Your plants can get the light they need from a natural source, the sunlight outside; or from artificial light, the light bulbs in your house. People always ask me which direction should the window face, how close to a window should I put the plant, what kind of light bulbs help plants to grow, & how long should the lights stay on? Here are my answers. Windows facing any direction work, but my favorites are East & West. Put a plant too close to a Southern window & it gets damaged by the direct sun.

Put a plant too far from a Northern window & it doesn’t get enough light. 3-5ft from an east or west-facing window with no direct sun hitting the plant & everything is perfect. But life isn’t perfect, and plants can live 8 or 10 feet from a window if you adjust the water you give it accordingly. Also remember that the strength & quality of the natural light changes with the seasons. If there are no windows available at all (hallway, bathroom, tiny little office), you can substitute with fluorescent lighting. The light needs to stay on at least 10 hours; adding a little incandescent light will help the plant even more.

Next Section: Enough or Not Enough Light