Our recent research has shown that human hair waste is good for plants! But, why is hair good for plants? Let's explore the benefits of hair for houseplants...
Why is hair good for plants?
We experimented with adding waste human hair from our Green Salon Collective member salons to the bottom, top and bottom and top of plant pots - as well as a control pot with no hair.
The bottom line is that the potted plants with hair grew better than those with no hair. Plants with hair at both the top and bottom did the very best in terms of new leaves and growth. They grew 27% bigger and 107% more leaves than the average plant. In fact, compared to plants with no hair, they grew 87% bigger and 350% more leaves!
Engage your clients with recycling hair by putting hair in potted plants!
Going beyond putting hair in your salon's houseplants, by offering your clients some of their hair to take away and use in their own plants at home, you can engage them with hair recycling in a new way.
Giving your houseplants a nitrogen boost and recycling hair at the same time
We used nitrogen-loving plants in this experiment, Monstera plants, as that's what the hair is going to be providing in the long run. As the hair breaks down in the soil, nitrogen is slowly released adding nutrients to the soil.
Alongside this, it can also help to resist pests and retain water. The nitrogen boost encourages more growth and new leaves.
So, will you be putting hair in your potted plants?