You cannot create a jungle-like growing environment indoors for your houseplants. Plants like philodendrons need bright light to grow. But the best thing is they can adjust their light needs as per the light in the room.
These are the plants that are hard to kill and are easy to grow even in low light. This is the reason philodendrons are called beginners plants.
But the Philo growing in low light grows leggy and does not produce bright-colored leaves.
Therefore, you need to learn about the philodendron light requirements before buying it. This will help you to prevent many problems that are related to the light requirements of philodendrons.
Below is my experience with these plants.
How much sunlight do philodendrons need?
To know the answer, we need to look into the natural habitat of the philodendrons. In their natural birthplace, they grow under the canopy of large trees.
And most of the sunlight gets absorbed by the trees and only a limited amount of brightness reaches the philodendrons.
This means your philodendrons do not like to grow under direct sun rays. The sharp sunlight can damage the plants. Burned leaves and brown tips are the first sign of sunburn.
Indirect bright light is what your plants need to grow healthy. Place your philodendron in a place where the direct sun rays cannot touch the plant.
But it gets enough indirect bright light for a minimum of 5 to 6 hours per day.
How to grow Philodendrons without Sunlight?
Growing philodendrons without sunlight do not mean growing them without light. You need to replace the source of light.
Your first aim is to protect your plant from direct sun rays. And second is to expose your plant to enough bright light. So that it can make its food in less time.
You can use LED grow lights to full fill the light requirements of your philodendrons. These are the artificial grow lights that emit light waves similar to the sun.
Your plant cannot differentiate between sunlight and light emitted by the grow lights.
There are many types of grow light like HPS/MH, Fluorescent, LED.
In all these types LEDs are the most efficient grow lights and they consume less energy, no maintenance is required.
Or
You can place your plant a few feet away from the sunny window. So that it can only get indirect bright light.
Remember that light energy directly impacts the color of the foliage and the number of leaves per stem or vine. This rule applies to all types of houseplants.
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Do Philodendrons need sunlight to produce flowers?
Yes, they do need sunlight to bloom but because growers want to protect their philodendrons. They do not expose it to direct sunlight. This is the reason indoor growing philodendrons rarely bloom.
To encourage blooming please expose your plant to the morning sunlight from 7 am to 10 am. This is the time when the sun emits warm rays.
You may also need to rotate the plant if only one side of the pot is exposed to light. This way all the parts of the plant get an equal amount of sunlight.
You may have seen that these plants bloom in greenhouses. The reason is the growing environment of greenhouses is similar to their natural growing conditions.
Most growers like philodendrons because of their beautiful and unique-shaped large leaves.
If your plant is not blooming, do not worry because you have a very beautiful foliage plant at your home.
Do the philodendrons grow in low light?
Philodendrons are adaptable plants means they adjust their light needs according to their growing environment.
So, the answer is yes, they can grow easily in low light conditions as we have in office buildings. You can just use a single fluorescent light to grow a full-size philodendron plant.
But then your plant will not grow dense and produce small size flowers. You may notice the less bright color of the foliage.
The first sign of low light is leggy growth. In this condition, plants produce fewer leaves and grow long and move toward the light source.
They do so because they need more light energy and to full fill this need, they stretch their length toward the light.
To prevent this situation, use a plant light meter and measure the amount of light your plant is receiving.
A plant light meter is an inexpensive device and is easily available on Amazon. You can get a good deal if you search for some local brands.
Which is the best indoor place for philodendrons?
As per the Philodendron light requirements, the best place for your plant is where it only gets indirect bright light. Make sure it is not too close to the window. Because in winter you need to protect it from cold winds.
Also do not place it near the heating vents and doors.
My philodendron plant is enjoying on my dining table. Because in my kitchen I have a large window and it is the brightest room of my sweet home.
If you have a grow light then you can grow it in any place even in dark corners. Because the grow light is there to full fill its light requirements.
Is your philodendron is growing under bright light?
The best part is you can move the plant pots to change their place according to the season. Below are the signs of low light exposure.
Leggy or stretch growth of philodendrons
Small size leaves and fewer leaves per stem
Leaves lose their green color and turn light yellow
Whenever you see the above signs in your philodendrons. This indicates that philodendrons need more light. Immediately change their place and move them to bright light.
Again, don’t forget that you need to protect your plants from direct sunlight.
Conclusion
Meeting the philodendron light requirements is not a tough job. All you need to do is place your plant in indirect bright light.
Light plays an important part in a growth of a plant. Without adequate light, your philodendron will grow leggy and do not produce bright foliage.
Also, protect it from harsh sun rays because they can damage the soft leaves of philodendrons.
I hope now everything is clear about the light needs of philodendrons. If you have more questions, please feel free to contact us.
