Whether a plant lamp is necessary in winter depends on the species

Created: 01/09/2023, 08:00

By: Franziska Irrgeher

It gets dark faster in the winter months, indoor plants then lack daylight.

For some, a plant lamp makes sense.

Tropical indoor plants in particular do not have the best conditions in our apartments and houses.

They actually like it warm and humid, but in this country it is cold, gray and often dry in winter thanks to heating.

Added to this are the few hours of sunshine.

But do plant fans actually have to compensate for the supposed lack of light with plant lamps?

Plant lamps in winter: whether they are necessary and which ones are suitable

A plant lamp in winter is particularly useful for citrus plants.

© agefotostock/Imago

Above all, indoor plant lovers who propagate or breed plants themselves already have them at home: plant lamps or lights.

These lamps are mainly used for plant breeding, so the baby plants grow faster and vegetables in urban gardening also thrive under them.

In winter you can also find them in various online shops as a useful tool for larger plants.

Strictly speaking, by the way, these are not plant lights, because a light only describes the socket.

However, the terms are often mixed up.

So what you are buying is a plant lamp, because the lamp is responsible for the light.

Basically, however, a distinction must be made between the overwintering of citrus plants and other Mediterranean potted plants and normal indoor plants.

Whether your plant needs a lamp at all in winter initially depends on the species.

Garden plants that shed all their leaves do not carry out any photosynthesis in winter anyway, and they are also perfectly adapted to the local conditions.

Mediterranean plants or our indoor plants, on the other hand, are used to other temperatures and light conditions, but some go into a kind of hibernation.

Plant lamps in winter: This is what you need when overwintering Mediterranean plants

Mediterranean plants often move to winter quarters in winter.

This can be the winter garden or another suitable place.

If the potted plants are positioned correctly and get enough sunlight anyway, that's not a problem.

However, plants such as orange or lemon trees and chillies also need sufficient light in winter, otherwise they risk dying.

Important here: the right light spectrum.

Here's what you should know:

• Grow lights mimic sunlight, so the right light spectrum is important.

• This means that both red and blue light are required.

• Exclusively blue light usually leads to shooting shoots, red to flowers and fruit formation.

• Suitable lamps are therefore particularly suitable for interior spaces, and LED lamps are also ideal.

• The distance can vary depending on the plant, 30 to 100 centimeters is a good guideline.

• A lighting time of at least eight hours should be given.

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When choosing the right lamp for your Mediterranean plants, it is best to seek advice from a professional.

With the right light, frost-free and with the right temperatures in winter, the plants are then strengthened for spring outside.

You can find even more exciting garden topics in our free newsletter, which you can subscribe to right here.

Plant lamps in winter: bring them for indoor plants

And then there are our green roommates who are permanently indoors.

Opinions differ on the question of whether plant lamps are absolutely necessary.

One thing is certain: with the right lamp, even a dark corner that previously might not have been an option becomes attractive.

The other possibility: indoor plants that can cope with dark locations.

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specifies color rendering levels of 1A or 1B or a color temperature of 5,000 Kelvin, which experts say is similar to daylight.

If the plant is just growing,

advises more blue light when it comes to flowers, but more red light.

Especially tropical plants like the popular monstera (window leaf), philodendrons, alocasia and more like a lot of light and are happy about the lamps.

Plant lamps should also prevent infestation by pests, even if fungus gnats, springtails and more can also be attracted by incorrect watering.

Specifically, the advantages of plant lamps for indoor plants in winter are:

• Even dark corners become an attractive location.

• Variegation is also possible in winter.

• Despite the season, the plants have good chances of survival.

• The growth and, depending on the color of the light, the formation of flowers is stimulated.

You can't go wrong with a lamp with a balanced ratio of blue and red light.

Plant fans, who also avoid common care mistakes with indoor plants and prevent pest infestation, then get their green roommates safely through the winter.