The most unpretentious indoor plants with photos

How to grow a plant in the shade

Shrubs and grasses that can grow in the least amount of sunlight are wrestlers by nature. They resist stress and uncomfortable living conditions. But nevertheless, you should carefully approach the choice of plants for the shady side, because if the red raspberry located behind the house rewards you with large and tasty berries, then the white and red currants, alas, will answer you with a different effect, if you do not help them.

For shaded areas of the garden, the specifics of the culture itself should be taken into account.

So what affects the survival of plants in the shade:

• First of all, make sure you have enough moisture. Especially in hot weather, even on the north side of the house, the soil can dry out. Moisture is very much needed in late spring and with the onset of hot weather.
• Also, plants are dependent on fertilizers. An important point: with a lack of sunlight, you should be especially careful with nitrogen fertilizers so as not to overdo it. Otherwise, there is a danger that the plant will stretch out.

Before replanting a plant, make sure the soil is right for it. After all, there are species that feel great in acidic soil and not very well in neutral soil. If there is also unsuitable soil in the shade, this can destroy the plant.

Most shade-tolerant species are naturally resistant to disease and pest attacks.

The soil is prepared in advance. Since most shade-loving garden plants have shallow roots, the soil for planting them should not be heavy. The more airy the topsoil is, the easier it will be for the plant to settle down and feel "at home."

It has already been mentioned that drying out of the soil should be avoided.

But it is important not to allow other redness - waterlogging, since the roots will begin to rot, the plant will get sick or pests will appear. And then not only one plant will be affected, the whole garden may be affected.

Plants that love shade, enliven the dark areas of the garden, delight their owners with bright colors for many years, while requiring almost no maintenance.

A suburban area where every corner has uniform sunlight is a pipe dream. Whether we like it or not, some areas are shadowed by a fence or house, and some areas are shaded by trees. Be that as it may, even if your garden has more shady areas, this does not mean that you will not be able to make an interesting design, or get practical benefits from the beds. By choosing the right plants, periodically fertilizing the soil and keeping an eye on watering, you can create a wonderful piece of paradise.

Using coasters and racks

There would be violets - we will decide how to place. Even on 2-3 windowsills. This is the opinion of most flower growers. This is both convenient for violets and very beautiful.

The main thing is to create comfortable conditions. And don't just instruct the pots. You can buy them ready-made, order something individually. And even make it yourself. Available materials:

• Stands. In severe frosts and cold window sills, it can be installed temporarily in a warmer place;
• Shelves;
• Shelving. With installed backlight.

These devices are made from:

• Plastic;
• Glass;
• Metal;
• Wood.

Glass shelves.

Ladder stands.

Hanging pots.

Signs of insufficient lighting

In addition to the intensity of illumination, the direction of incidence of light must also be taken into account. Phototropism is a term that refers to the reaction of colors to which side they receive artificial or natural light.It must hit from above, otherwise the leaves will begin to unfold towards the source, which will lead to deformation.

The following signs indicate a lack of lighting:

1. Wide rows of leaves, large gaps between petioles. If you look at the flower from above, you can see the soil through the leaves and flowers. This means that some of the leaves either fell off or did not grow due to the violation of climatic conditions.
2. The shoots are stretched, the petioles are too long, curved, turned towards the light source.
3. Leaves lose their variegated color. This is especially true for variegated forms. But ordinary green leaves also become discolored, they can become covered with yellow or whitish spots. The tissues in the place of these spots are thin, devoid of moisture. In advanced cases, holes appear in their place. However, this may indicate not only a lack of light, but also about sunburn.
4. The leaves are fanned out, the stem is exposed, the plant leans towards the light source. In addition, it stretches upward, has a weakened pale appearance. The lower part of the foliage crumbles very quickly, only the top remains healthy. With a lack of lighting in most flowering species, this phase occurs later, lasts less or is completely absent.

If the flower does not have enough lighting chronically, then defects appear. The total deficit is reflected in young shoots and leaves - they grow thin, pale, deformed.

