One of the first things you will need to address for your indoor gardening is lighting. No matter what else you do for your plants, if they do not have the proper lighting they will not thrive. Lighting is, in fact, the most important aspect of indoor gardening. When choosing decorative plants for your home, look for plants that require medium to low light, like Philodendrons, some ivy and some ferns.
Plants and indoor light
Plants that are not getting enough sunlight will generally have thin stems and smaller leaves. The leaves will also be lighter on a plant that is not getting adequate light. Most plants with medium light requirements will benefit from a south facing window. Windows that face east and west will generally give plants with medium light requirements adequate sunlight, as well. However, plants that prefer low light will probably prefer a north facing window.
Because the sunlight comes through your windows from one side only, even when placing your plants near windows with the proper amount of sunlight you will still need to make sure that all sides of the plant get the full benefits of the light. The foliage on the side of the plant that is facing away from the window will reach for the light, growing up and over toward the window and making your plants look uneven. The foliage on the side of the plant facing away from the window may even be a lighter color. Each week, rotate your plant so that a different side of the plant is facing the window. This will allow all the foliage on the plant to grow evenly and healthy.
If the windows in your home do not let much light into the house, if they are shaded by trees or buildings or if the angle from the sun just does not allow much light into the room, you can use artificial light for your plants. Most hardware stores and some supermarkets carry incandescent grow lights that will screw into a regular socket and will provide your plants with supplemental light when there is some, but not enough, sunlight. There are also a variety of specialty grow lights that will also provide the necessary light for growing vegetables inside and for starting spring seedlings inside.
Specialty grow lights
- One type of specialty grow light is an HID (High Intensity Discharge) light. HID lights come in two types; the Metal Halide (MH) bulb, which produces lighting in the blue spectrum and is ideal for foliage growth and, High Pressure Sodium (HPS) bulbs, which give a red-orange light, ideal for increasing bud and flower production. The MH bulbs can be used as a primary or single lighting source while the HPS bulbs are best used as a secondary or additional lighting source. MH and HPS bulbs can be used together to give your indoor plants the full spectrum of light.
- Compact fluorescent full-spectrum lights are now available that, especially when used in multiples, can provide some plants, such as African violets and herbs, with all the light they need.
Most hardware stores will carry a wide variety of specialty grow lights and they can also be found online by searching for grow lights.
Reflectors
Reflectors can be an effective way of maximizing the use of electric grow lights. Place reflective Mylar or white paper around the edge of the containers to reflect the light back up onto the plant. Aluminum foil will also reflect heat back up onto the plants and should not be used as a reflector.
Using an electric timer on your grow lights will keep your plant’s day and night cycles regulated. Plants do need a night cycle for rest in order to grow properly.
When using banks of artificial lighting for your indoor plants, care must be taken to provide adequate ventilation. The heat from multiple electric bulbs can build up and be detrimental to the plants. Leave a window cracked for several hours a day, if possible, or run a ceiling fan or portable fan to circulate the air.
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