
Do succulents need full sun to grow?
Sunlight/Lighting Succulents and cacti need a certain amount of sunlight to thrive. Plants grow by absorbing light and turning it into energy through the process of photosynthesis. Providing adequate light, when growing succulents indoors, can be particularly challenging and may need some experimentation on your part.
Can succulents and cacti survive with less light?
And, certainly, succulents and cacti can and do survive with less light. That’s a risky proposition, though, because it results in etiolation. Etiolation, also known as ‘stretching’ or a plant becoming ‘leggy’, is a neat example of plant behavior in action. What, you thought only animals had behaviors? Nope!
How far should grow lights be from succulents?
I would recommend to first put any grow light at least 6 to 8 inches away from the tops of your succulents, because this will lessen the chance of your grow lights burning and damaging your plants.
Can succulents be kept indoors?
Any succulent species can be kept alive indoors, but this environment may limit the way they typically grow and flourish. Light, and receiving proper lighting, is one of the most important things to consider when growing your plants, especially indoors.

Can succulents survive without natural light?
No succulent will survive with a complete lack of light, though. So, if you live in a basement apartment, have only a north-facing window, or if your space has no windows at all, consider purchasing a small tabletop grow light for your succulent plants, even if they are varieties of succulents that grow in low light.
Can succulents survive with LED light?
LED grow lights are excellent for your succulents. They produce exactly the light wavelengths your succulents need to grow and thrive. They run cooler and are less expensive to operate than fluorescent grow lights.
What type of artificial light is best for succulents?
LEDs. LED grow lights are the most popular choice for growing succulents indoors. LEDs are energy efficient, long lasting, and have low running temperatures—meaning growers don't have to worry about plants being burned if the light is placed too close.
Can plants survive with artificial light only?
Researchers can successfully grow plants using only artificial light in growth chambers. But sunlight is best for most plants. It's generally more intense than artificial light, and it's pretty equally distributed among the different wavelengths that earthly plants have evolved to like best.
How many hours of LED light do succulents need?
How many hours of light? To start, keep the light on for 12 hours, then off for the next 12. This provides enough light for photosynthesis while also giving a dark period during which the succulent takes in carbon dioxide.
What kind of light do indoor succulents need?
Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the type of succulent. Newly planted succulents can scorch in direct sunlight, so you may need to gradually introduce them to full sun exposure or provide shade with a sheer curtain.
How often should succulents be watered?
How often should I water my succulent? You should water your succulents every other week during non-winter months when temperatures are above 40 degrees. During the winter time (when temperatures are below 40 degrees) you should only water your succulent once a month because it is dormant during this time.
Can succulents live off fluorescent light?
Yes, succulents can grow under fluorescent light. Of course, nothing beats actual sunlight because it is free and your plant gets the entire spectrum of light which will help it grow properly.
Can plants get too much artificial light?
Most houseplants do well with 12-16 hours of artificial fluorescent light each day. Too little light will result in elongated, spindly growth and too much light will cause a plant to wilt, color to fade, soil to become excessively dry and foliage to burn. Plants also require a rest period each day.
Can artificial light replace sunlight?
Unfortunately, no artificial light can replace 100% daylight, though color temperature can have an emotional impact. Simple ceiling lights or floor lamps with conventional bulbs can not replace the effect of the sun under any circumstances.
Can LED light replace sunlight for plants?
Yes, plants will grow under normal LED lights. Grow lights aren't special – they're just strong. Bright light causes plants to grow, whether they're marketed as grow lights or not. They do need to be close to them though – the closer the better (without them burning).
Will LED lights keep a plant alive?
Yes, as long as it delivers enough PAR light to your plants. LED lights are great because they're energy-efficient, emit little heat, and last for years. However, it's probably best to get a horticultural light for plants with high light requirements.
Can live plants grow with LED lights?
LED lighting has made amazing progress in the growth of exotic plants with some higher-end fixtures, but even the most inexpensive LED fixtures specifically made for aquariums will be adequate for successful and healthy plant growth in a community aquarium.
Do LED lights work for live plants?
Yes, aquarium plants will definitely grow under LED as long as the light emits in the right spectrum. Regular white LEDs are great and will allow your plants to thrive.
Can cacti grow under LED lights?
Artificial lighting for cacti The best artificial light for cacti are fluorescent bulbs/tubes (and even compact bulbs) or LED grow lights like this. Don't pick mercury vapor or incandescent bulbs.
What is a succulent plant?
The definition, taken from a common intersite definition site, is “In botany, succulent plants, also known as succulents, are plants that have some parts that are more than normally thickened and fleshy, usually to retain water in arid climates or soil conditions.
Why are succulents so popular?
Lately, succulents have become one of the most popular house plants, because they look very pretty, add a nice vibe to your house, and also don’t require as much care and water as other house plants do.
What is the name of the plant that holds water?
The word "succulent" comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning juice, or sap.”. Echeveria (Hens and Chickens), jade plant, and aloe are common examples. Cactus, although they can also hold water, are generally classified separately.
