How To Care for Houseplants – Light

Deciding how much light your plant needs can be a very tricky decision to make.  If a plant is receiving too much or too little light, it could die.

In general, foliage plants need less light than flowering plants and most houseplants enjoy plenty of partial sun or bright light rather than direct sunlight.

However, these are only very general rules and they do not apply to every plant.  Therefore, in order to help you make sure that your plant is getting the right amount of light, become familiar with these terms to describe lighting conditions:

• Direct Sun – This type of sun is normally foundin areas with south facing windows.  Sunlight pours in for at least 5 hours a day.  Only a few plants can tolerate this much light, mainly Cacti and certain Succulents.  However, many sun loving plants, if given some shade protections and lots of water, will survive in these locations.
• Partial Sun – this includes locations which have windows facing either east or west, and which thus receive direct sun for less than 5 hours per day.  flowering houseplants especially enjoy these locations, but you must provide adequate shade protection in west facing windows during the summertime.
• Bright Light - These are areas which receive a great deal of light through the reflection of sunlight off of ceilings and walls, but which do not receive any direct sun.  The majority of the foliage plants you will buy enjoy this type of light.
• Filtered Light – This refers to light which shines through either an overhang or trees and bushes outside of the window, or through blinds or curtains inside of the window.  Normally, an area approximately five to ten feet away from a window which receives direct sun for a portion of the day may fit into this category.  While only a few flowering plants can tolerate this fairly low lighting condition, many foliage plants can adapt very easily to this type of atmosphere.
• Shade - This type of light can be found in interior rooms which receive no light from windows.  Most houseplants cannot survive in such conditions without the aid of artifical lighting.

When choosing a lighting condition for your plant, the most important thing to remember is that both the intensity of the light and the length of time the light hits that particular spot in your house are the two factors which will affect your plant the most.

You must also be aware that the growth of your plant will depend on the seasonal increases and decreases in light intensity.  Therefore, during the summer, when the intensity of light and heat is at its strongest, plants will grow faster and will need mroe moisture and fertilizer than during winter months when the light is less intense.

The portion of the country that you live in also affects the amount and intensity of light your plants take in.  If you live in a high elevation, your plants will receive a higher intensity of light than someone who lives at sea level.  Snow, smoke, haze, fog, screens, porches, shrubs growing outside of windows, there are many things that can influence the type of light your plants will get in your home.   Because there are so many different factors which alter the amount and type of light your plants are taking in, it is extremely important to be on the lookout for signs that your plant is receiving too much or too little light.  Too much light will cause a plant to wilt and its beautiful green leaves to fade.  Too little light forces a plant to drop many of its leaves and to grow unusually thin, long leaves.

Another important lighting tip concerns plants which are kept near a window.  Always be sure to turn these plants every now and then or else the plant will begin to grow in the direction of the window, where its source of light is coming from.  Be aware that windows can magnify the heat from the sun, and that plants kept near a sindown during summertime are susceptible to leaf burn.

If the space you choose for your plant does not offer it a sufficient amount of light, you can either boost the amount of light it is receiving through the use of artificial light, a fluorescent light fixture is the most efficient way to do this, or simply give the plant less fertilizer, thus discouraging it from growing at a rate which would require a type of light you cannot offer.