Indoor Lighting

• Although your home may seem well-lit to you, it probably seems different to your houseplants. Light coming from windows, overhead lighting, incandescent and CFL bulbs in lamps and even televisions and computers are enough for humans, but are often inadequate for houseplants.
  
  While houseplants situated in front of large windows that receive ample sunlight throughout the day may do well, natural light from windows is unreliable; during the fall and winter, the hours of sunlight may decrease, leaving plants without sufficient light.
  
  

Effects

• Without sufficient light, plants cannot produce the food they need to grow. Plants rely on light for energy, which they in turn use to create food. While plants outdoors derive their energy from sunlight, indoor plants, whose light sources are often diffused, get little to no sunlight, and therefore need supplemental light sources to grow.
  
  

Types

• While the amount of light houseplants need depends on the species and variety, all plants need exposure to the blue and red areas of the light spectrum. Therefore, certain types of indoor lighting that produce these color rays can be used with any type of houseplant.
  
  Fluorescent tube lights or lights specifically designed for plant growth are the best options for providing artificial light for plants, as they provide the most blue and red light rays.
  
  

Function

• The function of artificial lights when used for houseplants is obviously to provide these plants with the color rays they need to produce food; however, proper usage of these lights is key.
  
  Plants need to be located no less than 6 inches and no more than 12 inches from their artificial light sources. Light dims at the ends of fluorescent tube lights,, so plants should be placed as near to the center of the bulb as possible.
  
  Artificial light should be consistent when used with houseplants. Plants should receive light at least 12 hours per day, 16 hours being ideal. To ensure the consistency of light, it may be helpful to use a timer.
  
  

Considerations

• Most houseplants are classified as high-light, medium-light and low-light. When purchasing plants, consider the amount of light you can provide your plants; growing a high-light plant in a house that receives very little sunlight will be difficult, even with the use of artificial light.
  
  Some plants, such as African violets, need a nearby source of artificial light to thrive indoors, while other plants, such as philodendrons, will be satisfied with less light.
  
  Incandescent lights are not a good source of light for houseplants, as they produce too much heat and and insufficient color rays.