What wavelength of light is used for photosynthesis?
For green plants which use chlorophyll pigment, red light (635–700 nanometer wavelength) is found to be the most suitable for photosynthesis. For other pigments such as carotenoids or xanthophylls, different wavelengths are suitable.
Why can't we observe the difference between the sun and artificial light?
We cannot observe this difference because our eyes adjust to the clarity . But there is a huge difference between the amount of light energy the sun deliver and artificial lamps can deliver. As for wavelength, chlorophyll a and b absorbs light in the spectrum of 400 and 70. Continue Reading.
How long should I leave my cacti on?
Just make sure to turn it off after some 12 hours. Some species will appreciate if you mimic the change of daylight length across the year. Some cacti need short days (lamp is on for 8–10 hours in winter, combined with somewhat cooler temps) to put out flowers. You can easily manage this with a timer.
Where does the word "succulent" come from?
The word " succulent " comes from the Latin word sucus, meaning juice, or sap.”. Echeveria (Hens and Chickens), jade plant, and aloe are common examples. Cactus, although they can also hold water, are generally classified separately.
What happens if you don't give succulents enough light?
If these plants do not receive adequate light, they do not grow properly. Overtime, succulents that do not receive enough light become weak, distorted and discolored. When not exposed to adequate light they start stretching out to look for the sun.
How do succulents grow?
Succulents and cacti need a certain amount of sunlight to thrive. Plants grow by absorbing light and turning it into energy through the process of photosynthesis. Providing adequate light, when growing succulents indoors, can be particularly challenging and may need some experimentation on your part.
What are the white bugs on succulents?
These are commonly found with leafy succulents. They are small, white, flying insects that reproduce very quickly and can be difficult to control. You can see whiteflies flying from the underside of the leaves when an infested plant is shaken. Like aphids, these insects produce honeydew everywhere on your plant which promote the growth of sooty mold.
Why do plants need filtered sun?
Growing your plants in filtered sun will ensure adequate sun exposure without being over exposed to sunlight. Shady –or low light means no direct sun or other light. The light that comes through the window is blocked by an outdoor tree, a building or other objects indoors such as curtains or furniture.
Why do plants need grow lights?
Grow lights are artificial lights designed to imitate the sun’s rays in order to help stimulate plant growth through photosynthesis. Grow lights are used as supplemental light when there is not enough sunlight coming in, or as the main source of light for the plants.
Do succulents need indirect light?
Most succulents prefer bright, indirect light. Some succulents can still thrive even if your lighting condition indoors is less than ideal. Below are some succulent species that can do well in low lighting conditions.
What does "bright light" mean on a plant?
Bright light means the plant needs to be placed in a sunny location, possibly southern or western facing windows with bright, direct light throughout the day. Filtered –filtered light or indirect light means bright light that is not direct, or partially screened and lightly shaded sunlight.
What temperature do succulents grow?
But succulents grow best in the temperature ranges from 55-85 degrees.
Why do we need grow lights?
Grow lights have specific light spectrum wavelengths and support photosynthesis. This is why it is good to use for indoor plants such as succulents. It’s also convenient for homes as it uses low energy but produces great power.
What to consider when buying grow lights?
In choosing grow lights, price is one of the things you want to consider. You can buy either the cheap or the expensive one.
Can LED lights grow succulents?
LED lights are also known as low heat artificial sources of light and sometimes they can also grow succulents healthier and faster than with the sunlight.
Can succulents tolerate low light?
But there are succulent varieties that can tolerate low light. These succulents are perfect for an indoor environment.
Can succulents survive without sunlight?
Yes, succulents can survive without natural light. They can grow or live even if they are not placed near windows for direct sunlight.
Can you grow succulents with grow lights?
Grow lights are good for growing succulents. The only problem is that they are more expensive than normal lights.
Why do succulents need LED lights?
Succulents only really need red and blue light and the LED is able to provide this narrow spectrum of light. This is also why LED lights save more energy and provide less heat than compact fluorescent lights. The LED light is more cost-effective than the fluorescent light, but that does not mean it is better. Because LED light can provide your succulents with one or two specific colors on the light spectrum, this can trigger your plant to behave differently. For example, exposure to only blue or only red light can cause the plant to flower instead of growing.
What happens if you put a plant 5 inches away from the sun?
If the plant is five inches away or closer, the light can possibly heat the water inside the cells of the plant. This can lead to dehydration and sun damage.
What are the different types of grow light?
These lights are very easy to find and purchase, and they actually do a decent enough job as grow lights for indoor plants. The ones most growers use are the T5, T8 and T12, but the most ideal is the T5. This fluorescent light is known to have the best results of the three.
How bright is the light from a grow light?
It is always important to know how bright the light from your grow lights is, as well as how much your plant is going to get.
How do you use a grow light?
Choose a part of your house that is most appropriate for your plants and for a light to be installed above them. A corner in your living room will do just fine, for example.
Can succulents be grown indoors?
