Readers ask: What Is Indirect Light For Houseplants?

Indirect light is sunlight that either passes through a medium—a window shade or the leaves of a tree—or reflects off another surface before reaching a plant. Most indoor settings only provide indirect light.

What does indirect light mean for indoor plants?

Exposing indoor plants to the optimum light level for the species has much to do with the ultimate success or failure of the plant. However, most houseplants are tropical plants that flourish in indirect light, which means that the plant receives bright light. However, no sunlight falls directly on the foliage.

Is light through a window considered direct sunlight?

If the sun’s rays shine directly through the window and land on the plant’s leaves – this is direct sunlight. Most areas in your home, except for south-facing windows, receive indirect light.

Does a grow light count as indirect light?

Artificial Light Intensity. Grow lights are sometimes a better choice for providing proper light intensity, especially when growing plants that require intense lighting indoors. Although outdoor sunlight is intense, sunlight filtered through a window isn’t as intense, and it is often indirect for much of the day.

Where do I put my plants for indirect sunlight?

Shield plants that require indirect light from the harshest of the sun’s rays by placing them a few inches to a few feet away from a window. Hanging a sheer curtain in a window enables you to filter out more light.

What is medium indirect light for plants?

Medium light Filtered sunlight – direct sunlight in your space all day but it is filtered, but NOT blocked, by curtains or blinds. Indirect sunlight- is a shady area next to a sunny spot.

What is direct indirect sunlight?

Direct sunlight reaches the Earth’s surface when there is no cloud cover between the sun and the Earth, while cloud cover causes indirect sunlight to reach the surface. In gardening, sunlight falling directly on the plant is direct sunlight, while indirect sunlight refers to shaded areas.

Do plants need direct sunlight or just daylight?

All plants require sunlight to grow, but differ in the amount and intensity of light needed to prosper. Part shade – Plants require between 3 and 6 hours of sun per day, but need protection from intense mid-day sun. Full shade – Plants require less than 3 hours of direct sun per day.

Do indoor plants need direct sunlight?

Light. As with watering, every plant has different light requirements. Many plants prefer direct sunlight, but this may be hard to get inside a house. Placing a plant in a window might offer enough light, but some houseplants will need supplementing from a grow light (see Lighting Indoor Houseplants).

How do I know what light to use in my plants?

Determining Indoor Plant Lighting

1. Bright Light: Bright light means a sunny southern or western facing window that receives direct light all day long.
2. Indirect Light: Indirect light can be found in places with an east-facing window, or in an interior of a room that receives full light from a south- or west-facing window.

What type of light is best for growing plants indoors?

Like plants growing outdoors in the sunlight, indoor plants grow best under full-spectrum bulbs, which produce a balance of cool and warm light that replicates the natural solar spectrum. They’re excellent for seedlings as well as houseplants, culinary herbs and other plants.

Is indirect sunlight good for you?

A. Sunlight doesn’t actually “ provide ” you with vitamin D. Rather, your body produces vitamin D when skin is exposed to the sun’s ultraviolet rays, which trigger vitamin D synthesis.

Does a sun lamp help plants?

UV light can speed up the germination process for starting seeds when grown indoors. As growers transplant seedlings to more intense light sources, UV strengthens the plants, better preparing them for high intensity light.

What light can replace sunlight for plants?

Artificial lighting: 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.

Can a regular light bulb help plants grow?

Yes, bulbs that you have in your house can be used to grow plants. However, regular incandescent bulbs do not provide the range of color spectrum light that plants thrive on. LED lights made for indoor plant growing are designed to give off a full range of color in the light which your plant will need in order to grow.