Question
I have a 6 year old who is in love with plants and gardening. Unfortunately we live in a basement with no windows and as you can realize we lack good oxygen. I would love to find a plant that we can keep in doors n requires little light. Also I would like to find one that is attracting to her so she can csre for it..

Answer
Hi Mayra,

All plants - and people - require good light and fresh air to thrive. Although most green plants do add small quantifies of oxygen to the air, a single plant will not make much difference to your living environment.

The good news is that there are several plants that will survive under artificial light alone. However, that light must be from fluorescent, not incandescent bulbs. Fortunately, fluorescent bulbs use far less electricity and are cheaper to operate. The fluorescent bulb must be no more than 4 feet from the plant and should be left on for at least 6-8 hours every day.

Plants that are grown in low light grow very slowly and need little water, no fertilizer and no repotting. In other words, they grow so slowly that they will probably not be very interesting to children. If these plant are over-nurtured they will probably die.

With all of that background information, here are some low light plants that might work for you: ZZ Plant, Pothos, Peace Lily, Dracaena, Chinese Evergreen and Snake Plant.

I have written an article on low light plants that I will email for free to you (or anyone else) who sends a request to me at [email protected].

Please let me know if any of this is unclear or if you have any additional questions.

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Need more information? Visit my website at www.HorticulturalHelp.com
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Regards,
Will Creed, Interior Landscaper
Horticultural Help, NYC

Visit my website at  www.HorticulturalHelp.com