Seeking help about light requirement for home plants

[reith]

Hi helpful gardeners!

Please let me know If I posted in wrong category, here is most relevant place I found for my questions.

I recently potted more flowers and as I read more about light their light requirement, I get confused more. I found very vague or even contrary information about light requirement over internet and I doubt I did it right too.

I love to see a chart about different popular home plant species light requirement. Do you know any? It would help me very much now and in future.

It also would be very helpful to me If you take a look to my plants and share your opinion or warn me if you see something wrong. This is whole thing:


I live in north hemisphere and there is north and east facing windows. When I'm at work, I draw back curtain a little so there will be some light for plants. It will give about 4-8 hours of indirect sunlight daily in winter. I said indirect but I'm not actually sure about it; actually there is a tall apartment in front of windows so all light that plants get are reflected, but sometimes very bright, let see:

So, as you see there is about four meters distance between plants and window.

Let get into plants and my concerns if you still following me

1. Pothos

I think this one is in a good shape. It probably gets second-most light. I put it on top because I like Its leaves drop over stand.

2. Begonia [Begonia cucullata Willd probably]

I'm afraid about this one. It wasn't in a very good shape last week that I brought it home. I potted it and put it in most bright place. I see about five or six flowers or leaves getting dry and fall daily.

3. Dwarf jade (?)

I'm not sure whether it's really Dwarf Jade or not, can you help me?
I have this for about six months. There were another plant in right side of pot that died, so I added some Crassulas there. My concern about Dwarf Jade is, new leaves are much narrower than old leaves used to be and almost all old leaves are fallen by now. I heard I should give it more water but it didn't help. I changed It soil about two months ago and It didn't help too.

Also I noticed one of tiny dwarf jades in right (one of reddish ones) lost almost all leaves just in a day while it'd never lost leaves before. I'd just added three other plants (1, 2, 4, 8, 10) a week before.

4. Euphorbia milii

I just love this and beside two or three yellowed leaves, didn't find any problem yet and flowers blooming fast. Do you agree it's healthy?

5. Crassula?

I don't know this one's name, do you? I hadn't much problem with it. I guess I should pot it in another container since roots are pretty big.

6. Crassula?

I don't know It's name too, can you help? This one got %150 bigger in one month, so I guess there is no problem here, although I liked it to remain small

7. Croton

I almost once killed it by under watering but after that, even now that It's in darker place, I see no problem.

8. Coleus

I'm a Coleus killer and I'm afraid kill this one too. First one I got, had mealybugs in it and died soon and killed other plants too. After that I tried to propagate from friend's coleus but they didn't lat much too.
I water this one a little each time I realize soil is about to get dry, and It's every two or three days now. Some guides tell Coleus need much light (almost all of them say same thing plust no direct sunlight for this and any other plant) and some of them say It likes more shady places. Am I giving it too much light?

9. Kalanchoe

It had dying flowers when I bought it and at-least didn't get worth after that. I don't expect it live too much, though I like it very much.

10. Plectranthus forsteri (Variegated Swedish Ivy?)

I concerned about this one very much. It has a strong forest like smell so guess it's Swedish Ivy. It lost too much leaves and they generally getting brown from edge before drying and falling. Like Coleus I found contradictory statements about light requirement and finally I believed it favors shade more, so put it at bottom of stand. Should I move it into more shady place or brighter place?


Thank for following so far. Please let me know if you think I should move any plant to some other place or you noticed any problem here.

[applestar]

There are two issues here —

(1) As it is, light they are getting is insufficient for most of these plants. Bigger/taller is not always healthy if the are stretching for light.
(2) The other is many of these are succulents and need well draining soil and container, but you are using either pots without drainage holes or pots inside decorative coverpots which will lead to root rot with what looks like dark moisture holding soil/potting mix.

Are you opposed to placing the shelving unit against the wall next to the window on the other side of the sofa? I can see it would block part of the window, but precisely, this will let you position the most light needy plants where they will get most light. And the airy design might make it look intentional? Can’t tell without knowing how rest of the room looks.

Otherwise, I might try getting one or more short fluorescent lights and hanging them at back of the shelves or even putting directly on shelves to shine through the slats though that would be inefficient.... or get a 4ft shoplight and position vertically.

- Succulents need sandy/cactus mix and usually need bright light. If in doubt, water less until repotted.
- red, apricot, white flowers in dark blue pot - I think those are kalancho but way crowded together. Fleshy leaves, need more light, we’ll draining mix like succulents. Don’t overwater.
- wax begonia need good drainage and need really bright light/direct sun
- Coleus and Swedish ivy should be fine with least attention - even waterlogged and least light of all of them, but probably more light than what it’s getting. Not sure if that’s a Swedish ivy -maybe variegated?- but if it is, would root in water.
- forgot about that “ivy” - maybe pothos? THATS the one that needs leastcare and water - can take being dried out, least light and will grow in peat-heavy mix
- not familiar with croton care

[SQWIB]

There is just so much out there on lighting that it's near impossible to suggest something. Things like cost, space, preference, location are also considerations.
Lighting requirements are like feeding requirements, as far as there being a plant food for vegetative growth and a plant food for flowering stage, same with lighting. So some plants want more light that helps with flowering like your begonias while others like your ivy want lighting for vegetative growth.

