Correct lighting is critical to healthy houseplant growth. Find out the top signs that your houseplants aren’t getting enough light. When you know your houseplants aren’t getting enough light, you can make adjustments to your indoor lighting to correct the lack of light problem.
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Hello and welcome to HealthyHouseplants.com, where we teach you all about gardening in The Great Indoors. If you’d like to support our show, please use our Amazon affiliate link below.
Today, I’m going to talk to you about the signs of inadequate light for your houseplants. Lighting is critical for indoor plant health, and if your plant isn’t getting enough light, there are several visual indicators you can watch for.
1. Stretching or reaching for light
If a plant is leaning or pointing toward a window, it’s stretching toward a light source. This means it’s not getting sufficient light where it is currently placed.
2. Sparse growth
You might notice long stretches of stem between sets of leaves—especially on plants like pothos. When pothos shows signs of inadequate light, your environment likely has very low light levels.
3. Lower foliage loss
When a plant starts losing leaves at the base and ends up with a tuft of leaves at the top, it’s likely due to a lack of light. Plants naturally receive light from the top, and lower leaves can be shaded and sacrificed in an attempt to focus energy where light is accessible.
4. Overall loss of vitality
The plant may look weaker, growth slows, and flowers may be small or non-existent. It’s not necessarily a pale look (which can be caused by too much light), but rather a dull, unthreatening lack of energy and growth.
5. Pest and disease issues
Weakened plants are magnets for pests like mealybugs, scale, and spider mites. In nature, pests target dying or struggling plants—and the same thing can happen indoors if the lighting conditions are poor.
🌿 The easy solution? Full spectrum lighting.
If your indoor space doesn’t offer enough natural light, supplement with full-spectrum grow lights that mimic daylight. They’ll help your plants thrive indoors just like the three beautiful ones shown in this video: Dracaena (Dracaena fragrans), African violet (Saintpaulia), and Cordyline fruticosa ‘Glauca’.
Thank you for watching. Please leave any comments with indoor gardening tutorials you’d like to see. Remember to like, comment, subscribe, and share—and hit the bell for notifications!
FAQ: Signs of Inadequate Light for Houseplants
What are the signs of inadequate light for houseplants?
Signs include stretching toward windows, sparse growth, lower foliage loss, poor overall vitality, and an increase in pest problems.
Why does my plant have long stems and few leaves?
This is often due to low light. The plant stretches its stems to seek out more light, leaving long gaps between leaves.
What causes lower leaves to fall off my houseplant?
In low-light conditions, plants shed their lower leaves to conserve energy for the top growth where light is more available.
Can pests be a sign of low light?
Yes, weakened plants due to inadequate light are more susceptible to pests like mealybugs, spider mites, and scale.
How can I fix low light issues indoors?
Use full spectrum grow lights to mimic daylight and help your houseplants grow strong and healthy indoors.
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