Besides, water and air, light is a necessary element for plants to thrive. Light is basically food for plants and when they don’t get enough, they are no longer thriving. You may think placing a plant in a well-lit spot is adequate light, but depending on various circumstances, it may not be. To make sure your plants are getting enough light, Naples’ best florist, Marco Island Florist, is giving you the low-down on the best way to determine your plants are soaking up just the right amount of sun.
How Your Plant Tells You It Needs More Light
Long, skinny stems are referred to as being “leggy” and is a sure sign your plant is lacking adequate light. Plants should be full and lush looking, but in its fight for survival, they will stretch and reach to obtain plenty of light. Leggy stems also have wide spaces between each leaf. This space is called the internodal space and is small in healthy plants. Large internodal spaces are signs of a light-starved plant.
A lack of sufficient light will cause a plant to grow smaller than usual leaves in an effort to conserve its energy. Compare new growth to older growth to determine if there is a stark contrast in leaf size. If yes, move your plant to a better-lit area.
A lopsided or leaning plant is a sure sign that it is not getting adequate sunlight. Plants will grow and stretch in their quest for enough food which could result in a 1-sided, lopsided plant. To avoid this, improve the lighting and turn the plant a quarter turn every time you water it so all sides receive ample lighting.
Abnormal Leaf Color
Pale green or yellow leaves that begin to drop off are symptoms of poor lighting. Without enough light, chlorophyll, which gives a leaf its green color, can’t enable the photosynthesis process which keeps leaves green and healthy. Also, if your plant has variegated coloring, in an effort to absorb as much light as possible, the colored leaves will revert to all green.
During the spring and summer plants should show a significant amount of growth. If yours does not, then it could signal inadequate lighting. No new growth of stunted growth are signs that a plant is not receiving enough light to grow lush and big.
Getting the Light Right
It is possible for a plant to receive too much light also, resulting in scorched tips or “burnt” patches on the leaves, so obtaining the right amount of light may be tricky. Only sun-worshipping plants should be placed in direct light for 6 or more hours a day. These would be cacti, succulents, and palm plants. Otherwise, indirect bright light works best for most other plants. .
Try out different sunny places in your home to discover the ideal spot for your various plants. If you’re unable to move your plant to a better lit area, then pick up a grow light. This will allow you to keep your plant happy, healthy, and thriving regardless of its location.