How do you find the right light for a houseplant?
Match the plant’s requirements to the light at its actual position. A room can feel bright while a shelf receives little daylight.
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Read the guidePlant guides for “Light”
Practical help for your plants: what to check first and how to decide what comes next.
22 matching guides
How to set up a grow light for your houseplants
A grow light helps when enough useful light reaches the leaves. Choose it for the plants and area, set its distance and daily light period, then observe new growth.
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Read the guideIndoor cyclamen care: Keep it cool and get watering right
Indoor cyclamen need bright light, cool conditions and lightly moist rather than wet potting mix. Drooping stems can mean either too little or too much water. Feel the mix first.
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Read the guideHow should you care for houseplants in winter?
Check available light, pot moisture, and heating or drafts around the plant. Conditions differ between homes and species, so use those checks to decide what needs to change.
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Read the guideYour Phalaenopsis has finished flowering – what next?
Healthy roots, enough light and appropriate temperatures matter more than a supposed flowering trick.
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Read the guidePoinsettia care: Help it through the holidays
Give it bright light away from cold draughts and direct heat. Water when the mix surface becomes dry, then let all excess drain away. Good care starts in the shop and on the journey home.
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Read the guideChristmas cactus not blooming? Take a look at its nights
Evening lighting and constant warmth can hold back flowering in a Christmas cactus. Bright days, long uninterrupted nights and cooler temperatures help it get started.
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Read the guideYour houseplant is losing leaves – here’s what helps
The pot feels light and the mix is dry Dry mix, an unusually light pot and curled leaves or crisp edges are consistent with a lack of water.
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Read the guideWhy does a houseplant develop yellow leaves?
Check the pattern, pot moisture, drainage, light, and recent changes before deciding what your houseplant needs.
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Read the guideRoot stem cuttings in water and move them into potting mix
It depends on species, stem condition, light and temperature. Many cuttings take several weeks; some take longer.
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Read the guideHow to bring your houseplants indoors safely in autumn
Introduce lower light gradually when possible If temperatures allow, move the plant into increasingly shaded, sheltered positions over roughly a week. This eases the change to lower indoor light.
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Read the guideHow do you clean your houseplants’ leaves?
Clean foliage still needs a suitable position; our guide to light explains how to choose one. A visible layer of dust blocks light.
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Read the guideHow much humidity do your houseplants need?
Our guide to light for houseplants can help you choose a suitable spot. Calatheas appreciate humid air. A bright bathroom may suit them, but a windowless one still lacks light.
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Read the guideWindows, radiators and drafts: How warm is your plant’s actual spot?
Adjust its position without losing suitable light; our guide to light for houseplants can help.
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Read the guidePruning houseplants: What should you cut, and what should stay?
Long, thin stems with widely spaced leaves can point to insufficient light . Pruning alone will not fix that.
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Read the guideAmaryllis care: From the first shoot to life after flowering
The leaves use light to make sugars that the bulb stores.
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Read the guideWhen should you fertilize a houseplant?
A plant resting under low winter light may need little or no extra feed. More fertilizer is not a substitute for reviewing the growing conditions.
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Read the guideHow to water houseplants: Let the pot decide, not the calendar
A different spot can change the rhythm Light, warmth, humidity, pot material and mix all affect drying. Terracotta loses moisture through its walls; plastic does not.
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Read the guideWhat is on your houseplant – and what should you do first?
Move the pot away from the collection, without leaf contact, but keep it in suitable light and warmth. Photograph the find before wiping it away.
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Read the guideWhich potting mix is right for your houseplant?
If the pot stays wet unusually long, low light, a large container or damaged roots may also be involved. A dry surface is not enough to judge.
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