There are many different house and garden plants, each with their own light requirements: some grow fastest with lots of sun, while others grow better in the shade.
The best way to determine where to place your houseplant is explained here.
The average best location
Determining the best location is very complicated. This is because there are more than 390,900 plant species, and they all have their own requirements in terms of light, temperature and water.
There are 3 different light spots that you have in your home. We will explain them briefly here.
Sunny location
For plants that crave a sunny spot, it is very important that they get a spot where the sun shines for at least 5 to 7 hours. This will promote growth and ensure that the ornamental value increases, a nice reward.
Some plants that like a sunny spot can also do well in a shadier spot. For example, the palm tree is a good example of this. The only thing that will happen if you don't have it in full sun is that it will grow a little slower.
For houseplants it is different. It is best to place them as close as possible to a window where the sun will shine for about 5 hours.
Partially shaded location
For garden plants this is often a place where a tree or a hedge blocks the sun, but where the sun can reach for an average of 2 to 5 hours. Most plants do well here because their leaves do not wither in the sun.
For houseplants, you can determine the partial shade by the number of meters from your window. For houseplants, partial shade is about 2 to 3 meters from the window, where the sun shines for 3 to 5 hours.
Shady location
If a plant requires a shady spot, it is best to give it that, and absolutely no spot in the sun. In the sun, it can cause withered leaves.
For outdoor plants, it is best to place them near a wall, or use them as ground cover for example for a palm tree. Ferns are known for often requiring a somewhat shadier spot. For the garden, this means that the sun does not shine there for more than 3 hours a day.
For houseplants that require shade, you should keep in mind that the plant should not be completely in the shade, and therefore receive no light at all. The best location for a shaded spot is 3 meters from the window, where less than about 3 hours of sunlight per day comes. Please note that houseplants that like shade also need light, and therefore should not be completely in the dark!
What are the benefits of the right location
The advantage of having a houseplant or garden plant in the right location is mainly that it becomes more ornamental.
But it has many more advantages. For example, if a houseplant is an air-purifying plant, it will also release more oxygen if it is made comfortable by providing it with the right number of hours of sunshine.
The advantage for flowering plants is that they produce their flowers more often.
Can houseplants be placed in full sun?
In almost all cases this is possible, unless the plant really wants a shady spot. It is best to let the houseplant get used to it by moving it a little closer to the window every 2 to 3 days. Do not put it in full light immediately if it is not used to it. It could become uglier instead of more beautiful.
How to determine if the plant is in the wrong place
The best way to determine the wrong spot is to look at the plant. If your houseplant is in the wrong spot, you can see this from the following consequences.
Too much sunlight for the plant
You can see this in the leaves. These usually change colour to yellow when there is too much light. Please note that yellow leaves can also be caused by getting too much water.
Not enough sunlight
If your plant does not get enough sunlight, this can result in leaf loss. We then recommend gradually moving your plant closer to the window, or to a sunnier spot.
Too little sunlight can also stagnate growth and result in strange stems with thin leaves, which grow longer than normal. This is because they are searching for light.
To share:
Propagating a plant
What is the best way to plant a palm tree?