Welcome back to part two of our Understanding Natural Light series. We’re bringing this conversation back as part of our Best of Growing Joy episodes because it’s one of the most helpful discussions we’ve ever had about indoor plant lighting.
This episode is a replay of my conversation with Leslie Halleck, a dear plant friend of mine and a horticulture and lighting expert. If you’re a plant parent trying to understand the light in your home, this conversation is a must-listen because the number one mistake I see plant lovers make is misunderstanding their light.
Most people think they have bright light for their plants when they actually don’t. Our eyes are not great at judging how much light indoor plants really receive, which is why so many plants struggle indoors.
So in this episode, we dive into how to measure light for indoor plants. We talk about window directions, the difference between brightness and light volume, and how to use simple tools like a light meter to understand what your plants are actually experiencing. We also break down why plants think about light in energy or calories, not just how bright a room feels to us.
And make sure you grab the free Understanding Natural Light download that goes with this series. It walks you step by step through how to measure light in your home so you can stop guessing and start choosing the right plants for your space.
In this episode, we learn:
- What the most important colors of light are for growing plants
- How to use a free app to get a better understanding of your indoor lighting environment
- What is the difference between LUX, Footcandles and PAR
- What micromoles are
- What DLI (Daily Light Intergral) is
- The results of my homework and how many “aha” moments I had about the ACTUAL light in my apartment
- How drastic the difference in light is within only a few feet from your window
- What area of your apartment is probably low light that you never knew about
- Whether or not you can put plants in a bathroom with no windows
- Whether or not you can put plants in an office with no windows
- Citrus under lights, pests
Mentioned in our conversation:
Do you actually know how much light your plants are getting?
Check out the full show notes and blog to learn how to measure light for your indoor plants!
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