While mold doesn’t pose a direct threat to the plant, you want to get rid of it before it spreads further and causes more problems. Again to be fair I have never tried to grow aloe inside an office, our temperature here would kill it instantly (AC is blowing constantly and it is usually freezing). This website is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to Amazon.com. Most succulents are happiest under bright, filtered light. Do not start with these succulents when looking for low light or office plants: Aeoniums come in a variety of shapes, colors and sizes. Most succulents like direct sunlight, but if all you have is a shaded corner in your house, go with low light-tolerant plants like mother-in-law tongue. If you’re a succulent lover like me, then you have come to the right place. Smaller grow lights are not as intense as bigger ones and you may need to leave them on longer to provide adequate lighting for your plants. Some succulents are more adapted to growing in low light and will, therefore, be better suited as office plants or low light plants. If you keep those factors in mind, you will have much better luck with your indoor plant family. Succulents need a fast draining soil to begin with, and under low lighting conditions, a fast draining soil is not only a must but an absolute necessity. Succulents love light and need about six hours of sun per day, depending on the type of succulent. Today, we're going to take a look at the top 10 low light succulents that you can grow in your home. Turgid haworthia is hardy outdoors in USDA zones 10 through 11. Similar to the turgid haworthia and Aloe plants, Gasteria has long, spiny, green leaves that grow in a rosette or spiral form. But first, let’s point out that “low light” doesn’t mean “no light”. They are native to the tropical rainforests of Brazil, which gives them the name ‘tropical cacti’. Succulents do have certain light requirements as well, but artificial light like your office fluorescents will do just fine. Using a light therapy lamp or light box can help, but adding plants might be the missing nature link needed to improve productivity and satisfaction on the job. These plants can tolerate poor or low lighting conditions. It’ll just be a little trickier. Because succulents retain moisture in their thick foliage, they require soil that drains well and less water than typical houseplants. There are tools such as moisture meters and hygrometers to help you gauge the moisture level in the soil and the air. I do not water my succulents this way but this is worth mentioning because it is the method of choice by many succulent growers. They spread by producing clusters and offshoots as baby plants. However, growing succulents in the office or in low light has its own challenges. Aside from cinnamon powder, you can use baking soda and sprinkle some on the soil as a natural antifungal. Some succulents will grow and thrive without being in direct sun but, unfortunately, they are in the minority, and they will need bright, indirect light. We hear this advice a lot but sometimes no matter how much you water the plant, water may not drip out of the holes of the pot. Outdoors, it prefers full shade. Luckily, Columbia has a very mild winter and longish growing season so I can keep them outside for 7-8 … Just say you need it for your plants to survive. As they’re native to desert and arid areas, most of them don’t grow well indoors or in a shady outdoor space of your garden. Today, the light level in office is more common in the range 500 – 1,000 lux – depending on activity. Succulents are the most trendy plants. If you are watering your indoor succulents in low light once a week, you are highly likely overwatering your plants. And if you live in a humid environment, you need to water your indoor plants even less. As an indoor plant, it requires little light or water. They produce pups and offshoots readily when mature. You can dilute apple cider vinegar in water and spray on the soil as an antifungal solution. Catherine M. Albano has worked in various forms of publishing for more than 24 years as an art trainee, magazine production editor, composition and layout specialist, and project editor. This Haworthia is slow-growing and easy, which makes it a great fit for an office … Get to know your plants, do a little research before you decide which ones to get in the office (See below for suggested plants). Provide adequate lighting (either natural or artificial light). The snake plant is the most common low-light succulent plant found in homes, offices, and buildings. All of them are easy to grow, low maintenance and showy. The type of pot you use. Perhaps the most commonly known succulent is the Aloe vera plant (Aloe vera). Plants, including succulents, do not need natural sunlight to grow. Pour out any excess water from the saucer, if any. The fastest way to kill your succulent plant is constantly wet soil and poor lighting. Pin this to save for later or share with others now! But what if you’re stuck in a windowless office? Agave will do best in full sun and will not do very well indoors with poor lighting conditions. Alternately, you can shift a succulent outside during spring and summer. Grow lights are better of course. Growing succulents and cacti in the office or in low light can be tricky, but still doable. An added benefit of having windows is you will get a better view and it will put you in a better mood. This website might also participates in affiliate programs with Bluehost, Clickbank, CJ, ShareASale, //Commerce and other sites. Can't cite a source on this one, you're just going