The Intuitive Guide to Plant Light
Plant tags are about as vague as it gets.
That’s why I always encourage my plant pupils to develop their own plant intuition.
That way, you rely more on your plant senses and less on words that only make it more complex.
Much like watering, it is quite possible to develop an eye for light exposure.
Today I will share the underlying knowledge necessary to understand how light affects your plants so you can develop this intuition.
Keep a Consistent Rhythm
Plants take their seasonal cues from light exposure.
As days grow warmer and longer, plants take the hint to get growing!
As days grow colder and shorter, plants know they must stockpile goods and get ready to chill for the holiday season.
These seasonal signals come shining through your windows each and every day.
Like some space age solar calendar, the plants infer the time of year and their associated plant responsibilities.
While some gardeners may cheat the system with grow lights and extended day lengths, it’s important to realize that all parts of the cycle are necessary - dormancy isn’t inherently bad.
It can be rather exciting to see your plant tenaciously take on the new growing season each spring.
Not to mention, I always revel in the extra time to just enjoy your plants during dormancy - when they are much less needy in the water and food department.
As you can see, plants base many of their internal functions on cues from their light source.
For that reason, you gotta keep it consistent for the little guys.
Moving your plants from spot to spot can be a stressful ordeal.
Don’t get me wrong, I’m not telling you to abandon your experimental nature with plants.
When a plant just isn’t feeling their current spot, it may be a good idea to try a different exposure.
Just be sure to give enough time for the plant to adjust.
Even thoughtless behaviors, like being sporadic with your curtains, can confuse the little guys.
For this reason, make light a little plant ritual within your home.
Each morning, go around your house and open all your windows so your plants can start photosynthesizing right away!
Doing this consistently will ensure your plant’s can grow as much as possible, all while staying up to date with their sun signals.
Plants aren’t the only ones to benefit!
Did you know that opening your blinds first things in the morning can help to positively regulate your circadian rhythm?
It’s very similar to that same rhythm plants follow in suit with the sun: sensing changes in light and jumpstarting functions in response.
Disturbances to your circadian rhythm can cause problems with both your sleeping and eating schedules - leading down the slippery slope to fatigue, overeating, and unstable moods.
With no shortage of light from technology at all hours of the day, disturbances are plenty in the modern era.
You may not have realized it... but it has always been light which triggers your brain to start waking up, and the absence of it which releases those sleepy brain chemicals.
Your eating schedule will only follow suit.
Ever wonder why late night technology binges lead to another kind of binging?
Light has a huge impact on all areas of both human and plant life.
Meaning it’s beneficial for you to incorporate consistent light exposure into your urban jungle for all of its inhabitants.
Dial in on Exposure Time
Let’s say you’ve asked all the questions, done your research, and referred to your local plant consultant...
You know you got the right exposure dialed in for this plant.
Still, it’s just not happening.
You’re not seeing any growth.
Soon, your plant isn’t looking so perky.
Next thing you know, we got the opposite of growth happening!
Here’s one thing you may not have stopped to consider... Is your plant getting light for long enough?
Sometimes it’s not so much about the wrong intensity (more on that next), but insufficient exposure time at that intensity.
If your plants are only getting their time to shine during a very brief window, you may want to consider finding a new solution.
This could be as simple as a new spot by the window, or as complex as supplemental grow light installation.
You take one good look at your plant addiction and decide on that one for yourself...
I’m just letting you know your options!
Once again, we can gain some understanding from ourselves as organisms.
As human beings, we also take important nutrients from the sun.
While the sun is arguably one of the best sources of vitamin D, insufficient sunning time can leave you lacking.
Ten-thirty minutes of exposure is typically a good place for people to start when jonesing for their daily dose of vitamin D.
Much like variety in plants calls for more or less exposure time, the same goes for variation in skin complexion and coloration.
A mindful eye can help keep you or your plants from frying in the sun for too long.
Just like our skin might turn bright red with prolonged exposure, plants may become a sickly yellow.
Something else that is important to consider is the time of exposure, not just the amount of time.
Some bright light plants would fry in afternoon exposure, so they prefer to live it up in a northern/eastern window.
Other plants can take and utilize a lot of harsh light, making them great candidates for the hot seat that is southern/western window exposure.
Once again, we aren’t so different.
While morning light can be too indirect and afternoon light a bit too harsh, midday sun has been found to be perfect for getting your vitamin D efficiently.
Understanding intensity
This is going to be one of the less intuitive aspects to understand, but it involves geeking out on plants.
Which we’re all about here, right?
Intensity is all about the brightness of your light source.
Each kind of plant is going to have its own individual preference, one that you can divulge with a quick web search.
You may learn a little bit about the plant’s origins, which will give you a very intuitive understanding of the plant’s needs overall.
For those green divas who just demand that prime bright light, find them a nice spot within close proximity to your light source.
Of course, we all have our limits.
Be sure to keep an eye out for yellowing leaves or crispy tips, as some plants aren’t too tolerant of bright or direct light.
On the other hand, our easy going low light plants can find a cozy spot a bit farther away from the light source, or perhaps near one that is dimmer overall.
In this case you’ll want to be wary of long, leggy stems with abnormal growth, as this indicates too little light for the plant.
After all, while some may have lesser needs, everyone needs a little light.
People are no different.
We all need light to stay happy and healthy.
The intensity that we need also boils down to our own unique beauty.
Those of us with fair complexions may need to focus on controlled intensity during our necessary sunning time.
Whereas those with darker complexions may need greater exposure to ensure they get their daily dose of sunshine.
Plants and people alike, I’ll leave you with a little belief of mine:
The more fresh air and sunshine in your life, the better!
Practicing proper mindfulness, with both you and your plants, can help you to get the most of these essentials without getting burned.
Proper protection, in the form of a sun shirt or sheer curtain alike, can go a long way to prevent burns.
Some shady respite can go a long way in preventing wilt or exhaustion.
Make a habit of using your plant care as a reminder for self care, and vice versa.
Incorporating lots of light into your everyday life can be just the thing that adds a spring to your step and some progress to your plants.
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