Too much light will also interfere with the CAM (Crassulacean acid metabolism) photosynthesis of cacti plants. Bleached aspect, yellowing or stem turning orangeĪll these can happen if a cactus that’s been sitting in partial shade or indirect light gets moved to a location with direct light.If your cacti get over 12 to 14 hours of light per day, they may experience distress because of excess light. Signs That Your Cactus Is Getting Too Much Light If you move your plant to a new location where it will get more light, do it gradually, so that the plant gets accustomed to its new location and doesn’t get scorched by sudden sun exposure. The solution to this issue is to periodically rotate the plant so it gets enough light on all sides. When this happens, it means that one side is getting more light than the other side. With little sun exposure, the soil dries out much slower, keeping the soil too moist.Ī cactus that’s growing more on one side than the other also exhibits signs that it is not getting enough light. While root rot is usually a consequence of overwatering, it can also be tied to lack of light issues. Deep green cacti will become a pale green, so changes in the color of your cactus is an easy-to-notice symptom. Growths that are a result of etiolation can be pruned or clipped of, depending on your cactus variety. The scientific name for this phenomenon is called etiolation and it’s irreversible, even though you change the environment of your plant.
Some varieties will become ‘leggy’ and stretch towards the light. Lack of enough sunlight can produce a few symptoms that are easy to detect on your cactus plant. Signs That Your Cactus Isn’t Getting Enough Light Therefore, if your particular cactus variety requires lots of light, before moving your cactus to the location of your choice make sure that your plant will get the sun exposure it needs there. Ideally, you should pick a south-facing window, which will ensure that your cactus is getting all the sun it needs.Īn east or west facing window will not provide desert cacti with enough sun exposure, but it may be a good choice for other cacti species that don’t require direct sunlight and do all right even in partial shade. If you don’t really have a bright location in your home, you’re going to have trouble growing healthy cactus plants. It’s important, therefore, to find out as much as you can about the light requirements of your chosen variety, so you can recreate as faithfully as possible the light conditions these plants receive in nature. While cacti can withstand a lot of direct sun, they are not immune to damage from excess sun exposure.ĭesert cacti will thrive in direct sunlight, but tropical cacti will prefer indirect sunlight, and some species will actually do better in partial shade. These plants don’t enjoy being in the shade, so it’s important to find the brightest spot you have in your home, so that they get enough sunlight.ĭon’t expose your cacti to more than 14 hours of light per day. On average, cacti prefer around 12 hours of light per day, but need a minimum of 4 hours of light per day. Because cacti plants are all about survival and adaptation to difficult conditions, they are slow growing plants. This means that sporadic rains don’t seem to be a problem for these plants. These plants have evolved to retain water in their roots and stems and withstand arid conditions that are typical of the desert. How Much Light Do Cacti Need?ĭesert cacti thrive in lots of light, warmth, low moisture and good draining soil. In what follows, you can read about the general light requirements of desert cacti including tips on where to position your cactus plants for best light exposure, and some of the signs of excess light and the signs of too little light. Of course, not all cacti are the same, nor do they have the same light requirements, but for the most part, all cactus plants enjoy basking in the sunlight.
But just how much sun do cacti need? And should they always be exposed to direct sunlight? It’s no secret that cactus plants can withstand quite a bit of drought and sunshine.