How to Keep Houseplants Happy in Shadier Areas
Are all the bright spots in your home filled, but your plant collection won’t stop growing? Never fear! Not only do we have a selection of plants that can tolerate shady spots, but we also have additional accessories to give your plants a boost in the darker areas of your home. So, without further ado, here are some of our top tips to keeping happy houseplants in low-light spaces!
Choosing a houseplant for a very dark are or windowless room
Light requirement is one of the most important things to consider when choosing houseplants. Whilst most plants prefer bright, indirect light there are quite a few varieties that can tolerate darker areas in the home. Some of our top plant picks for these areas are Aglaonema, Dracaena, Spathiphyllum and Epipremnum.
Edinburgh is renowned for its ornate architecture and large tenement flats that date back to the Victorian and Georgian eras. Whilst these gorgeous flats usually have lots of natural light, due to their large windows, we are often asked to recommend plants that will survive in a windowless hallway, bathroom or box room. The simple answer is no plant will survive without access to natural light. Plants gain their energy to grow through Photosynthesis. This means they collect natural light through their leaves and convert it into glucose to allow the plant to produce lots of healthy new growth.
However, there are a couple of workarounds to ensure you can brighten up these spaces and, with a little plantae flair, you can grow healthy plants in low light. Firstly, we would recommend choosing either a variety of Zamioculcas or Sansevieria as these are our most shade tolerant options. Once a week your chosen plant will need a day in a bright room to allow them to soak up some sun to then survive 6 more days of shade. Some people choose to have two plants as this allows them to alternate the plants between a shady room and a bright room once a week. This ensures you never have an empty plant spot and gives each plant a full week of sun between its week in the shade!
For our full list of shady options currently in stock, check out the ‘Shade Tolerant’ section on our website, or head over to our dedicated shade tolerant rooms in store.
Ways to enhance your plants chances in low light areas
There are quite a few ways to boost your plant's health when it is kept in a shady spot. One of the easiest ways is to frequently dust the leaves as this will allow the leaf’s Chlorophyll to take in more light. We recommend using our Leaf Love Gloves as their microfibre material gently attracts and traps dust within their fibres and can be used wet or dry! Why not give them a scoosh of our Organic Focus Leaf Shine whilst you are at it? Not only does it give your leaves a glossy sheen, but also acts as a dust repellent!
You’ll have heard of the Ikea Greenhouse cabinet that plant enthusiasts fit out with grow lights, humidifiers and heated matts to create the ideal environments for their houseplant collection. But did you know you can still use grow lights without the fancy apparatus? Introducing the Pianta LED Grow Light Bulb. Grow lights are a great way to boost shady spots in the home as, unlike normal light bulbs, they replicate natural light. The Pianta Grow Light Bulb offers the latest horticultural LED technology from Samsung to ensure plants have the best lighting conditions possible within the home. This energy efficient bulb is designed to fit into traditional light fixtures so you can offer your plants a boost without sacrificing your home décor!
Liquid Gold Leaf is our go to when it comes to feeding houseplants as it is the world’s only houseplant feed that offers every essential plant nutrient. We are thrilled to introduce one of their newest products, Liquid Gold Leaf Photo+. This product is designed to double the number of chloroplasts within the leaf, which allows the plant to absorb as much available light as possible whether the plant is placed in a sunny or shady spot. Dilute Photo+ at home and apply to the leaf using a mister to naturally increase the rate of photosynthesis. It cleverly does this by activating secondary messengers in the leaf that results in increased enzymatic and hormone activity to boost Brix levels (total sugar content) and plant immunity. It also enhances cell growth to create stronger root systems!
Remember caring for plants is all about trial and error, and if your houseplant is not receiving enough light, it will show signs of stress in several ways. For example, you may notice your plant has become leggy and is growing to one side. This is a result of the plant reaching towards a natural light source to gain more energy to grow. Yellowing can also occur as the leaves are not receiving enough light for healthy growth. Finally, limp looking plants can be a sign that your plant is struggling in its designated spot. If you have run out of room to move these plants into a brighter position our range of items listed above are the perfect solution for boosting light levels in your home!
Need help finding the right plants for your home? Our Plant Gurus are always available in store to point you towards appropriate options for your space!