To provide colors with the required amount of light, artificial lighting methods are used - incandescent, fluorescent, LED. In recent years, phyto-luminaires have been gaining popularity. They have a full spectrum of radiation, which allows you to simultaneously organize the illumination of different varieties of plants. Moreover, the device is energy-saving, consumes a minimum of electricity, operates in a wide range in the blue and red color zones.

Indoor flowers that do not require a lot of light: indoor plants for the bedroom, bathroom and hallway

The apartment should have as many indoor plants as possible. This applies not only to the living room, there are other rooms where flowers grow no worse, and sometimes even much better.

Plants in bedrooms - Bedrooms tend to face east and are illuminated by the mild morning sun. It is ideal for many plants that cannot stand the pungent midday sun.

Indoor plants can be placed in the bedroom in "winter apartments" that do not require a lot of light and need a moderate temperature of about 15 ° C in winter.

It is often asked whether the plants in the bedroom actually take oxygen from sleepers at night. This is partly true, plants absorb oxygen at night, but in such an amount that it is completely invisible. You sleep as if in a hermetically sealed "forest" of indoor crops. However, some people do not tolerate the aroma of strong-smelling plants and complain of headaches.

Plants in the bathroom. If your bathroom seems uncomfortable, cold, too sterile to you, revive it with indoor plants that are unpretentious to light! For example, it will amazingly transform the bathroom. Of course, a prerequisite for this must be the presence of a window. In a completely dark bathroom, you will have to do with artificial plastic flowers. However, not every home flower that does not require a lot of light can be placed in the bathroom. Species that love warmth and high humidity grow well here.

If the bathroom is small, it is easy to place small indoor plants in it that do not require bright light: reeds (Scirpus segpius) and saltium (Soleirolia soleiroiii).

You can even put in blooming Uzambara violets (Saintpaulia, hybrids), which love a humid atmosphere. And if you're in love with flashy decorations, place a pot of atmospheric tillandsia on the shelf between the glass for brushing your teeth and the hairbrush.

Plants in the hallway and on the stairs.Already at the entrance to your friendly, cozy green hall, it will become clear to everyone that you are a lover of indoor crops. Plants for the hallway or stairs must be chosen very carefully.

In most cases, the hallways in our houses are narrow, so one plant is enough here. But if you put it in front of a mirror, the effect will be amazing. Ivy (Hedera helix) on the wall near the stairs or Tradescantia hanging from the hat shelf also looks decorative. It can be cooler and darker in the hallway and stairs than in the rooms, so you should not place views here that prefer tropical warmth and / or bright lighting.

Choose indoor flowers that do not require a lot of light:

Aspidistra (Aspidistra elatior)

Sanseviena

Chlorophytum (Chlorophytum comosum)

If your hall is large enough but dark, provide the plants with artificial lighting.

It is important to remember that there should be no drafts in the hallway that cause leaves to fall. Therefore, do not put plants in such a hallway

Signs of insufficient lighting

Sunlight is one of the most important aspects of normal plant life. Only with sufficient lighting are they able to provide themselves with nutrients and oxygen for us. How much light does crops that grow in flower pots at home need? It directly depends on the species. But on average it is 5-10 thousand lux (for comparison: a flower grown on the southern windowsill receives about 100 thousand lux in one summer day).

Regularity and consistency is considered an important condition in the matter of lighting: the plant should receive a stable amount of light for 6-7 hours a day. And this is quite difficult to achieve (cloudiness, cloudy weather and other unfavorable factors).

How to understand that a green pet does not have enough light? This is indicated by a number of signs:

1. Large distance between leaves. If you look at the flower from above, you can see the soil. In this case, the foliage is either opal or does not grow at all.
2. Elongated leaves. When leaves and shoots are elongated, this means that they lack light. So they are drawn to the light source.
3. The foliage loses its rich color. In the case of a lack of sunlight, the leaves become dull, painful in appearance.

Signs of excess sunlight

Lack of lighting is fraught with serious consequences for light-loving culture.

