Boost Your plant growth
"In this blog, I'll talk about why light is important for plants, especially in winter, and give tips for boosting plant growth with more light." These as just things that I have learnt about growing house plants and I am always learning. I featured further reading at the end of this blog.
Introduction
Tis' the cold season where in our gardens plants cease to produce growth or hibernate for the winter. Keeping plants "Inside" is a different thing and with it being the winter time, that means often you will find that your house plants will do similar to what the plants in the garden do. Though being inside they maybe warmer and however they also have less light for the plants to complete producing new leaves and chlorophyll through photosynthesis this can result in slow growth and sometimes you mind find a increase in yellow leaves. Therefore you plants are gonna grow a lot slower and some of them will even go into hibernation for example; Alocasia.
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‘The process of the plant capturing energy from light and using it to convert the carbon dioxide from the air and the water turning it into to glucose to help plant growth and oxygen which is released through the stomata of the leaves.’
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Absorbed light energy which is stored by the plant in the chloroplasts.
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In the case of lack of light older leaves of the plant may go yellow during winter to help reserve energy for the plant to stay alive during these seasons. Yellow leaves often means damage or lack of chlorophyll although this can happen as a reaction to many things other than lack of light.
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Photosynthetic Photon Flux in the measure of photosynthetic active radiation Zone. Measuring the amount of active protons emitted by the light source which will help the plant to photosynthesis affectedly.
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photosynthetic Photon Flux Density the amount of protons your plants need for photosynthesis. In the distant from the light.
Phototropism
Two Alocasia plants with upward-facing leaves on the right have been relocated. They used to have the light above them, unlike the leaves on the far left that had light in front of them.
Plants don't need direct sunlight because they're expertly adapted to living on the dim forest floor. Their remarkable ability to adjust to varying light conditions allows them to thrive without direct sunlight. In fact, some plants, like Alocasia, exhibit phototropism by leaning towards the light, while others, like the prayer plant, actively reposition their leaves throughout the day to capture the optimal amount of light before resting in the darkness of night.
If your plant doesn't get enough light, it can't produce food. Be mindful if it leans too much towards a window or light, as this can make its stems long and weak, indicating insufficient light. If there's too much light, look for brown or bleached coloured leaves, or even yellow ones.
Examples Below: first 3 photos are plants that have received to much light. last 2 photos show a plant thats not getting enough light.
Increasing Light
Tip 1: Moving your plants closer to the window.
Make sure not to place the plants near radiators or touching the window, as this can burn the leaves from the heat or cold. During spring and summer, move them away from the window to avoid strong sunlight. late afternoon and early morning sun light is okay for most plants and this can varier depending on each plants grow needs.
Tip 2: buying yourself a light meter.
Plants need around 400-700 units of light (lux) to grow well. You can measure the light using PPF to see how much light is reaching the plants, and PPFD to check the intensity for photosynthesis. You can buy a light meter from Amazon or use the free app called "Photone" with a piece of paper as a diffuser.
Tip 3: Mirrors & reflective surfaces.
Consider placing mirrors in your plant area to reflect light and create a sense of spaciousness. Ensure the room is well-lit with large south-facing windows. For west or east-facing rooms, use net curtains or stickers to reduce excessive sunlight. Ps inspired by @bryony_ in _ plantland
Tip 4: Clean You Plants Leaves.
Leaves can gather dust and bugs, stopping them from making food. Wiping the leaves with a soft cloth and water not only helps clear them but also keeps pests away.
Tip 5: Move plants around.
Moving your plants around can help to figure out where your plant is happiest withe the light levels if you plant is showing some of the signs above it might be worth moving the plant and seeing how this plant changes over the month.
Final Tip Get some grow lights.
I've tried different ways to make my plant room brighter. But in the last 3 years, I realized that since my room faces north, I need grow lights to help my plants grow better during winter.
Amazon Blue and Red Goose Neck Lights
I had these grow lights I purchased from Amazon they were great until they shorted and broke within a year. I also found that there knowledge about how much light it needed and how much light the light provided its important to check out your own knowledge base. This is one of the reasons why I wanted to write this blog.
Sansi 15 watts
This one is a Sansi 15 watt as you can see the light is bright white, Full Spectrum a lot of international house plant people swear by these. I had them for a good couple of years and because they sold them on Amazon it was easy access. They come in varied different wattage therefore they say the higher the watts the more PPF. A lot of there products are US only not Europe or UK. Interestingly that the watts account for the amount of PPF a plant gets in the case of a Sansi grow light bulb. PPF: 27μmol/s, PPFD:152.83μmol/s/㎡ @ 1ft. I did have a 36 watt but don’t use it anymore as I felt it was to white bright for my eyes and I found it got to hot and was really bulk and heavy.
Sunblasters
T5 Sun blasters are great for adding to your IKEA cabinet or a green house. This one is 11 watts got this one as it was 30cm perfect size a length for what I needed at the time of buying this I had minimal knowledge and I felt that they had more information and I found about this form of lights are they were first personal recommendationed to me by a few House Plant friends.
1. Understanding the Benefits of Grow Lights:
a. Supplementing natural light: Grow lights provide the necessary light spectrum for plants to carry out photosynthesis, even in low-light environments.
b. Extending the growing season: With grow lights, you can create optimal conditions for your plants year-round, regardless of the weather outside.
c. Promoting healthy growth: Proper lighting can stimulate stronger root development and lush foliage.
I have used many different grow lights over the years seen different levels of growth including lights that have been recommended to me from Sansi, Sunblasters T5 each having pros and cons but for me nothing beats Grow Gang 2. Introducing Grow Gang Store Pianta Light Bulbs:
a. High-quality LED technology: Pianta bulbs utilize advanced LED technology, offering energy-efficient and long-lasting lighting solutions.
b. Tailored light spectrum: Pianta bulbs are designed to emit the ideal spectrum of light for plant growth, including blue and red wavelengths that plants need most.
c. They are made by a small independent company.
d. made with a Solid Aluminium Body Casting lasting upto 50,000 hours.
e. LED’s Full Spectrum lights with Base: E27 Screw fit or B22 Bayonet 18watts. Warm living room lighting.
f. PPF: 33.1 μmol/sec, Latest samsung Horticultural LEDs
g. I can say as far as growth goes using these lights I’ve seen some insane growth and I have been using them for over 300 days.
If you want to try them yourself, they offer a 90-day trial. If you decide they're not for you, you can get a full refund within 90 days, including shipping costs. If you want to buy yourself any grow gang products, you can also get 10% off your purchase by clicking -> Grow Gang, also sells awesome WiFi plugs that work well with the Smart Life App, which I love. And various other bundles that can go along with your Pianta Light Bulb. Check them out if you want to give your plants an extra boost of sunlight-light to help them grow.
I recommend to understand a bit more about light for plants the following Items with help you further.
The Plant Rescuer - Sarah Gerrard- Jones
photone - House plant light Calculator
I really hope you find this blog really helpful. click here. You will get yourself discount code from me to use on Grow Gang’s Store cart. Thanks for reading please let me know if you have anything you would like to know further. Do send me a message on instagram or get yourself reading one of my recommendations.