However, Anything you add now is going to be better than what you currently have.
Shop lights with the bulbs covering a wide spectrum would be nice, one for each shelf.
You can choose a mix of bulbs like 6,000k and 2700k.

You can also go a bit further and retrofit in led bulbs into the shop lights.

Going a step further you could look into led grow lights with dimmable spectrums, some of these even have UV and Infrared light.

Then there's full spectrum led lights that look like flood lights


This chart may help.
A higher kelvin like 6000 is on the blue side (400-500 nanometers) [note that it is for vegetative growth]
A lower kelvin like 2700 is on the red side (620-780 nanometers) [note that it is for flowering stage]
and if you go with grow lights, some have UV and IR (also noted on the chart)




I should note that flowering plants need both spectrums (blue and red) not just one.
Hope this helps.

[reith]

Thank you for your detailed response!

(2) The other is many of these are succulents and need well draining soil and container, but you are using either pots without drainage holes or pots inside decorative coverpots which will lead to root rot with what looks like dark moisture holding soil/potting mix.

All pots have drainage hole. I didn't put plate under some them but they have holes:

Thanks for pointing out succulents soil. I'll re-pot in proper soil.

Are you opposed to placing the shelving unit against the wall next to the window on the other side of the sofa? I can see it would block part of the window, but precisely, this will let you position the mist light needy plants where they will get most light. And the airy design might make it look intentional? Can’t tell without knowing how rest of the room looks.

Well, I wasn't sure they were not getting enough light. Actually I built the shelve to put near window but it suited beside my desk much better. Now I moved it to front of window:

Otherwise, I might try getting one or more short fluorescent lights and hanging them at back of the shelves or even putting directly on shelves to shine through the slats though that would be inefficient.... or get a 4ft shoplight and position vertically.

I'll go with shoplights if I couldn't tolerate new design thank you

- Succulents need sandy/cactus mix and usually need bright light. If in doubt, water less until repotted.
- red, apricot, white flowers in dark blue pot - I think those are kalancho but way crowded together. Fleshy leaves, need more light, we’ll draining mix like succulents. Don’t overwater.
- wax begonia need good drainage and need really bright light/direct sun
- Coleus and Swedish ivy should be fine with least attention - even waterlogged and least light of all of them, but probably more light than what it’s getting. Not sure if that’s a Swedish ivy -maybe variegated?- but if it is, would root in water.
- forgot about that “ivy” - maybe pothos? THATS the one that needs leastcare and water - can take being dried out, least light and will grow in peat-heavy mix
- not familiar with croton care

Thanks for sharing their names! much appreciated.

I'm aftraid maybe Coleus and Swedish Ivy getting more than enough light now!?

[reith]

There is just so much out there on lighting that it's near impossible to suggest something. Things like cost, space, preference, location are also considerations.
Lighting requirements are like feeding requirements, as far as there being a plant food for vegetative growth and a plant food for flowering stage, same with lighting. So some plants want more light that helps with flowering like your begonias while others like your ivy want lighting for vegetative growth.

However, Anything you add now is going to be better than what you currently have.
Shop lights with the bulbs covering a wide spectrum would be nice, one for each shelf.
You can choose a mix of bulbs like 6,000k and 2700k.

You can also go a bit further and retrofit in led bulbs into the shop lights.

Going a step further you could look into led grow lights with dimmable spectrums, some of these even have UV and Infrared light.

Then there's full spectrum led lights that look like flood lights


This chart may help.
A higher kelvin like 6000 is on the blue side (400-500 nanometers) [note that it is for vegetative growth]
A lower kelvin like 2700 is on the red side (620-780 nanometers) [note that it is for flowering stage]
and if you go with grow lights, some have UV and IR (also noted on the chart)




I should note that flowering plants need both spectrums (blue and red) not just one.
Hope this helps.

Thanks! Unfortunately the grow lumps I can find here is so poor-quality. I probably go with fluorescent bulbs because I think they produce full spectrum and not harming to different stage plants. But thanks for chart, I actually learnt something!

[applestar]

I SEE! That’s good that they have holes. That will definitely help. Only question now is if the potting mix is too moisture holding. But this can be compensated by watering less and allowing to surface to dry to touch — don’t water the succulents if pressing into the surface with fingers feel moist or wet. Note that with more light, the plants will dry faster. You will want to start giving them weak fertilizer. I like giving my plants diluted leftover tea and coffee on regular basis in addition to actual fertilizer.

