A Surprising Way To Boost Plant Growth in a Dim Space

It's no secret that houseplants can be challenging to keep alive, especially if your space lacks natural light or you don't rotate the pot to ensure even growth.

December 14, 2024 HOME HACK #26 A Surprising Way To Boost Plant Growth in a Dim Space It's no secret that houseplants can be challenging to keep alive, especially if your space lacks natural light or you don't rotate the pot to ensure even growth. Without adequate sunlight, plants may become leggy, lean to the side, or experience stunted growth, which may leave you tempted to replace them with faux greenery. Credit: Anntuan/ Shutterstock Thankfully, there's a simple trick to help plants thrive in low-light conditions, and it utilizes a common household item. The Hack Increase the amount of natural light your indoor plants receive by using aluminum foil to reflect the sun's rays. Yep, that's right — everyday foil that you probably have in a drawer right now. To do this, create a sun box. How To Make a Sun Box You'll need a plant, a cardboard box that's at least 2 inches taller than the plant's top leaves, aluminum foil (the shinier, the better), and clear heavy-duty tape. Steps: 1. Cut away the top and one side of the cardboard box. (Think of the dioramas you made in elementary school but with an open-top structure.) 2. Line the entire inside of the box with aluminum foil, taking care not to crumple it. Be sure to leave the shiny side of the foil facing out for maximum reflectiveness. (Tip: Aluminum foil tape also works well.) 3. Tape the foil to the box so it stays put. 4. Place the plant inside the box, positioning it near a window to sunbathe. How It Works By strategically placing tin foil near plants, you can increase the amount of light they receive. The foil acts as a mirror and reflects light streaming through the window to every part of a plant. What Not To Do Don't leave your plant inside the box if it doesn't appear healthy. Plants can be stressed by sudden changes in light conditions, so monitor the leaves for yellowing or bleaching. If you're concerned about hot spots, consider painting the sun box with white high-gloss paint instead. Continue Reading PRODUCT PICK JOFUYU Herb Scissors I'm generally not a fan of niche kitchen tools, but these herb scissors are the exception. They make it so fast and easy to chop chives, mint, basil, and other herbs for dips, salads, garnishes, etc. — Allie Takeda, Senior Managing Editor SHOP NOW AROUND THE HOUSE Better Report 7 Design Tips to Steal From Hotels These are the design tips you should be stealing from hotels (along with all those tiny soaps). The Kitchn We Tried 6 Ways of Storing Christmas Cookies, and the Winner Was Clear Overwhelmed by sweet treats after a cookie swap? Here's how to store them so they taste freshly baked for days (or weeks) to come. Good Housekeeping 12 Things Organized People Do Every Sunday to Guarantee a Productive Week Set yourself up for a successful week by spending some time planning, cleaning, and decluttering. Jill Layton Writer Jill Layton started writing professionally when she realized her emails and texts were kinda funny. She's an affiliate shopping writer and lifestyle contributor for Scary Mommy, Bustle, Mic, and Best Products. She's the mom of two alarmingly witty kids and the world's most perfect dog. Was this email forwarded to you? SUBSCRIBE No longer interested in receiving our content? Unsubscribe from future emails. Powered by Optimism Contact Us     Privacy Policy     Terms of Use     Do Not Sell My Information 1550 Larimer Street, Suite 431, Denver, CO 80202