That is why it is important to provide heliophytes with optimal growing conditions.

Lack of natural light negatively affects the development and growth of any plant. To create a comfortable environment, growers add artificial light to natural lighting. It is best if the lighting hits the plant from above and not from the side. Any culture is drawn to the source of light. The following signs indicate a lack of light.

• Sparse, unevenly spaced leaves. When there is not enough light, they either do not form at all, or quickly fall off.
• Elongated thin, weak shoots and leaves on them. This indicates that the plant is struggling to reach for the light source.
• Leaves and flowers are faded. Some crops, in the absence of proper lighting, are not able to saturate their leaves with their natural color. The plant takes on a dull, painful appearance.
• The flower stalks released by the plant and the formed buds fall off without opening.

Features of growing, choosing a place for heliophyte

For full development, growth and flowering, each plant needs natural sunlight. Some cultures prefer bright direct sunlight, others like diffused light, and still others thrive in shaded areas and cannot tolerate bright lighting.

Light-loving indoor plants are a specific category of crops that especially need long-term bright natural or artificial lighting.Correctly placing indoor flowers so that they are comfortable is one of the main tasks of any grower. In the wild, light-loving plants grow mainly in tropical and subtropical climates, where there is a lot of sun and moisture.

It is quite possible to keep such plants at home. If you know their features, needs, properties, rules of care and placement, then even a novice flower lover can cope with this task. Most often, light-loving plants have smooth, narrow, oblong, round leathery or slightly pubescent leaves. Light fluff on the leaves scatters direct sunlight, protects the surface of the plant from burns.

Light-loving plants are best placed in areas where there is ample natural light. In the winter-autumn period, when there is not enough sunlight, light starvation begins in such crops, their leaves lose their bright color, buds are not formed, the plant gradually loses its natural characteristics, becomes faded and sluggish, and can stretch out.

To choose the right place for a light-loving plant, you need to take into account several factors:

• the number of sunny days per year in the region of residence;
• how intense the sun's rays are;
• seasons;
• individual characteristics and needs of the plant.

In the spring-summer period, light-loving plants can be kept on the southeastern or southwestern window sills; in winter and autumn, it is better to move such crops to the south side. Plants placed on the sunny side must be watered and sprayed on time at least once a day (if the culture requires it).

All plants need three things in order to continue their vital activity - the supply of light, water and heat, but to a greater or lesser extent.

Typical examples of light-loving plants can be given without even having special knowledge - each of them has certain specific characteristics:

• small leaves with a coarse texture, helping to evaporate the resulting moisture less;
• hairs or wax deposits, which are provided by nature for the same purposes - water conservation and protection of cells from intense ultraviolet radiation;
• Basal metabolism and carotenoids are not the signs that help the amateur gardener to distinguish heliophyte from sciophyte, but the previously listed ones are quite enough to distinguish them by their ability to adapt.

There are several criteria for the appearance of a light-loving plant that cannot be guided by when buying seeds. It is difficult to distinguish the facultative heliophyte from the more adapted to the sun, and this must be done even before planting in the ground in order to reasonably distribute the plants according to the degree of illumination.

The main thing for indoor flowers is light and warmth.

Keeping light-loving plants at home is not an easy task. If in the summer there is enough sunlight for the culture, but with the onset of cold weather, there will be a need for additional illumination with the help of phytolamps.

The leaves of light-loving crops are, as a rule, narrow, symmetrical, with a smooth surface or with a slight pubescence. This pile has a protective function, scattering sunlight and thereby protecting fabrics from burns. Shoots are rather short, with small hairs. The skins of crops that like light do not contain chlorophyll.

Organization of additional lighting

To properly organize artificial lighting, pots with violets are placed on shelves or racks.

Types of lamps

Conventional incandescent bulbs are not suitable for growing violets:

• they have an unsuitable radiation spectrum;
• low efficiency;
• emit a lot of heat, destructive to the flower.

Illumination with incandescent lamps is unacceptable, because they can cause burns.