- I would put the flowering plants on the end in front of window, croton will remain brighter colored with more light, and the curtain might actually help transfer the light down by reflection
- and the green ivy in the yellow pot can be put in front of the wall or even the corner. Direct sunlight is full spectrum and best for flowering plants.
- The succulents that have not elongated can go on the shelf below or indirect light. Ones that seems to have been suffering should get more light on the upper shelves. Remember that upper shelves will also be warmer.

— For now, try putting the croton on the bottom shelf under the window and move your musical instruments which will suffer from exposure to direct light/UV — I’m thinking if you move the croton, they can go on that side? Better yet, though they look really interesting and should be hung on the wall behind the sofa if you can.
— I could see the croton on the top shelf, too, since it is so showy, but be careful not to make the shelf top-heavy (more books on the bottom maybe.

- Also what’s in that clear bottle?
- Move your clock out of the sun - it looks plastic and will fade/deteriorate in the light.
- the light green rectangular/crocodile pattern pot — is that crown of thorns?
- if you have air conditioning or heater vents near the window, that may affect how you arrange your plants.

...if you end up getting fluorescent lights — White/cool lights are in the bluer spectrum, and yellow/warm lights are in the redder spectrum, so if you use one tube of each, you can obtain wider range. Fluorescent lights are full spectrum only IF they are labeled/manufactured as such. I get the ones labeled “daylight” 5000-6400K, but also use 2700K (?) tubes for flowering plants. But definitely listen to SQWIB about the more fancy lights (he’s been looking into them a lot recently so he knows his stuff).

[reith]

I SEE! That’s good that they have holes. That will definitely help. Only question now is if the potting mix is too moisture holding. But this can be compensated by watering less and allowing to surface to dry to touch — don’t water the succulents if pressing into the surface with fingers feel moist or wet. Note that with more light, the plants will dry faster. You will want to start giving them weak fertilizer. I like giving my plants diluted leftover tea and coffee on regular basis in addition to actual fertilizer.

Just got proper mix. Will repot tomorrow.

- and the green ivy in the yellow pot can be put in front of the wall or even the corner. Direct sunlight is full spectrum and best for flowering plants.
- The succulents that have not elongated can go on the shelf below or indirect light. Ones that seems to have been suffering should get more light on the upper shelves. Remember that upper shelves will also be warmer.

Done!

— For now, try putting the croton on the bottom shelf under the window and move your musical instruments which will suffer from exposure to direct light/UV — I’m thinking if you move the croton, they can go on that side? Better yet, though they look really interesting and should be hung on the wall behind the sofa if you can.

Don't worry about musical stuff, I probably take them off the shelve. But, as windows are not full height, I guess croton will get less light on the floor..

- Also what’s in that clear bottle?

Zebrafish. There used to be aquatic plants but they died long ago. I probably take fished out of shelve too to let them have more rest.

- Move your clock out of the sun - it looks plastic and will fade/deteriorate in the light.

It's cement.

- the light green rectangular/crocodile pattern pot — is that crown of thorns?

It's boxus on top of ginseng root. Crown of thorns is red pot

...if you end up getting fluorescent lights — White/cool lights are in the bluer spectrum, and yellow/warm lights are in the redder spectrum, so if you use one tube of each, you can obtain wider range. Fluorescent lights are full spectrum only IF they are labeled/manufactured as such. I get the ones labeled “daylight” 5000-6400K, but also use 2700K (?) tubes for flowering plants. But definitely listen to SQWIB about the more fancy lights (he’s been looking into them a lot recently so he knows his stuff).

Thanks! It was more helpful than I expected!

[reith]

Hi

After a week, it seems most plant's are feeling better; croton is brighter and swedish variegated ivy haven't lost leaves. I didn't expect kalanchoe to last much when I brought it home; It already had dried flowers, but now doing very well! Thanks for helping!

Unfortunately I found mealybugs in Pothos and Begonia, which was very difficult to get rid of them on Pothos, so I used some insecticide I could find locally for Pothos. I couldn't find Neem oil. Pothos is growing and I think will use insecticide monthly to get rid of mealybugs or at-least reduce them.

Coleus, my third coleus, again don't feel good. Leaves drying from edge. By leaves color, I guess It's getting too much light, am I correct?

I just want make sure before doing anything because plant already looks so fragile. Where I moved shelve near to window, I put water tray under swedish ivy and coleus, since I heard they hate dry weather and my house is very small with no air conditioner.

And, dwarf jade. Leaves are very week and many of them will fall if I just touch them. They are far from fleshy leaves when I bought it. It's still moisture holding soil. (I filled only right part of container with cactus-mix for succulents) Months ago that I changed soil, I saw crowded roots. Maybe It's root bound? In that case, can I just prune roots? Will plant tolerate this?

Thanks in advance