Light and Sun Requirements
Light for plants are often described in many ways that may seem confusing. To keep it consistent, we use the 5 terms below for the level of sunlight required for healthy growth of the plants.
- Full sun - likes direct sunlight, 8 –10 hours a day
- Partial sun - likes indirect sunlight, 6-8 hours a day with emphasis on receiving the minimum level of sunlight
- Full shade - likes at least 3 hours of sunlight a day (not common)
- Partial shade - likes sunlight but cannot bear heat; 6-8 hours of sunlight a day with emphasis on keeping away from the intense heat of late afternoon sun
Plants grow in full spectrum light (known as white light or sunlight) but each color can affect them in the following ways:
- Green and yellow light—minimal effect
- Orange and red light— good for stimulating flowering and fruiting
- (Ultra) Violet and blue light—good for foliage growth
You don’t always have a place that gets sufficient amounts of natural light, but artificial alternatives can be quite successful.
- Fluorescent Lights
Easy to set up and good for energy efficiency and light permeation. Does not need to be a “special plant light” - these are common and affordable and can be found at your local hardware store or online.
- LED Lights
Most efficient and highly customizable. They usually cost more than fluorescent lights but tend to twice as longer.
- Grow Lights
These are commercially made lights high in red and blue spectrum for convenient growing. While these can make less work for you, they do tend to run more expensive than getting lights and making a light structure for them yourself.
- Incandescent or Halogen Lights
We don’t recommend incandescent or halogen lights as they give off more heat than light.
Room Light Guide