The light source is usually linear fluorescent lamps, which come in white, cool white and warm white spectra.They are made in the form of tubes with a diameter of 26 mm and differ in length, which correlates with the power:

• a lamp with a length of 60 cm corresponds to a power of 18 W;
• 90 cm long - 30 W;
• 120 cm long - 36 W;
• length 150 cm - 54 W.

The size of the luminaire and its power are selected based on the area of ​​the illuminated place. When choosing a lamp, it must be borne in mind that:

• the shorter the lamp, the less it will last (the service life of an 18 W lamp is about six months, and a 36 W lamp is almost a year). After this period, the luminous flux weakens, although visually it is not noticeable;
• The luminous flux produced by two 18W lamps is less intense than from one 36W.

Fluorescent lamps are filled with small amounts of mercury. As long as the lamp is intact, it is completely safe to use.

Carefully! A broken fluorescent lamp is dangerous to your health, it should be disposed of at special collection points.

LED strips are also effective. Their main advantage over other lamps:

• high energy efficiency;
• ease of attachment to any surface and in any position.

The downside is the rather high cost.

Distance to outlet leaves, maximum number of switching hours per day

Lamps are fixed on shelves according to certain rules:

• the spacing between the shelves is determined by the gap from the light source to the leaves of the flower;
• shelves for standard varieties of violets are placed at intervals of 40-50 cm, while the distance of the lamp from the bush should be 30-35 cm;
• for mini-varieties of violets, they maintain an interval between the shelves of 25-30 cm.

Organization of lighting at a standard height of the shelves.

In this case, it is necessary to take into account the height of the pot and the design of the lamp. For example, with a pot height of 10 - 12 cm and a lamp thickness of 7 cm, the gap between the shelves is about 45 cm.When installing LED strips, the distance between the shelves will turn out to be much less - about 25 cm.

The most comfortable light regime for violets is 12 hours of lighting, 12 hours of darkness. If the plants show that there is not enough light, the lighting period can be increased to 15 hours per day. If this does not help, you will have to change the design of the rack: reduce the gap between the lamp and the flower, or hang another lamp.

Calculation of lamp power

When planning shelves for violets, you should focus on the size of a standard lamp:

• for shelves with a length of 70 cm, 18 W lamps are installed;
• for 130 cm shelves - 36 W lamps.

The number of lamps also correlates with the width of the shelves:

• one lamp provides the necessary illumination of a shelf with a width of about 30 cm;
• two lamps - shelves 50 cm wide.

When calculating lighting for violets, it must be borne in mind that:

• per 1 cm2 of the shelf area, the light flux from fluorescent lamps should be 0.7-0.9 Lumen;
• per 1 cm2 of shelf area, the light flux from LED lamps or tape should be 0.22-0.44 Lumens.

Based on this, a shelf measuring 96x38 cm (area 3650 cm2) must provide a light flow:

• produced by fluorescent lamps - 2550-3280 Lumens;
• produced by LEDs (lamp or tape) - 800-1600 Lumens.

The optimal light flux is considered, which is closest to the maximum (1300 - 1700 Lumens per shelf). For example, for a shelf of 100x38 cm, the luminous flux should be 840-1680 Lumens.

Advice! The temperature on the upper shelves is always slightly higher than on the lower ones, so it is better to place young plants on them.

Deciduous light-loving plants

Coleus

This is just a luxurious indoor flower that is native to Asia. Its leaves are simply incredible variegated color, but they acquire their color exclusively in the sun, in a dark place they will turn pale. Coloring can be very diverse, so this flower looks most interesting in a composition of plants of different colors.

Caring for Coleus is simple, its main requirements are the presence of heat and light. Only under such conditions will the plant be truly decorative.In addition, caring for Coleus includes:

• the presence of not just good lighting, but direct sunlight. The more light, the brighter the coleus leaves;
• the temperature in the room where the flower stands should not fall below 20 - 22 degrees;
• the flower is very fond of moisture, so it should be sprayed with water at room temperature as often as possible;
• the plant requires abundant watering, but it does not need to be poured into the roots. In winter, when the flower is dormant, watering should be reduced. However, if you transfer a flower to a dark room, it will lose all its decorative properties;
• the plant reproduces well by shoots, so root the tops of your coleus when doing decorative pruning.

