Drawing back the curtains, opening the blinds, and flooding your home with sunlight to reach that plant in the corner of the room may still not be enough light to ensure it will thrive. Keeping your plants happy and healthy is essential to ensure they retain the mood-boosting and air-purifying benefits they provide you. Luckily, plants give us visual cues as to whether they are doing well or not, and Alexandria’s best florist Conklyn’s Florist has put together a guide for you to read covering what to look for and how to solve light issues with your plant before it’s too late.
Signs Your Houseplants Need More Sun
Leggy
A phrase that refers to skinny, sparse stems, if your plant is leggy, then it is not getting ample light. Also typical of leggy stems are leaves with wide spaces between them. This space is called the internode and light-starved plants have large internodes.
Smaller Leaves
Smaller than usual leaves are a sure sign of inadequate light. When a plant doesn’t get enough energy from its light source, it cannot grow to the size it could. Instead, it conserves energy by producing smaller leaves. If you notice a significant difference in size between new leaf growth and older leaves, place your plant in a sunnier spot.
Leaning
A plant that is clearly leaning towards a light source is not getting enough light on all sides. Get into the habit of turning your plant a bit every time you water it to prevent it from becoming lopsided or one-sided.
Abnormal Leaf Color
Chlorophyll is an essential part of the photosynthesis process of converting light into food for the plant and is what gives leaves their green color. When there isn’t enough light, chlorophyll cannot do what it’s supposed to. Eventually, light-starved leaves will turn a dull, pale green, or lose their coloring if variegated, turn yellow, and then fall off.
Slowed Growth
If your plant is showing no signs of growth during the spring and summer months, then it lacking enough light to do so properly. Plants are great survivors and will conserve energy when they have to resulting in slowed or no growth. Place a slow-growing plant in a place with more light and watch it blossom.
Getting the Light Right
The solution for plants that exhibit any of the above light-deprived signs is not as simple as just moving them to the brightest spot in your home. Plants can actually receive too much light and end up with scorched, and dying leaves. Only sun-loving plants like cacti, palms, and succulents should be in direct sunlight for most of the day. For most other plants, medium light or indirect bright light will suffice. An example of this type of light is a well-lit room that gets dappled light or light diffused by a sheer curtain.
Finding the right amount of light for your plants may take some time and patience, but paying attention to what your plant is telling you will help discover the perfect spot for it. Also, there is the option of picking up a grow light which allows you to grow healthy and robust plants no matter where they are located in your home.