How to keep a houseplant alive in low light: pick the spot and check the light

No houseplant lives on no light. "Low-light" plants are the ones that can cope with less, not none. The biggest gain usually comes from moving a plant a metre or two closer to the window, because light drops off quickly as you move into the room (Illinois Extension).

How to give a plant the best chance in a dim room

1. Find the brightest spot you can, close to a window.

   

   Illinois Extension gives these positions for low light: a few feet from a north window, 3 to 10 feet (about 1 to 3 m) from an east or west window, or 15 to 20 feet (about 4.5 to 6 m) from a south window. Directly in front of a north window counts as medium light. These directions apply in the northern hemisphere; in the southern hemisphere, swap north and south.

   You should see: the window clearly in view from where the plant stands, with nothing such as furniture or a heavy curtain in between.

2. Choose a plant that copes with low light.

   

   Illinois Extension lists Chinese evergreen (Aglaonema), parlour palm, Boston fern, heartleaf philodendron, snake plant (Sansevieria) and peace lily (Spathiphyllum) as low-light plants. Missouri Botanical Garden adds cast-iron plant (Aspidistra), dracaena and pothos.

   Avoid flowering plants for dark spots: the RHS says they usually need more light than foliage plants. Plain green leaves cope better than heavily variegated ones, which can turn solid green in low light (Missouri Botanical Garden).

   You should see: a plant whose label or care sheet says "low light" or "shade tolerant".

3. Check the light with your hand, or a meter.

   

   Hold your hand a little above the leaves at midday. The RHS describes bright shade as light that does not cast a sharply defined shadow. A soft but visible shadow is a good sign; if you can barely see any shadow, the spot is very dark.

   For a number, UF/IFAS puts low light at about 25 to 100 foot-candles (roughly 250 to 1,000 lux) and medium light at 100 to 500. Clemson says a plant needs about 100 foot-candles for 12 hours a day to stay in good condition for a year.

   You should see: at least a faint shadow, or a midday reading near 100 foot-candles (about 1,000 lux) or more.

4. Careful: don't move a plant from a dark corner straight into strong sun. Clemson says light changes should be gradual, and leaves can bleach or scald in direct sun.

   If the plant struggles, move it closer to the light in stages.

   

   Move it a step closer to the window, wait a week or two, and look at the new growth. In summer, keep sun-sensitive plants out of the direct sunbeam: the RHS says strong sun can scorch them through glass. In winter, when daylight is weak, the RHS says houseplants benefit from full sun.

   You should see: new leaves that are as big and as green as the old ones.

5. Turn the pot a quarter turn each week.

   

   Plants lean towards their light source. Penn State Extension suggests turning a pothos weekly so it grows evenly, and the same leaning happens with other plants: Missouri Botanical Garden says plants short of light grow spindly, reaching towards it.

   You should see: a plant that grows evenly on all sides instead of leaning to the window.

6. Wipe dust off the leaves.

   

   Dust on the leaves is one more layer between the plant and the little light it gets. Clemson Extension says to wipe smooth leaves on both sides with a soft damp cloth, or rinse the plant in the shower. Use a soft brush on hairy leaves, and skip leaf-shine products, which Clemson says can interfere with the leaves' air exchange.

   You should see: clean, slightly glossy leaves with no grey film.

7. Water and feed less than you would in a bright room.

   

   Clemson Extension (HGIC 1459) says a plant in a cool, low-light spot needs watering less often than one in a warm, sunny place. Always check the compost first; our watering guide shows how.

   Clemson Extension says low light reduces how much fertiliser a plant needs; foliage plants need at least 200 foot-candles to benefit from it. Feed sparingly in spring and summer and not at all in winter (Clemson).

   You should see: compost that dries out between waterings, not a pot that stays wet for a week or more.

8. If there's no better spot, add a grow light.

   

   Clemson Extension says fluorescent lamps work well and standard incandescent bulbs aren't recommended; 16 hours of light and 8 of darkness suits most plants, and a timer keeps it regular. Illinois Extension says 14 to 16 hours is enough and plants should never get more than 16, because they need a rest period too.

   You should see: the light switching on and off at the same times each day, and new growth that's compact rather than stretched.

How far from the window?

Illinois Extension's guide to window light (northern hemisphere). Distances converted from feet by us.

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