light

Just like humans, light is just as important to us as it is to plants. Light is the food and energy plants need in order to survive and thrive in the best way possible. Without it, plants could not survive. Whether the light source for your plants be through natural light, like a window, or artificial light, they need it in order to grow.

Photosynthesis

The cool thing about plants is that they are able to make their own food. Yep, you heard that right! This all works because of their leaves. The production of carbohydrates happens through their leaves, but how does this work exactly? The use of Carbon Dioxide which is taken from the air, water from us providing that source to plants, and light all working together help to give plants the food and energy they need. The result to this is not only a happy plant, but photosynthesis provides us with oxygen which keeps us alive! Here is a video down below that breaks down the process of photosynthesis. You can click here for more information.

Natural Lighting

Natural light, which is light coming straight from the sun itself is the best type of light for your plants because it contains all colors. Plants need various colors from the color spectrum in order to survive (DelPrince). This type of lighting is probably one of the easiest ways to provide light to your indoor plants. But sometimes in interiorscapes, natural lighting can be hard to achieve, depending on the space you are working with. Knowing how to position your plants near windows in order for them to thrive is so important. Here is a list of light intensity that is relative to window orientation:

• North facing windows. These windows tend to have the weakest light intensity and are often in relatively deep shade throughout the window. It may be possible to grow shade-loving plants in a north-facing window during the summer months.
• South facing windows. Because the sun follows a slightly southern east-to-west arc across the sky, southern windows usually have strong light intensity. Plants placed in unblocked southern windows will typically receive the most light.
• East facing windows. East windows benefit from the morning sun when the rays are not quite as strong. East windows are often good for plants that need moderate sunlight or morning sunlight only.
• West facing windows. West windows get the full afternoon and evening sun, which can be surprisingly strong in the summer. Although they don’t get the same intensity of light as southern exposures, a west-facing window is a good place for your sun-loving plants (The Spruce).

Natural light is the best lighting you can give to your plants, but you need to understand that too much light or not enough light can harm some plants as well. Understanding the placement of your plants and the intensity of natural lighting from a window can help you to grow your plants easily.

Artificial Lighting

Many plants in interior spaces do not rely on natural lighting, and have to rely on artificial light for their photosynthesis needs. When it comes to artificial light, the client and the interioscaper need to think about the intensity and duration of artificial light when specifying and installing a live plant in such conditions (DelPrince). A lot needs to go into artificial lighting indoors. Not only do interior plantsapers need to worry if the lighting is too bright or not bright enough for the plants, but they need to make the artificial lighting look aesthetically pleasing with the rest of the design. Sometimes, artificial lighting can get expensive, but there are many cheaper alternative ways.

“Todays Homeowner with Danny Lipford” explains artificial light that works best for spaces that do not receive much light.

• Fluorescent lights are by far the most economical and easy choice for houseplants. They come in tubes or compact bulbs (CFL) that screw into regular lamp sockets, and they’re cool enough to put close to plant foliage. Generic fluorescent tubes and bulbs are higher in blue wavelengths, so look for “full-spectrum” or include a mix of “cool” and “warm” bulbs. When in doubt, buy “cool white” products, since white light contains the full spectrum of wavelengths. For maximum effect, position fluorescents about a foot away from plant foliage.
• Incandescent lights give off a lot of heat and should be placed farther away from plant foliage. Incandescent bulbs give off more red wavelengths, so they can be used to supplement fluorescent light and balance out the spectrum, especially if you’re trying to encourage plants to bloom. If you want to mix the two, try using a ratio of about one-third incandescent and two-thirds fluorescent by wattage.
• LED lights are also a low heat, energy-efficient artificial light source. Because LED technology is so customizable, every bulb is different, so make sure your bulbs produce the blues and reds necessary for plants. Horticultural LED grow-lights produce only the wavelengths most utilized by plants, so you may want to look for these bulbs rather than buying ones for general use.
• Halogen lights can also provide full-spectrum light, but like incandescents they put off a lot of heat and are less energy-efficient than fluorescents.
• Horticultural grow lights are generally packaged in tubes for fluorescent fixtures. They contain the full spectrum of wavelengths needed for blooming plants such as African violets. Some gardeners find them useful when starting seeds or propagating hybrids, but others find that simple full-spectrum fluorescents work just as well (Today’s Homeowner).

Plants need light to continue growing and in order to live long and happy lives. There are many ways that you can give light to your plant(s). If you are interested, here is a list of plants who don’t need much light!

Information from “Interior Plantscaping Principles and Practices” by James M. DelPrince, “The Spruce, Understanding Natural Light for Houseplants” , “Todays Homeowner with Danny Lipford”