Indoor plants don't need too much light, especially the various shade-tolerant foliage greens will grow better with proper diffused light.

There are a lot of people who don't understand the definition of diffused light, is it the sunlight that comes through the window, that's diffused light?

Yes, it is! Sunlight through a window is of course diffused light.

With the glass blocking the sunlight from the window, the sunlight will diffuse and reflect, thus reducing the intensity of the sunlight. The intensity of sunlight through glass is relatively high, only about 50% less than direct sunlight outdoors.

When caring for potted plants, avoid placing the branches and leaves of potted plants next to the glass, let alone sticking to the glass, as this can easily lead to leaf and branch burns. The intensity of light coming through the window is different in different locations. For example, on a window sill that does not face the sun, the sunlight coming through may only be about 5% of the outdoor light intensity.

These light intensities are divided into different levels, here we will use a quality unit of light intensity, that is "lux".

1. Shade

In rooms that do not face the sun all year round, most plants do not have access to sunlight if they are kept away from windows. Only particularly shade-tolerant foliage plants, including the common tiger orchid, vanda, and greenery, can be kept in such a location. In such a location, the light level is usually 500~2500lux.

2. Low light environment

In sunny weather, 3~5 meters of natural light next to an east-facing window is a low-light environment. Most houseplants will grow well in a low-light environment, even without much sunlight. There are a lot of such plants, including the common money tree, Fortune Bamboo, Fortune Tree, and Happiness Tree. In such an environment, the light level is usually in the range of 2500 to 10,000lux.

3. Bright diffused light

There is more diffused light on the windowsill, you can plant some dendrobium orchids, phalaenopsis orchids, monarchs, crabapple orchids, and other plants. Bright diffused light is usually only in rooms that face the sun, and most houseplants will grow particularly vigorously in such an environment. In a south-facing bay window, light levels are usually in the 10,000 to 20,000 lux range.

4. Direct light

On a balcony, where there are no windows or other objects to block the sunlight, you can receive more direct sunlight every day, and the light intensity is about 20,000 to 50,000 lux.

Most flowering plants can be grown in this direct light environment. Knowing this basic information helps us to keep our plants a little healthier.