to have to take my word for it. Succulents regrow quickly from cuttings their leaf-cuttings. The largest variety grows up to 2 feet tall. Research your succulent selection to ensure you're providing ideal light. When it comes to the world of succulents, there are literally thousands of different types, ranging from succulents who need a lot of light, to succulents that don't need much at all. And this is where grow lights come in handy. These plants are particularly susceptible to rot because of their very thin stems. Low light simply means that a … Or maybe the window is too far away from where you are to have any beneficial effects. Cost–How much are you willing to invest on a grow light, especially if you are keeping it outside the home and in the office. Ideally, succulents need about 4-6 hours of sunlight a day to keep them happy and growing. If they don’t see water coming out, they keep watering the plant. People want to know whether succulents can live in poor lighting conditions and how they can grow succulents in low light. This website is compensated for referring traffic and business to these companies. I mentioned this because some people get confused about watering their succulents, waiting for the water to drip out of the holes of the pot. Ideally, the pot should have a drainage hole to allow for excess water to drain out of the holes. Mature Size: 1 to 2 feet tall and across. These two combined is a sure recipe for disaster. Thanks to the diversity of succulents and cacti, you can! Do you need to water until water drips out of the hole of the pot? The Chinese evergreen is known to filter the air and thus, is a good choice for an office cubicle. You will have to pay more attention to a few factors such as plant species, soil type and watering conditions. Some haworthia species closely resemble an aloe plant. Succulents are plants that store water in their tissues, enabling them to live in severe environments such as a desert. They just need light to grow. Make sure that you do not overwater them. While not always the case, most of the time the size of the grow light determines the intensity of the light it emits. To grow sun-loving succulents indoors, supplemental light is recommended. When plants receive light a process called photosynthesis happens and they get the energy they need to grow. If you prefer a smaller, desktop-size jade plant, move it to a sunny location for four hours per day. You can use a tray or a saucer and fill it with water. The top indoor office succulents should meet some basic criteria. Watering techniques. Some species can grow over 10 feet tall while other species remain small. This website is a collection of knowledge I’ve learned over the years and continue to learn about growing succulents. But, make sure you don't confuse low light with no light. Succulents like the dry humidity and warm conditions found in most homes, and while they like direct light, they can adapt to lower light. Smaller aloe species, dwarf species and hybrids do well in the shade and can survive low lighting conditions. Size–Depending on your office or indoor space, the size of the grow light may be an issue particularly if you are sharing a space with others. Along with the size and intensity, you need to consider how long you need to keep the grow light on and if the added electrical cost will pose a problem for you personally or for your company. And in their beauty and attractiveness, they do not fall behind their sun-loving cousins. Succulents grown in low light are already susceptible to root rot. Yes, succulents can survive in an office without windows as long as they get an appropriate light source and water. I brought one in my office before and it survived. Aloe is one of the few succulents that can even withstand direct sunlight. Intensity–Will the intensity be enough? Categories All, how to, Problems and Solutions. © Copyright 2020 Hearst Communications, Inc. The benefits you get from having plants around you will be worth all the trouble you have to go through to care for them. To add even more drainage, you can use coarse sand and add it to the mix (1:1:1 solution of cactus mix, perlite, coarse sand). Here are 7 succulents that thrive in low light environments so that … Zebra Plant The Zebra Plant, Cryptanthus zonatus, is a dramatic succulent to grow indoors. The succulents you choose must: 1) grow in a variety of lighting conditions, 2) be easy to care for, 3) will survive neglect such as when you are on vacation. Schlumbergeras are different from other succulents in their appearance and growing habits. 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. As you can tell, watering succulents is a hot topic and is often a source of confusion for many. However, they require a lot of sunlight to thrive. Yes, in the diverse world of succulents there are those who are surprisingly tolerant of low light conditions. My succulents live outside from March/April through September/October. Schlumbergera truncata ‘Christmas Cactus’ Sansevierias are known to purify the air by removing formaldehyde and benzene toxins from the air. They all prefer a fast-drai… For comparison's sake, the minimum light requirements of succulents range from 300 – 10,000 lux. Los Angeles Cactus and Succulent Society's Cactus Chronicle: What Is a Succulent? Heat emitted–Grow lights can get very hot especially if kept on for a long period of time. These plants need to be protected from direct sunlight and will do best in partial shade. This is a good excuse for you to ask for that space in the office closest to the window. Office plants can increase the