Hi! I just made room for a plant corner. I have a standing grow light. I will put a picture which have some information about the specific grow light (I’m kinda new and haven’t learned about it all)
Do you think my calatheas (and monsteras) would like it the way it is now? Should I adjust something? And how long would you recommend having the grow light on? 🫶🏻
by bakelsen
2 Comments
Following to find out!
Not a pro, but: that’s pretty difficult to say, as light intensity can decrease rapidly with distance. 260 µmol/s/m² at a distance of 15cm/6in is quite strong, but depending on the lamp, doubling the distance can mean a (roughly?) halving of the light intensity.
I always recommend getting a light meter. You can get them as a separate device or as an app. Apps are a bit more accessible, but in my experience, they’re not always super accurate. Still, they should be fine for a first impression once you get used to their quirks. Then, I’d use [this website](https://www.houseplantjournal.com/grow-light-strength-recommendations-by-plant/) to figure out how far away the lamp needs to be and how long you should keep it on, also taking into account how much natural light your plants get. In general, lower light intensity can be compensated for with longer lighting duration.
The requirements for calatheas and monsteras are also listed on the website, although monsteras in particular can tolerate significantly more light than specified (more light = more fenestrations) and very large plants generally also need more light than stated (or better all-round lighting so that all parts of the plant get sufficient light). In the case of calatheas, the types with purple leaf undersides tend to tolerate less light better, so you could for example place the orbifolia closer to the lamp, if needed.
Good luck, these are beautiful plants! 🤗🪴