We all know that plants need light to survive but determining the light available to plants in our spaces can be hard to do or confusing sometimes. That's what we're here to help with. Many of the plants that do well indoors come from the tropics where they have adapted to growth in rainforests in dappled light, shaded by the tree canopy above. The term bright, indirect light is used to best describe this light situation but is fairly broad and can leave many new plant parents in the dark. (pun definitely intended).
So, where to start? Identify the light sources in your space, most likely these will be windows but if you’re really lucky, you may have a skylight that will provide some seriously good and consistent light for plants. If you have a skylight, major kudos to you. Notice how the light levels change in your space over the course of the day and from season to season. As silly as it sounds try thinking like a plant, getting down to the level of your plants and seeing what they see is very useful.
It stands to reason that the closer to the light source, the brighter the light. A sunny windowsill will provide the most intense light and will be best suited to sun worshipping cacti and succulents. Direct sun coming in through a window will generally be too intense for some indoor foliage and so placement close to but not directly exposed to the rays is best. These plants will generally see the sky uninterrupted for most of the day which should provide plenty of bright, indirect light to help them thrive. The further you get from a light source the lower the quality and quantity the light gets. Plants sitting on the opposite side of the room to the light source with no direct view to the sky will generally be experiencing what we would consider low light conditions.
It can be quite disappointing to discover that your space is not as readily adapted for sustaining indoor plant life as you may have hoped. In these instances grow lights can make a significant difference. These are lights that attempt to provide a light spectrum similar to that of the sun. Available in a range of colors, temperatures and intensities, working out the right one can be confusing. But then again, this is why we are here. Queue the leaf lover.
Ready for a little science lesson? Sunlight is made up of a full spectrum of colors from red, yellow to blue and violet. While red and blue lights are the most critical for plants, they use the full spectrum to create the photosynthesis they need. Using full spectrum LED lights allows our indoor plants to enjoy all the wavelengths that are present in natural light which can be beneficial for different aspects of plant growth.
We've discovered a great brand that has a vast selection of LED grow lights. Our personal pick would be the Vita Grow Light. The Vita Grow Light bulb works harder, so you don't have to. With the ability to fit into your favorite fixtures and the option to be dimmed to your preferred light levels, the Vita is one of the most versatile plant lights on the market. You can check it out here https://eartheasy.com/vita-grow-light/?sku=VITA-36B-DIM&gclid=Cj0KCQjwqp-LBhDQARIsAO0a6aLNQZBCoJN8tU4nPvjlkf9M8RBtKcun8GK8GpHKHdNQgQEkTxlZweYaApzrEALw_wcB
As part of our brands promise we will do our very best to promote brands that are affordable for your wallet and sustainable for our planet. When researching EarthEasy we fell in love with their products and their sustainability measures. If you're interested in learning more about them you can follow this link. https://eartheasy.com/sustainability/
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