Have you ever looked at your plant and felt like something just isn’t right Maybe it doesn’t look full, healthy, or bright. Maybe it just seems a little lifeless.
The truth is, it might be missing one of the most important things it needs to grow—light. Light is as important to plants as food is to us.
Many beginners don’t know this, but plants can talk in their own way. They’ll show signs to let you know when they need more light!
Today, let’s go over 10 common signs that your plant might be asking for more sunshine.
1. The plant leans toward the light
This is one of the clearest signs. If your plant is a bit far from the window, you might notice it starting to lean toward it.
Sometimes the stem even bends in that direction. This means your plant is chasing the light. It’s trying to get closer to the light source—some plants will even seem to crawl out of the pot just to find more light.
2. Long gaps between leaves (Leggy)
Leggy means the space between the leaves is getting longer. The stem becomes tall and thin, and the plant looks kind of bare or weak.
When a plant gets enough light, the leaves grow close together, and the whole plant looks full and compact.
If your plant is growing taller but not fuller, it probably needs more light.
3. New stems grow without leaves
Sometimes a plant grows new stems, but there are no leaves on them.
That’s a sign the plant is using all its energy to grow taller, trying to find more light.
But without enough light, it doesn’t have the power to grow leaves too. If you want more leaves, you need to give it more light. That way, it can support both stems and leaves at the same time.
4. New leaves grow, but old ones fall off
Some plants grow new leaves at the top while the older leaves at the bottom start to fall off.
For example, in plants like philodendrons, if there isn’t enough light, they’ll “let go” of older leaves to save energy for the new ones.
The plant just doesn’t have enough energy for everything, so it chooses to keep the new growth and drop the old.
5. New leaves are smaller
You might be excited to see new leaves coming in—but then notice they’re smaller than the old ones.
That’s another sign of not enough light.
It’s especially easy to notice this when you move your plant from a bright spot to a darker one.
The new growth gets tiny because the plant can’t collect enough energy.
6. The plant stops growing
Sometimes your plant doesn’t die, but it also doesn’t grow at all. It just kind of… stops. That paused state usually means it’s not getting enough light.
It’s not sick—it’s just low on energy.
Once it gets more light, it should perk up and start growing again.
7. Leaves lose color or turn yellow
Healthy leaves are usually deep green or have strong patterns.
If the leaves start to fade or turn yellow, it means the plant isn’t getting enough light for proper photosynthesis.
At this point, what it really needs is more sunlight, not more fertilizer.
Remember—light is the real food for plants.
8. Variegated leaves turn all green
If you have a plant with variegated leaves—like ones with green and white colors—you might see it turning all green when there’s not enough light.
The white parts of the leaf can’t make energy.
When light is low, the plant grows more green areas to help it survive.
9. Soil stays wet too long
If the soil still feels wet 5 to 7 days after watering, that might be because the plant isn’t getting enough light.
Without light, water evaporates more slowly, and the roots don’t take it up as fast.
This can lead to root rot, especially when the weather is cool. So it’s something to watch out for.
10. Stems and leaves get soft or mushy
This is one of the most serious signs—and often the last warning.
If the leaves or stems feel soft, soggy, or look like they’re rotting, the plant has probably been in a dark, damp place for too long.
The roots may already be rotting.
At this point, it’s hard to save the plant. Your best bet might be to cut off the healthy parts and try to grow a new plant from those.
Summary: From roots to leaves, your plant is sending signals
Every plant has its own way of telling you if it needs more light.
Now that you know these common signs, you’ll be able to catch problems early and help your plant stay happy and healthy.
Different plants need different amounts of light—some like shade, some love the sun. But the good news is— giving your plant more light isn’t hard!
Try moving it closer to a window, or use a grow light made for plants. Once it gets enough light, your plant will bounce back fast—growing green, strong, and full of life!
Jayes
Som Digital Marketing Manager hos AUXGROW kombinerer Jayes en lidenskap for hydroponiske systemer og ekspertise innen LED-vekstlys. Med praktisk erfaring og en dyp forståelse, guider Jayes deg gjennom en verden av bærekraftig dyrking.