humidity around a desk, remove toxins from the air, and … These plants have unique pea-shaped green leaves growing on thin stems. Getting enough light for succulents indoors is one of the biggest challenges. How the soak and dry method works is instead of watering from the top you place the pot in water and leave it there to let the plant absorb the water from the root up. The top query people seem to have about growing succulents is can succulents grow indoors, in the office or in low light? You may encounter mold in the soil from time to time when growing succulents in low light. If you follow the recommended tips outlined above, your succulents will stand a better chance at surviving. Cacti and succulents generally are easy-to-grow plants that do not have a long list of requirements. Succulents do not like having wet feet, meaning they do not like to sit in wet soil for too long. Do not over-water. Plants grow by absorbing light and turning it into energy through the process of photosynthesis. Its wide, dark-green leaf stalks are covered with lighter green spots, providing a statement in any office, and the plant is simple to maintain. Some natural household products you can use to help combat mold are: Cinnamon powder has been long used in gardening as a natural fungicide. They indeed look like green strands of strings of pearls. A popular indoor plant, the jade plant (Crassula ovata) can thrive in a low-light office provided two requirements are met: The plant must be at least 10 years old, and the amount of sunlight exposed to it must be decreased gradually. They don’t take up too much space and you won’t have to haul a grow light into your office to keep them healthy… score! Learn about 22 Shade Tolerant Succulents that you can grow in the shady spots of your garden and indoors!. If you plan to grow your succulent in a hanging planter, a trailing variety like string of bananas is a great choice. Obviously, by looking at the wide range, not all succulents can tolerate the low light conditions in the office. Sansevieria can tolerate low lighting conditions which makes them an ideal choice for indoor or office plants. As long as you provide the correct amount of light, you are able to grow plants including succulents under artificial light as good, if not better, than you would outdoors in real sunlight. In their native settings, a succulent will typically grow in sandy, well-drained soil. Here are some of my moisture meter recommendations. Aloes are great starter plants because they can survive and thrive in different growing conditions. These make excellent indoor plants because they do well in partial shade and need to be protected from direct sunlight. They’re also an attractive alternative to desk plants since they’re so small. We’ve added 22 of them that you can grow indoors or in shady … Its circular, flowerlike growth pattern is similar to that of Aloe plants. Put them in the shade and they start to grow long and stretch out, giving them a distorted look. It is easier to correct for too much sunlight coming in the window than not enough light pouring in. I have an article you can check out “How and When to Water Succulents and Cacti” for more details. Place the pots in water and leave it there for a few minutes to allow the plant to soak up the water. The heat emitted by grow lights can increase the temperature indoors and if this is a small, shared space, the temperature in the room can get too hot. Succulent species that can handle low light Gasteria is named for its stomach-shaped flowers. If the potting mix is fresh and if you have a pot that absorbs water like a terracotta pot, excess water may not always drain out of the hole. Duration–The lower the intensity of the light, the longer you need to have the grow light on. Soil. It is better to water the plant thoroughly instead of misting. Most indoor aloe grows to 1 to 2 feet tall and across. Take your passion for succulents with you to work and that eight hour day won’t seem so long. How much natural light is pouring in through the window. This can cause you to over water your plant. Here are my soil and soil amendments recommendations you can find online. They look best in hanging planters where their stems can hang and trail as they grow. The Gasteria plant (Gasteria) and its many varieties grow well indoors. Providing adequate light, when growing succulents indoors, can be particularly challenging … Succulents are low maintenance and grow well in dry soil. Some people also add gravel and pumice to the soil but these can be costly and sometimes difficult to find. Succulents and cacti can grow in the office or in low lighting conditions. Place the plant where it will receive bright light. 1. Yes. These are easy going, low maintenance plants which make them a great choice for the office where you can forget about them and ignore them for the most part. We have chosen 15 best and the most common succulents that can decorate your home or office manyfold. Succulents that need full sun will be very poor choices as office plants. Gasteria is hardy outdoors in USDA zone 11 in sandy soil. If planted outdoors, the jade plant is considered a perennial succulent, thriving in sunlight to partial shade in areas where it is hardy, USDA zones 10a to 11a. Not all succulents are alike. Aloe vera is hardy outdoors in USDA zone 9, producing vibrantly colored flowers. These nine succulents and cacti are low-maintenance and ideal for low-light environments like an office. I noticed these plants will quickly stretch out or etiolate when kept in the shade. 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