That said, yes – succulents can still thrive indoors. In fact, there are multiple species of succulent that are highly adaptable to living inside the house. This is also why succulents are becoming increasingly popular indoor plants.
Can you use fluorescent light on a table?
Fluorescent light tubes can be quite space-consuming, so you can use a compact fluorescent light. It has small bulbs on a flat, round surface and is a great choice for people with small plants on a table.
What is the best light for succulents?
Most succulents are happiest under bright, filtered light. Some succulents are better equipped at adapting to low lighting conditions. The 5 top choices for best low light succulents are:
How to kill succulents fast?
The fastest way to kill your succulent plant is constantly wet soil and poor lighting. These two combined is a sure recipe for disaster. I like to use a cactus mix combined with perlite in equal parts (1:1 solution). This is the easiest combination you can make on your own.
How often should I water my succulents?
Pour out any excess water from the saucer, if any. Just as a reference, I water my OUTDOOR succulents every 7-10 days in the summer months where it gets really hot and sunny here in California. If you are watering your indoor succulents in low light once a week, you are highly likely overwatering your plants.
What are some good indoor plants?
One of the most common varieties are the Christmas and Thanksgiving Cactus. These make excellent indoor plants because they do well in partial shade and need to be protected from direct sunlight.
How to water a plant properly?
It is better to water the plant thoroughly instead of misting. Water the base of the plant or the soil instead of the top of the plant. Let the water reach the roots of the plant to be absorbed and do not water again until the top inch of the soil is dry.
Do succulents need low light?
Not all succulents will adapt to low light conditions. I noticed these plants will quickly stretch out or etiolate when kept in the shade. Do not start with these succulents when looking for low light or office plants:
Do succulents like wet feet?
The type of soil you use. I mentioned above that you need a well-draining soil but what is that exactly? Succulents do not like having wet feet, meaning they do not like to sit in wet soil for too long.
How much light do succulents need?
But we’re here to simplify things, so let’s start with a baseline: Succulents like to have about 10-14 hours of light a day. That’s assuming, of course, that it isn’t a shade-loving succulent like Sansevieria trifasciata (the Snake Plant). They would fry with that much light.
What color light is good for succulents?
Red light, for example, is an important trigger in the flowering process for many plants. Using lots of red LEDs might encourage your succulent to flower. Blue light is important for stimulating vegetative growth. LEDs are super small, too, which means they can be used in a lot of ways.
Why do succulents burn?
Some succulents just can’t handle the heat. The shade-loving ones are particularly susceptible. Strong, direct light for many hours could cause them to burn. If you’re watering plants and leave water drops on the leaves, they might act as a magnifying glass and amplify strong sunlight – causing the plant to burn.
Why do succulents change color?
Some succulents, if exposed to intense sunlight and UV light, will begin to change color. It’s a defensive measure to mitigate the impact of the harsh solar energy.
What kind of light bulbs were used in the 1950s?
Incandescent light bulbs are great… if you’re still living in the 1950s.
What does it mean when plants are directly beneath the light?
If your plants are directly beneath the light, that means most of that wonderful light energy is being wasted. Your plant only occupies a small sliver of that arc. By moving the light and the plant closer to one another, the plant soaks up more of the light.
Which window is best for succulents?
For those of us in the northern hemisphere, a south-facing window provides the best light. It has more hours of daylight than any other direction.

Do Artificial Lights Exactly Work on Succulent Growth?
- The answer is yes. Artificial light does help succulents grow up and prevent the etiolation problem. Indoor plantgrowth lights can emit various wavelengths, and promote photosynthesis, and growth. In general, the red light spectrum and blue light spectrum have the greatest impact on plant growth, the red one encourages flowering and the blue one en...
Why to Use Grow Lights?
- Actually, even if succulentscan survive in low light, they have a chance to lose bright color and compact shape or start to stretch out. If your indoor succulents start to show these situations, it means you need artificial light to help them unless you don't care much about the outlook of your succulents.
Common Artificial Lights
- Fluorescent Lights
Fluorescent lights are the most common and cost-effective growth light in the market. It is one of the good options for houseplants. There are various fluorescent lights in the market, and the full-spectrum bulbs or the mix of ‘cool’ and ‘warm’ bulbs is much better. Because the generic fluores… - LED Lights
Another good choice is LED lights. They provide the exactly light wavelengths for succulents, red or blue. The disadvantage is that they can’t provide full spectrum. So according to your needs to choose the type of lights and we just talked about the impact on succulents of the red and blue …
How to Use It?
- Position
How to set the distance from your plants to the lights is kind of a serious and commonplace question. Too close will cause your succulents to burn, while too far will cause the grow lights to not work. In fact, there is no exact answer to this question. It depends on the type of growth light… - Time
Succulents need a light-dark cycle for ‘relaxing’. They use the period of darkness for transferring the nutrients into their leaves. So 24 hours grow light is not a good choice to grow succulents. 13-18 hours per day is recommended. It might be quite longer than the time of exposure under the …