So, I’ve been messing around with plants lately, and I had this burning question: can plants actually get sunlight through windows? I mean, it sounds simple enough, right? But I wanted to see it for myself. So I decided to do a little experiment.
First, I picked out a few different types of plants. I got some succulents, a couple of leafy greens, and even a little cactus, just to mix things up. I figured this would give me a good range to see how different plants react.
Next, I needed to figure out where to put them. I have a bunch of windows in my place, but they all get different amounts of light. I noticed my south-facing windows get the most direct sunlight throughout the day, so I cleared a space there for the plants that supposedly love full sun. I also identified that my east-facing windows get a decent amount of morning light, so I reserved that spot for plants that need medium light.
- South-facing window: This is where I put the succulents and the cactus. They’re supposed to love direct sunlight, so this seemed like the perfect spot.
- East-facing window: The leafy greens went here. They need a good amount of light but not necessarily the harsh, direct kind.
Here’s how I set it up:
Then came the waiting game. I watered them as needed and just watched what happened. I made sure to keep an eye on how much light each plant was getting. Some days were super sunny, and others were a bit cloudy, so it was interesting to see the variations. This was not that easy at first, but I persevered.
After a few weeks, I started to notice some differences. The succulents and the cactus by the south-facing window were thriving. They looked super healthy and were growing like crazy. It was pretty obvious they were loving all that direct sunlight. The plants near the east-facing window did fine, but they didn’t grow as vigorously as the others. After a few days I moved them closer to the window, and they improved a lot.
But here’s the interesting part: even though the plants were behind glass, they were clearly still getting enough light to grow. I guess the windows let through enough of the visible light spectrum that plants need for photosynthesis. I also learned that some windows might filter out UV light, but that doesn’t seem to be a huge issue for most indoor plants.
So, what’s the conclusion? Well, from my little experiment, it seems like plants can definitely get sunlight through windows. But the amount and quality of light really matter. South-facing windows are great for sun-loving plants, while east or west-facing windows work for those that need less direct light. It’s all about figuring out what your plants need and finding the right spot for them in your home. And hey, if you’re really worried, you can always get some grow lights to supplement the natural light. I ended up using some for my leafy greens during the winter months, and they did great! Overall, this was a fun experiment, and I learned a lot about how light affects plant growth.
