Table of Contents
- Utilize Mirrors
- Grow Light Bulbs
- Grow Light Bars
- Clean Your Windows for Low-light
- Use Thermal Film for Low-light
- Use Sheer Curtains Instead Of Blinds
- High Gloss Paint for Low-light
The biggest issue every home has for houseplants is not enough light. There are hundreds of articles on “no light plants” and “low–light plants” but we all know plants need light and having little of it can really limit the variety of plants you can have. We have gathered 7 of the best tips and tricks here for you to increase your light as much as possible and enable you to have the plants you really want with the light they need.
Utilize Mirrors
Reflecting light from one area to another is a great way to increase light! Instead of wasting light and having it shine on just one space being absorbed by a wall, you can use a beautiful trendy mirror to reflect light anywhere in your room. It’s a trick designers, decorators, and plant experts have been utilizing for centuries. Add more mirrors to your plant space to reflect light from windows and grow lights.
Grow Light Bulbs
There are many kinds of grow lights available on the market currently but few are as inexpensive and versatile as grow light bulbs. They come in many different strengths, and colors, and can even save you money by using less electricity than standard light bulbs. Grow light bulbs can fit in any standard fixture in any location in your home creating unique spaces for your plants. This is perfect for plant spaces because these grow light bulbs can fit in overhead lighting, recess lighting, and even vanity lighting. You can also provide your own lamps and movable lighting fixtures to produce light wherever you need it for your plants. There are expensive grow light fixtures made to be incredibly stylish in specific corners but with grow light bulbs you can make any part of your home stylish and plant ready.
Grow Light Bars
Bar lights are very helpful in many home spaces because you can add them to ceilings, shelving, or under cabinets. They are not the most expensive option however they can come nearly waterproof and handle higher humidity really well. Also, they are generally made for grow rooms and greenhouses so they can handle overspray, high humidity, and just a lot of use generally. They also produce more light in a stronger form than most other grow light styles. If you have high-light plants or are trying to use one grow light for a larger area with many plants this is the light style to be looking at. They can bring light to your plants in bookshelves, plant corners, kitchens, and even bathrooms.
Clean Your Windows for Low-light
This may sound like ridiculously simple advice but dirty windows can block a large percentage of usable light. You will be amazed at the difference especially if you cannot remember the last time your windows were cleaned. Even if there is just a film of dust or dirt on a window it is blocking light your plants can use and since light is a plant’s source of food every sunshine ray is a buffet. Using a soft cloth and some white vinegar is an inexpensive way to remove dirt, debris, hard water stains, and pollen that you may not have noticed but your plants certainly did. Be sure to clean inside and outside the windows to make the largest difference.
Use Thermal Film for Low-light
It can get cold in a home and it is natural to want to protect your plants from the cold. Thermal curtains are thick and heavy, and block out a lot of cold along with blocking light. Even small windows can provide a lot of light for plants and blocking them in any way can prevent plants’ growth. The thermal film is clear and doesn’t block anything but the cold from coming in and the heat from leaving. It is just a clear film you tape or heat to shrink-wrap to your windows to enable light to filter through while still protecting your plants. You can also get a clear thermal film that has beautiful designs or is beveled for privacy so light is still let in but no one can see through it. Protecting your plants and yourself at the same time.
Use Sheer Curtains Instead Of Blinds
Blinds are often used in spaces to provide privacy, and thermal protection, and to filter, the strength of light let into a room. These are all great qualities but for plants, blinds can block out too much of the light and prevent certain needed light spectrums from reaching your plants. This can limit the plants’ growth because plants need all colors of the light spectrum to perform all their internal functions. Reducing the light coming through can also slow or prevent plant growth. Switching to sheer curtains gives you more control over the lighting, enhances the look of a space, and can still provide some thermal protection. Sheer curtains can also protect plants from being burned by very strong lighting from southern-facing windows while still enabling a large amount of light in the room for the plants.
High Gloss Paint for Low-light
High gloss is a simple and easy way to reflect light through a space. You can put high gloss paint on any surface light shelving, floors, or furniture to reflect light in smaller plant spaces. Painting the walls or ceiling will create the largest impact most easily by allowing the most light to be reflected. Even if there is only one window shining light in, it can make the room feel much brighter by taking the light from that window and reflecting it through the entire space.
When you only have so much light in a space your options are limited to 3 actions. You reflect the light you do have, maximize the amount of light you can get, and produce more light through artificial means. Hopefully, this article inspired you to get creative with these actions and bring more light to your low-light spaces. Your plants will be so much happier, grow more quickly for you, and who doesn’t love a new leaf serotonin boost?!
