Is Light Through A Window Considered Direct Sunlight?
In addition, many indoor plants require high levels of light, and many are particularly sensitive to direct sunlight. Whether sunlight through a window is considered direct sunlight or not will be the topic of our next discussion.
If sunlight passes through a window, it is not considered direct sunlight since a portion of it is reflected and diffused by the glass, decreasing its intensity. While light from windows is the most direct illumination indoors, it is usually at least half as intense as sunlight outside.
It is important to get the lighting right for your indoor plants in order for them to thrive, but you don’t want to give them too much light. Find out how powerful light from a window really is.
How Strong Is The Sunlight In My Room?
It’s amazing how the light levels in your home vary so much. A plant adjacent to a north facing window receives only 1% of the light it would get outside. This makes it crucial to place your indoor plants appropriately.
You can see from the following examples how light levels vary when you place your indoor plants.
Deep Shade: (500–2,500 lux, 50–250 foot-candles) Away from the window of a north facing room: Most plants will struggle, but plants such as cast iron plant, snake plant and chinese evergreen will tolerate these low light conditions.
Low Light: (2,500–10,000 lux; 250–1,000 foot-candles) Natural light when several feet from an east-facing window on a bright day. Most shade tolerant indoor plants will do well.
Bright, Indirect Light: (10,000–20,000 lux; 1,000–2,000 foot-candles). Many indoor plants will thrive in these light conditions. A south facing room, out of direct sunlight will usually have bright, indirect light.
Direct Sunlight Indoors: (20,000–50,000 lux; 2,000–5,000 foot-candles). Many flowering houseplant will thrive in these light conditions. A plant on a south facing windowsill will get approximately this amount of light.
Direct Sunlight Outside: (40,000–130,000 lux; 4000 foot candles+). Usually more than twice as strong as direct sunlight through a window. Plants moved from an inside location to an outside location often need to be acclimatized to the increased light.
Why Is Light Through A Window Not As Strong As Direct Sunlight Outdoors?
It is not considered direct light when the rays are filtered through clouds when you are standing outside on a cloudy day. When you are standing under a tree, you are being illuminated by indirect light, since branches and leaves are covering your eyes.
Similar concepts apply to sunlight entering a room through a window. The light can be blocked by the glass in the window, so some light and energy intensity is lost to the room. Several elements of the light refracted, some of it reflected and some of it was scattered resulting in a loss of brightness.
The full potential of sunlight is only made possible when the rays are together, just as a rainbow consists of different colors. Whether it’s a cloud or a window, when light passes through something, it loses some strength, either through reflection or diffusion.
Different Types of Light Through A Window
There are different intensities of light that filter through windows. The intensity of each light depends on where your window is located as well as if there are any barriers between your window and the sun, both indoors and outdoors.
Location
When it comes to location, not only does the direction of the window matter, but also its influence on the seasons. The amount of light and intensity are different in warmer months than in colder ones.
North Facing Windows
Because the path of the sun passes over the south half of the sky in its rise and setting, no direct sunlight reaches north facing windows. The window sill of a north-facing room provides ideal conditions for plants that can tolerate shade. Away from a north-facing room’s window, only plants that can tolerate high levels of shade will flourish.
The vast majority of indoor plants thrive in lower lighting conditions and thrive best in north facing rooms.
The best way to grow plants in a north facing room that require high light levels is to get them close to the window or to use a grow light to boost the light levels, particularly during the winter.
South Facing Windows
These are the warmer and brightest areas of the house because the sun shines there continuously throughout the day. The intensity of light feels strong whether it is early in the morning or in the evening as the sun sets.
Almost all plants thrive in south-facing rooms. Light-loving plant varieties including cacti, succulents, citrus plants, euphorbia milii and anthuriums thrive here. Keep lower-light houseplants away from facing windows and provide shading.
East Facing Windows
As the house grows westward, the area tends to be cooler, so this is the ideal place for plants that need either medium sun or morning sun. The area is also the best spot for plants that need filtered sunlight or morning sunlight.
It receives some direct morning sunlight, but is not as hot as the midday direct sun. East facing windows are good for a wide range of indoor plants.
West Facing Windows
This is the area that gets the most sunlight after midday, and it also gets the warmest weather since the sun shines in this area from the middle of the day until evening. If you have plants that need a lot of light, this is a good place to place them.
The west facing windows in my home are perfect for plants that like bright light. They avoid direct sun, but still receive plenty of light.
Barriers
You can find them indoors or outdoors, and all of them work the same way: they disperse direct sunlight into indirect light.
Almost all indoor barriers stop some or all of the light from reaching your plants, including windows, blinds, curtains, and furniture.
Barriers can be used as advantages to get the exact amount of light your plants need. For example, moving a plant into the shade of some furniture can make the light comfortable for the plant.
The outdoors has many barriers to allow people to feel safe. These include trees, clouds, or even a gazebo.
The outdoors are covered by these elements, which should be considered as part of your room assessment before selecting which plants to place in your home. Even though they are less adjustable, you should still take these factors into consideration before choosing your plants.
Why Is light Intensity Important For Houseplants?
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants turn carbon dioxide and water into plant food, sugar, and starch. To carry out photosynthesis, plants need sunlight. It is impossible for plants to survive without sunlight.
It’s important to recognize that plants need different amounts of sunlight. Some plants need more sunlight like flowering plants. While leafy green plants need less light. Knowing how much light your plant requires can help you maintain it.
The second thing is that most people choose the plants that they like and then decide where to place the plants in the space. It is better to choose the plants that match the style of your space.
Then, choose a plant for the spot. This way, you’ll know exactly how much light will come through. Heat levels, darkness levels, brightness levels, etc. will all help you determine which plant to choose for the spot.
You can then take appropriate care of the plant so that it grows and thrives as a result.
Last Word
Window light is significantly weaker than direct sunlight outdoors. Most houseplant care manuals refer to window light as direct sunlight. However, plants will still be burned if they are exposed directly to the light that is coming through that window, even with its reduced intensity.