Leaves must have light

Leaves are the food factories of plants, and light is the power that helps them make food from elements in the air and soil. Most plants need many hours of sunlight per day in order to grow successfully. Roses, for example, need at least six hours. Some plants, however, do well in low light, so they can grow in shade or semi-shade.

A good rule of thumb to remember is that typically the more sun a plant gets, the better it will bloom.

The light of the morning sun is a kind light, bright but relatively cool; therefore, the east side of your home is a prime location for plants.

Afternoon sun is hot and harsh, making a western exposure less versatile.

It is desirable that the sun touches and warms the soil in early spring, so that the plants begin to grow. And it’s good year-round in cool climates. But in hot summer areas, it can dry out the soil and overheat the roots, so plants often require part-time shade, or be close together enough to shade the ground, or have a protective mat of plants covering the ground. I usually.

Light

Light affects plant life in many ways. The scientific name for the process by which green plants use light energy to synthesize carbohydrates (food) from carbon dioxide and water is “photosynthesis,” from the Greek words photos, meaning light, and synthesis, meaning light. means union.

Light provides the energy needed to transform carbon dioxide absorbed from the air, water and certain inorganic minerals into organic matter and into the oxygen that plants give off while there is light. When there is no light, photosynthesis stops and plants take in oxygen and give off carbon dioxide.

Research has resulted in the classification of plants according to their day length characteristics. One group, the “short-day plants,” flower when the days are short and the nights are long. “Long-day plants” flower when the days are long and the nights are short. Others are unaffected by day length and are called “light neutral” or “indifferent.”

The following list includes common flower and vegetable plants according to their light requirements.

Short day plants (10 to 12 light hours)

Asparagus

Aster

Beans

carrots

Chrysanthemum

Corn

Dahlia

Gardenia

easter flowers

Potato (tuber development)

strawberry geranium

sweet potatoes

Long day plants (14 to 18 light hours)

Most of the annuals

beetroot

Chicory

Chinese cabbage

dill

Grain

Hibiscus

Onions

pea

Radish

Spinach

tuberous begonia

indifferent plants

african violets

kale

swede

Broccoli

Lettuce

Brussels sprouts

Wonderful

cabbage

Cauliflower

Spinach

Celery

Okra

coleus

Pepper

cabbage

pink

Watercress

Begonia semperflorens

cucurbits

Endive

Tomato

Geranium

Turnip

Light regulation in the garden

Outdoor gardeners can improve their results by increasing the amount and consecutive hours of light their plants receive. White mulch (such as light stones), a white-painted building or fence, or strips of aluminum foil placed in the garden will reflect more light energy back to plants, prompting them to grow more. Fruit growers can prune the center of their trees to increase flower bud formation by getting more light into the center of their trees.

Light also affects seed germination. Some seeds germinate more easily when exposed to light than when buried in the ground. Grasses, lettuce, celery, snapdragon, petunia, and flowering tobacco will be more successful if the seeds are simply pressed or gently watered into the growing medium.