Indoor Lighting for Houseplants Horticulture Indoor Lighting for Houseplants Winter is a difficult period for houseplants. Many plants don't receive sufficient light because of the short winter days, low angle of the sun, and often overcast weather. While houseplants differ in their lighting requirements, all would benefit from supplemental lighting during the winter months. Light can be broken down into various wavelengths. Those wavelengths that are perceived as colors are in the visible spectrum.
Plants make use of all visible light.
Red and blue, however, are the most important for plant growth. The key to growing healthy houseplants is the light source. Most homes are lit with incandescent bulbs. Unfortunately, they are not a good light source for houseplants. Incandescent bulbs emit light primarily in the red portion of the visible light spectrum.