One of the constraints of growing plants indoors is that the lighting is typically less than you get outdoors. And in some cases it can be quite a bit less lighting, which keeps many plants from doing well at all. Here’s a look at some tips for growing plants with low light indoors.

Low Light Indoor Plants

By Patricia Wainwright

Filling a dark corner of a room with low light indoor plants is a wonderful way to improve the ambiance but keeping them lush can be a challenge. One of the reasons low light indoor plants fail to flourish is that lighting is not the only factor in the equation for a healthy plant. The formula for thriving low light indoor plants is accurate information on the light strength plus the average night temperature of the environment you are placing them in. There are a number of plants suitable for each combination to make selections from.

To the frustration of more than a few people the plants that looked so great at the nursery stop growing, become leggy or pale after being taken home. Even though they were recommended as low light indoor plants they demonstrate signs of being in the wrong environment. The problem is often the wide range of perceptions of what low light is. A photographic light meter on a cloudless day in May or July can give you the true light strength in the area you want to put your low light indoor plants in. Adjust the meter to read at 1/125 of a second and hold it approximately eight inches from a plain white piece of paper. The f-number reading is the strength of the light in that area. F-16 to f-22 (170,000 to 360,000 lux) is full sun, f-8 to f-11 (40,000 to 80,000 lux) is light shade, f-4 to f-5,6 (10,000 to 20,000 lux) is shade, and f-2.8 (5,000 lux) is deep shade. To survive a plant needs a minimum of 5,000 lux at midday. Artificial lighting is required if your area gets less than that.

To determine the night time temperature in the location place a thermostat in the area, at the level you will have your low light indoor plants at. If you don’t want to manually check the temperature through the night purchase one that can be programmed to take timed samplings. Summer night temperatures between 37 and 50 degrees fahrenheit are considered cool, 50 to 60 degrees moderate, and 60 to 68 degrees warm to the plant world.

With the information you’ve gained you are prepared to make good choices on which low light indoor plants to purchase. Deep shade plants that do well in cool environments are fatshedera, hedera, and phyllitis. Asparagus, schefflera and cissus do well with moderate temperatures and low light. For locations that stay warm through the night ficus, monstera, and chlorophytum are good species of low light indoor plants to buy. These are just a few of over twenty-five shade or deep shade indoor plants to choose from.

With accurate information on the light strength and night time temperature of the environment you intend to put your low light indoor plants in you can make purchases that will continue to flourish long after you take them home.

Author Patricia Wainwright Resource: Get all the facts about indoor gardening and organic gardening at GreenThumbArticles.com!

Article Source: Low Light Indoor Plants
Article From: Organic Gardening Articles