In this video, interior designer and plant expert Craig Miller-Randle discusses optimal light location and temperature for indoor plants and balcony gardens.

Due its role in photosynthesis, light is essential for plants, and one way to ensure they are getting the right amount indoors, is to replicate the natural environment of a forest. A forest has different layers and lighting zones, and so your home can be categorised in the same way, with zones of direct light, indirect light and low light.

A high-tech way of gauging light intensities in your home is to use a light meter, or – far more simply – hold up your hand against a leaf to see how much shadow is cast. The sharper the shadow, the more light the plant is getting.

Getting the temperature right is also very important, as many indoor plants come from warm and humid rainforests. Here, the most important thing is to keep the temperature consistent, and to avoid plants being placed too close to heaters or cold windows.

View the original video here.

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