If your plant doesn’t look like a thriving, larger version of itself when you first brought it into your home, then it may be suffering from lack of enough light. For plants, light is food, so if they don’t get enough they “starve,” and it shows in how they grow and what their leaves look like. Well, Phoenix Flower Shops is going to help you make sure your plants remain healthy by telling you what to look for in your plant to determine its light requirements.

Tell-Tale Signs in Plants with Lighting Problems

Leggy

A plant with long, skinny stems with a scarce amount of leaves is referred to as “leggy.” As the plant stretches for its much-needed light source, its leaves spread apart on skinny stems which does not look as nice as full, lush plants do and is a sign the plant is not getting enough light.

Small Leaves

A sign of not enough sun is when your plant produces leaves smaller than average. If you compare new growth to leaves that were grown when the plant was healthy and see a significant size difference, then move your plant closer to its light source.

Leaning

Plants will do what they need to for survival and reaching towards the sun to get enough food is one of the signs the plant is stressed. This could also lead to the plant looking lopsided or one-sided. To ensure the entire plant gets plenty of sun, place it in an indirect bright light area and give it a quarter-turn every time you water it.

Abnormal Leaf Color

Leaves are supposed to be rich green color, but if there is not enough light, the leaves will turn pale green, yellow, and then eventually drop off. For plants with variegated leaves, instead of being colorful, they will revert to an all green color in order to absorb enough sunlight as possible.

Slowed or No Growth

Plant growth should be evident, especially during the spring and summer months. If your plant appears to be growing very slowly or not at all, try moving it to a sunnier spot. In its quest for survival, a plant will conserve what little energy it does get by not growing. As light is food for plants, plenty of light equals plenty of robust and lush growth.

Getting the Light Right

If you recognize any of the above signs in your plant, then just moving it to a much sunnier place may not be the right move. Too much light isn’t healthy for plants either. Only sun-worshipping plants such as palms, cacti, and succulents should be direct sunlight. For most other plants, except shade-loving plants such as ferns and orchids, indirect bright light works best. To the best lighting for your plants may requiring moving them around to different places and observing the results.

If you don’t have the floor space to get your plant into proper lighting, then try elevating it with a hanging planter. Or, purchase and grow light and keep your plant where it is. Grow lights will make sure your plants get plenty of food no matter where they are located in your home.