Spider plant in a pot on a windowsill

houseplants

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How to read your window light

By Mira Holt

Most plant problems start with light. Before you buy anything, stand where the plant will live at noon and look at your shadow. A sharp shadow means direct light; a soft one means bright indirect; barely any shadow means low light.

South- and west-facing windows give the most light; north-facing gives the least. Distance matters more than people expect: a plant a metre from the glass gets far less than one on the sill.

Match the plant to the spot, not the other way round. Snake plants and ZZ plants cope with low light. Most succulents need a sunny sill. When in doubt, start brighter and watch the new leaves.

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