Gardening is one of the trending hobbies these days. Many people are showing interests towards gardening. They are curious to know the basics and technical aspects of gardening. In our previous blogs, we had discussed Super easy hacks to germinate seeds, Easy Gardening tips for Beginners, common plant diseases like Root Rot, Leaf Blight, Powdery Mildew, Bacterial Canker and Aphids. These details were enough till the plants grow upto certain stage. The growth of plants depends on certain factors like Composting, Nutrients and Sunlight. So today I'm here to discuss the importance of light for the growth of plants.

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For any plant to grow, you need to provide favorable conditions so that they grow well. As we all know sunlight is essential for a plant to grow well. Sunlight is very important for the plants to carry out the Photosynthesis process. They prepare their own food using the sunlight.

What is Photosynthesis?

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Photosynthesis is a process used by plants in which energy from sunlight is used to convert carbon dioxide and water into molecules needed for growth. These molecules include sugars, enzymes and chlorophyll. Light energy is absorbed by the green chemical pigment called chlorophyll. This chlorophyll is responsible for the Photosynthetic process. The whole process takes place through tiny pores called Stomata.

What are stomata?

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Stomata are the tiny pores present on the leaves which helps in gas exchange. Plants also breathe, but they do it through these tiny openings in leaves called stomata. Stomata open and close to allow the intake of carbon dioxide and the release of oxygen. They are mostly found on the under-surface of plant leaves. Air enters the plant through these openings and the carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis.

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Plants and other photosynthetic organisms can collect solar energy to carryout Photosynthesis. They have photosensitive cells on their leaves which stimulates the process. The dependency of the photosynthetic efficiency upon the light environment originates from the existence of a number of limiting factors, restricting the rate of light energy consumption. As a result of evolution under frequent exposure to low light fluxes, the photosynthetic machinery has evolved in such a way that only a small fraction of chlorophyll molecules are actually photosynthetically effective.

The light falling on the plants is directly proportional to the healthy growth of plants and hence gives a good yield. The plants are categorized into three different types based on the light requirement.

1. Low light plants or Shade Plants:

                                     Example - Lucky Bamboo

These plants are mostly indoor plants. They do not require much sunlight to grow. They can carry out the photosynthesis even with minimum sunlight or artificial light. Some of the examples of Low light plants are Peace Lily, Sansevieria, Money Plant, Syngonium, Lucky Bamboo etc.,

Plants that can be grown in less sunlight

2. Partial Sunlight Plants:

Image source           Example - Coriander Plant

These plants can be grown both indoor as well as outdoor. They require a good sunlight to grow. But if the sunlight is high, they cannot sustain and hence perish. Some of the examples of Partial sunlight plants are Coriander, Capsicum, Antirrhinum etc.,

3. High or Full Sunlight Plants:

Image source        Example - Portulaca Plant

These are hardy plants which are capable of withstanding the high sunlight. Most of these plants are outdoor plants. They require plenty of sunlight for their growth. So if they are grown in shade, they perish. Some of the examples are Portulaca, Cosmos, Aster etc.,

There are some Parasitic plants which are capable of carrying out photosynthesis. But they depend on other plants for nutrients. These plants are called Hemiparasites.

Parasites- Plants which depend on other plants for food

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