The first thing any nursery employee will tell a customer inexperienced with houseplants is to find an area of your house with indirect light. All this really means is your plant will be its healthiest when receiving bright light without direct illumination of the foliage. With too much direct sunlight, a plant’s leaves will wither and burn, and the soil will dry out more quickly. This can lead to uneven color of the foliage, and it tricks a lot of beginner plant-enthusiasts into over-watering their house plants. Now that we know the ramifications of poor lighting conditions, we can define our terms!
There are three types of light to distinguish from in the average home:
- Direct Sunlight
- Indirect Sunlight
- Lowlight
Direct sunlight describes the uninterrupted illumination from the sun to your plant. This isn’t something you’d see suggested for most plants, and it depends on your zone or extreme temperatures. Even if the grower suggests direct sunlight, be attentive and create distance between the plant and window as is necessary. The highest intensity light comes from south-facing windows.
Indirect light is bright light without illumination of the foliage, but what does that look like in practice? Indirect sunlight can come from eastern and western facing windows, but both also get direct sunlight at certain parts of the day. Eastern facing windows get direct sunlight in the morning and western facing windows get direct sunlight in the evening. Some plants can take the hot afternoon sun, but it is likely you’d have success with a wider range of plants in the eastern window. Of course, all of these are general suggestions and can be tweaked for better results or to fit your space.
It’s always a good idea to note the intensity and definition of your shadows from your chosen window around noon. A more defined shadow corresponds with more intense (direct) sunlight.
Low light conditions refer to the reflection of light without any direct illumination of the plant. North facing windows are perfect for this as they never receive direct sunlight. In the cooler months, north facing windows often don’t provide enough light to sustain the plant. In this situation, be sure to use artificial lights or simply move the plants temporarily to a better lit area.
For people without access to anything BUT direct sunlight, window covers can be an inexpensive way to manage the amount of direct sunlight your plants receive. Contact Louisiana Nursery for more information!
