Low E Glass Impact on Houseplants

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on 97.9 WHAV.

Melinda’s Garden Moments is heard Mon.-Fri. at 7:45 and 10:45 a.m. and 4:45 p.m. on 97.9 WHAV.

You can conserve energy and still grow healthy houseplants.

Light, water and nutrients are the keys to growing healthy plants. Many energy conscious indoor gardeners are concerned when considering replacing their windows with Low-E glass.  Fortunately, it only reduces the visible light needed by our plants by an additional 5 to 10 percent.

A side benefit to your plants is that the Low-E glass moderates temperatures indoors keeping plants, especially those growing near windows, warmer at night and cooler during the day.

And no matter what type of glass is in the windows – keep them clean to maximize the amount of light reaching your plants.

Adjust your watering and fertilization practices to match the indoor growing conditions. Less light, lower humidity and the type of potting mix and containers used all impact the watering frequency and fertilizer needs.

A bit more information: Plants need a variety of light (color/wavelength) for proper growth and flowering. Blue light promotes leaf and stem growth, while red combined with blue promotes flowering and bud development.

For more gardening tips, how-to videos, podcasts and more, visit www.melindamyers.com.