How to Pick the Right Light Bulb for Your Indoor Plant
Plants have a huge effect on any room they are placed.
They produce oxygen, add atmosphere, and bring a sense of calmness to the room.
All that a plant asks in return for all these benefits is a proper source of light, warmth, and water.
When it comes to providing light for indoor plants, there is a large selection of light bulbs of different styles, wattage, and price.
The question you might ask now is, "How do I know if my plants need artificial light?" Fortunately, plants will clue you in when they are not getting enough light.
They will grow taller, have weaker stems and the leaves will be a lighter shade than normal.
Fewer new leaves appear and those that do will be larger.
Another possible sign that your plant is not getting enough light is when the inner or lower leaves of your plant start turning yellow and dying off.
Now that you know your plant is not getting enough light, the next step is deciding what kind of light you should provide.
The most common light bulbs are fluorescent and incandescent--both have their pros and cons.
You could also go with lights designed especially for plants.
Grow lights would seem to be the most obvious choice since they are designed to produce a broad spectrum of light; nevertheless, I do not usually use these.
Mainly because they cost a lot more than other bulbs that also simulate daylight conditions.
I have noticed no great difference in plant health from using these more expensive lights.
Incandescent bulbs provide good light and are the least expensive to buy but tend to produce a lot of heat which would burn any plant that grows too close to the bulb.
Since plants have a tendency to grow towards the nearest source of light, this can be a real problem in a confined setting.
Incandescent bulbs are available in variety of special bulb types designed to mimic natural sunlight.
The "natural light" bulbs make a nice pretty white light that is great for reading, but I have not personally seen much change in my plants in one way or the other.
Fluorescent light bulbs provide good light, burn less electricity and thus cost less money to use.
Best of all, fluorescent bulbs produce a negligible amount of heat and thus can be placed close to your plants without much risk of burning them.
Fluorescent bulbs also offer a variety of special bulbs claiming to simulate daylight.
In addition to this, they also come formed in an assorted range of shapes to better fit whatever lamp you have available.
I personally found the spiral swirl style to be easiest to use since they fit most lamps and roughly take up the same amount of space as old incandescent bulbs.
Now that you have the type of bulb type, you need to decide on the wattage.
The basic rule is that it takes 20 watts of light for every square foot of plant you are covering.
However, keep in mind that a plant with no other light source will need more lighting than one sitting on a windowsill.
Just keep watch; the plant will let you know if it is not getting enough light.
How long to leave the lights on will depend on the type of plants you are growing but the best guide is just trial and error.
Trust the plant to tell you if something is wrong.
Most plants need a minimum of 12 hours of light a day.
The basic rule of thumb is that the darker the leaf, the less light it needs and which is why plants of the rubber tree family are extremely hardy and able to survive almost anywhere.
When you are trying to figure out your lighting requirements remember to err on the side of too much light.
It is rather difficult to provide too much light for most indoor plants, so start at a higher amount of light and scale back your efforts until you reach a comfortable light level for the plant.
Now, even in the darkest of winter months, your indoor plants can receive good light without having to sit on that cold windowsill.
They produce oxygen, add atmosphere, and bring a sense of calmness to the room.
All that a plant asks in return for all these benefits is a proper source of light, warmth, and water.
When it comes to providing light for indoor plants, there is a large selection of light bulbs of different styles, wattage, and price.
The question you might ask now is, "How do I know if my plants need artificial light?" Fortunately, plants will clue you in when they are not getting enough light.
They will grow taller, have weaker stems and the leaves will be a lighter shade than normal.
Fewer new leaves appear and those that do will be larger.
Another possible sign that your plant is not getting enough light is when the inner or lower leaves of your plant start turning yellow and dying off.
Now that you know your plant is not getting enough light, the next step is deciding what kind of light you should provide.
The most common light bulbs are fluorescent and incandescent--both have their pros and cons.
You could also go with lights designed especially for plants.
Grow lights would seem to be the most obvious choice since they are designed to produce a broad spectrum of light; nevertheless, I do not usually use these.
Mainly because they cost a lot more than other bulbs that also simulate daylight conditions.
I have noticed no great difference in plant health from using these more expensive lights.
Incandescent bulbs provide good light and are the least expensive to buy but tend to produce a lot of heat which would burn any plant that grows too close to the bulb.
Since plants have a tendency to grow towards the nearest source of light, this can be a real problem in a confined setting.
Incandescent bulbs are available in variety of special bulb types designed to mimic natural sunlight.
The "natural light" bulbs make a nice pretty white light that is great for reading, but I have not personally seen much change in my plants in one way or the other.
Fluorescent light bulbs provide good light, burn less electricity and thus cost less money to use.
Best of all, fluorescent bulbs produce a negligible amount of heat and thus can be placed close to your plants without much risk of burning them.
Fluorescent bulbs also offer a variety of special bulbs claiming to simulate daylight.
In addition to this, they also come formed in an assorted range of shapes to better fit whatever lamp you have available.
I personally found the spiral swirl style to be easiest to use since they fit most lamps and roughly take up the same amount of space as old incandescent bulbs.
Now that you have the type of bulb type, you need to decide on the wattage.
The basic rule is that it takes 20 watts of light for every square foot of plant you are covering.
However, keep in mind that a plant with no other light source will need more lighting than one sitting on a windowsill.
Just keep watch; the plant will let you know if it is not getting enough light.
How long to leave the lights on will depend on the type of plants you are growing but the best guide is just trial and error.
Trust the plant to tell you if something is wrong.
Most plants need a minimum of 12 hours of light a day.
The basic rule of thumb is that the darker the leaf, the less light it needs and which is why plants of the rubber tree family are extremely hardy and able to survive almost anywhere.
When you are trying to figure out your lighting requirements remember to err on the side of too much light.
It is rather difficult to provide too much light for most indoor plants, so start at a higher amount of light and scale back your efforts until you reach a comfortable light level for the plant.
Now, even in the darkest of winter months, your indoor plants can receive good light without having to sit on that cold windowsill.
