Know the light your plant wants

89.3 WRKF Baton Rouge | By Dan Gill

Published February 20, 2016 at 5:52 AM EST

As a gardener, you must understand a fundamental principle of how plants grow. Plants consume light to provide the energy they need to power and build their bodies.

Plants are solar powered organisms. They use light energy to build sugar out of carbon dioxide and water. This sugar, along with tiny amounts of minerals absorbed from the soil, is used to build the body of the plant and run its biological processes.

You must learn the light preferences of a plant and provide that light as closely as possible. Nothing matters if you don't get the light right.

Louisiana News

Dan Gill

Dan is an Associate Professor in Consumer Horticulture with the LSU AgCenter. He is the spokesperson for the LSU AgCenter’s "Get It Growing project," an effort encouraging home horticulture throughout Louisiana. Dan is also author of "Month-by-Month Gardening in Louisiana" and co-author of the "Louisiana Gardener’s Guide."

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