Like many light-loving plants, Coleus grows well in summer outdoors.

Pedilanthus (Molochaev family)

This is a shrub with variegated leaves that is very fond of sunlight. At home, it does not grow very large, although in nature its stems reach a fairly large length. His homeland is Latin America.

Pedilanthus grows under certain conditions:

• despite his love of sunlight, he does not like direct rays, so the plant must either be shaded or placed on the east or west windows;
• you need to water the pedilanthus moderately, it does not tolerate the bay, as well as too wet soil. The water should settle, while it is better to slightly dry the plant than to water it too much. In winter, watering should be almost stopped;
• this plant does not require too humid air, it is enough just to periodically wipe its leaves with a damp cloth, as dust quickly settles on them;
• You can feed the pedilanthus with fertilizer for cacti, by the way, and the soil for succulents is also great for this plant.

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Shade-loving indoor plants for the hallway

Ideal for a hallway where there is no direct sunlight - ornamental deciduous plants. They usually either do not bloom at all, or have small and unattractive buds. But their foliage is bright and original.

Sansevieria

Florists call this plant pike tail, snake skin. Another name is mother-in-law's language. Sansevieria differs from other plants in strict lines. It should be noted that in terms of its shade tolerance and undemanding conditions of keeping, this indoor pet can be compared with chlorophytum. At the same time, the plant is equally comfortable both in bright daylight and in the shade.

Sansevieria looks very impressive: when flowering, it throws out inflorescences-candles of white and yellow shades. There are specimens with an original pattern on leaf plates, but in deep shade they can fade.

Sansevieria

Ferns

An excellent option for the hallway is ferns. Their variety allows you to choose the ideal option for both office space and home. Despite the fact that ferns do not bloom, they bring a sense of freshness and comfort to the space. At the same time, ferns grow well even in a shady location. The main thing is that the soil and air are sufficiently moist.

Fat woman

Also referred to as a money tree, this plant cannot fully develop in deep shadow - it is comfortable only in low light conditions. Like other succulents, it likes diffused daylight, sparse and moderate watering.

Important! Experienced flower growers recommend placing the fat woman on the windows on the east side of the house, and in the summer move it to a shady corner. Otherwise, the leaves of the plant can get sunburn.

Ficus

This houseplant is quite delicate, and therefore it is strictly forbidden to place it directly under the sun's rays. Ficuses are able to purify indoor air by filling it with oxygen.

The plant likes well-ventilated rooms, where there is no draft. The optimal temperature in summer is no more than 25-30 ° C, in winter this figure can be about 15-20 ° C.It is advisable to water the plant not only with settled, but also heated water. At the same time, watering should be moderate: too much moisture can destroy the culture.

Ficus Benjamin

Additional Information! Ficus is not a poisonous plant, moreover, it is able to disinfect the air, destroying bacteria and microbes.

This shade-loving indoor flower can be placed in the bedroom. In folk medicine, ficus is used as a remedy for various female pathologies, contributes to the early elimination of bronchitis.

Esotericists call ficus one of the most useful plants for the home. It is believed that he is able to protect the family from quarrels and conflicts, this is a real family amulet that helps build relationships between household members.

Sheflera

Sheflera is a lush, branched bush with flexible, graceful shoots. Feels comfortable in the shade, but you can place it in the sun for several hours a day. In this case, the pattern on the fleshy leaves will be more pronounced. If desired, you can strengthen the branching of the sheflers, for this you need to pinch the tips of the branches.

Additional Information! Breeders have bred both compact and fairly large types of chefs, and therefore every florist can find a suitable one.

Caring for this shade-loving home flower is quite simple: you need to spray the foliage from time to time, maintain the temperature at +12 to +20 ° C.

Sheflera