Houseplants need light and air to survive. This means that they do not do well in shadier parts of the house. Installing a skylight can help you move from a few ailing plants to a thriving indoor garden. Here are some of the ways in which skylights can help your houseplants.

More light

Most obviously, a skylight can vastly increase the amount of light that enters a room. Most people have to crowd their plants around a window, but with a skylight, the whole room is available for growth. You can either choose the skylight to suit the plants or choose the plants to suit the skylight. A tubular skylight or sun tunnel will be able to direct the light to a particular point, which can help a plant that needs a lot of bright sunlight, but it will also provide light to nearby plants. A north-facing skylight will also be ideal for plants that need a lot of direct light such as crotons or orchids, as it will bring in light throughout the day. East or west-facing skylights are best for plants that need a small amount of direct sunlight. A south-facing skylight will bring in the least amount of light but spider plants or rubber plants will still benefit.

More air

A ventilating skylight will also bring more air into your home, which is vital for your houseplants. These skylights can be either manually or remotely operated, and there are even skylights that open automatically according to the temperature. The increased airflow caused by the cooler air replacing the warmer air will be highly beneficial for your plants — not only will it provide more oxygen, but it will also remove moisture from the air which helps to prevent mould and other diseases.

More opportunities

Finally, skylights provide more opportunities for including houseplants in your home decor. Some rooms, such as small bathrooms or hallways, can't have a window in the wall and are therefore unsuitable for houseplants. Installing a skylight will allow the natural light in and will allow you to use plants to brighten up an otherwise uninspiring room. Where the room is too small, a skylight can allow for hanging plants under the window — for example, you could set up a small herb garden in a small kitchen.

A splash of greenery works wonders in brightening up a house, and skylights can vastly increase both the health of your plants and your options for arranging them.

For more information on skylights, contact a professional near you.

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