Swedish or an ivy!) or spider plants like the one below and that type of thing will cope. They may also suffer with red spider mites which love dry air and warm conditions.



These plants are most cheaply sourced at car boot sales, village hall, WI sales etc. There you'll also find succulents....



...which are also a good bet, being the sort of plants that have evolved to cope with the environmental conditions you are offering.

Cacti are out on health and safety grounds, I'd imagine!

Mamabear

Or houseleeks, they aren't called sempervivum for nothing.

http://www.succulent-plant.com/families/crassulaceae/sempervivum.html

enrich100

I grow most plants from seed failing that my local independent nursery is incredibly cheap compared to the national chains, car boot and fetes are good too depending on the quantity and quality you want,

EvilMonkey

Thanks for the thorough help guys, I popped out today and picked up some of your tips (a mint chocolate coleus) and various other bits and bobs. My local place had this big display of what looked like pic n mix seedlings, so I rather raided that!

I avoided the sempervivum though as this is the one that died in the middle.

A friend has a spider plant and so has offered me a load of cuttings from that.

Saving the ones the plants the currently survive should see me be able to repot all my troughs now. I even bought some water retaining gel to last the summer!

Thanks again

chumbasmum

I had a plant in a classroom years and years ago and just have a distant memory but it was fab and would love to have another one. I wonder if anyone can out a name to the description.

It was a succulant (bit like Aloe Vera - I think) but along the leaves it had rows of little plants which each had a very basic set of root and much smaller than the parent - Bit like cress size.

I would love one again because great to show different types of reproduction. I take it that it is asexual although I had better check that fact before using it.

Davesnave

chumbasmum wrote: »

I had a plant in a classroom years and years ago and just have a distant memory but it was fab and would love to have another one. I wonder if anyone can out a name to the description.

It was a succulant (bit like Aloe Vera - I think) but along the leaves it had rows of little plants which each had a very basic set of root and much smaller than the parent - Bit like cress size.

I would love one again because great to show different types of reproduction. I take it that it is asexual although I had better check that fact before using it.

You mean Kalanchoe daigremontiana.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%BBywor%C3%B3dka_Daigremonta_(Kalanchoe_daigremontiana).JPG

(I think you will find that the National Curriculum unit on reproduction has moved on a bit in recent years. )

nodwah

Sounds like christmas cactus you've got? http://www.gardenseeker.com/christmas_cactus.htm

Available in any supermarket and come in lots of lovely colours!

EvilMonkey

nodwah wrote: »

Sounds like christmas cactus you've got? http://www.gardenseeker.com/christmas_cactus.htm

That's the one yes!

chumbasmum

Davesnave wrote: »

You mean Kalanchoe daigremontiana.

http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:%C5%BBywor%C3%B3dka_Daigremonta_(Kalanchoe_daigremontiana).JPG

(I think you will find that the National Curriculum unit on reproduction has moved on a bit in recent years. )

Be careful, "there's always soneone somewhere with a big nose who knows who'll trip you up and laugh when you fall"

From New Science Spec.

Why are individuals of the same species different from each
other? What new methods do we have for producing plants
and animals with the characteristics we prefer?
11.7 Why have some species of plants and animals died out? How

do new species of plants and animals develop?

Excellent example of why asexual reproduction has disadvantages - THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!

Davesnave

chumbasmum wrote: »

Be careful, "there's always soneone somewhere with a big nose who knows who'll trip you up and laugh when you fall"

From New Science Spec.

Why are individuals of the same species different from each
other? What new methods do we have for producing plants
and animals with the characteristics we prefer?
11.7 Why have some species of plants and animals died out? How

do new species of plants and animals develop?

Excellent example of why asexual reproduction has disadvantages - THINK OUTSIDE THE BOX!!

Touche! I was being very loose with my language, not meaning the science curriculum at all, but PHSE, which is where I specialised.

Perhaps I should explain that I am the product of a generation where one covered reproduction through the amoeba in Year 7 and, if exceptionally lucky, with rabbits around Year 9/10. The Kalanchoe 'Mother of Thousands' was very popular then with staff, mainly because it was a long way removed from anything embarrassing and, from the pupil's POV, a damn sight easier than Mendel and his confounded peas!