Indoor plants for low-light basement, brown thumb?

8 years ago

last modified: 8 years ago

I have a copper Smith & Hawken copper beverage stand which I bought for my husband to use for beverages, and he refused to use it so I would like to repurpose it as a plant stand in the basement. Can I plant things directly in it?

Our basement gets only southwestern sun in the afternoons from 3 windows (if the shades are left open). We don't actually use our basement on a daily basis--it's guest quarters--so sometimes the shades get closed and don't get reopened for days. Are there any plants that would work for this or do all indoor houseplants need a little sunlight every day? And would they need to be near a window? Because we have a dingy dead-end hallway that could use some livening up too. Maybe I would be better off with faux plants?

Thanks in advance for your advice!

Featured Answer

Lantana zone 5b/6a

8 years ago

All plants would benefit from light, but pothos are easy to care for, widely available, and tolerate neglect so it might work in those conditions. I'm also personally fond of fittonia and find they tolerate low light areas of my apartment and are easy to care for. I'm sure others will have additional recommendations.

I'm not sure what the Smith & Hawken beverage stand looks like, but planting things directly into it would deprive the plant of drainage, which is a recipe for disaster. I'd definitely recommend planting into a plastic container and placing that container on/in the stand so that you can move the plant to the sink when it's time to water.

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Comments (11)

Classical Girl
Original Author
8 years ago
Thanks Lantana!
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Lantana zone 5b/6a
8 years ago
You're welcome, good luck!
somegu7
8 years ago
Im not sure how much light is there. But why place a plant there that would suffer and almost no one will see? The plants on the lower light range are ZZ plants.
Classical Girl
Original Author
8 years ago
Good point. But I always mean to go down and open the shades, and I want it nice for guests..and sometimes we use it an alternate living area. What are ZZ plants?
tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
8 years ago
Copper containers are not meant for plants. In fact, roots tend to die when they contact copper and copper is used in some nursery applications to root prune plants.

tj
Classical Girl thanked tsugajunkie z5 SE WI ♱
Classical Girl
Original Author
8 years ago
That's very interesting...maybe I should use boxwood balls in it then...
somegu7
8 years ago
ZZ is the name of the plant google it
Classical Girl thanked somegu7
Sage TX 9a
8 years ago
I agree that planting directly into a copper vessel is a bad idea, both because it's copper and because it doesn't have a drainage hole in it. It would work just fine as a cache pot/plant stand though. There are a number of plants that can tolerate low light conditions, such as pothos, peace lilies, zz plants, etc. Just remember that low light does not mean no light. Whether it's leaving the blinds open or putting a light on a timer, even the most shade-loving plants need adequate light for photosynthesis to happen.
Classical Girl thanked Sage TX 9a
lucillle
8 years ago
last modified: 8 years ago
CG,

I agree with Sage's 'light on a timer' idea. I have only one window in my apartment, but using a combination of fluorescent and LED lights and the window, I have an entire wall devoted to cacti, succulents, orchids and African Violets, all doing well, some too far away from the window to derive any benefit (the cacti and succulents got the window).

It sounds like your beverage stand is absolutely beautiful for plants, what a great find! (But don't plant directly into copper).

Because we have a dingy dead-end hallway that could use some livening up too.

Light colored paint, lights-on-a-timer, and some colorfully foliaged plants mixed with the other plants would make this hallway a show stopper in my opinion, especially since you seem to have a flare for repurposing items that serve to really show off the plants.
Classical Girl thanked lucillle
Classical Girl
Original Author
8 years ago
Thank you Lucille, you sound like an awesome green thumb and I really appreciate your comments. Now I'm really motivated to make this happen!

Thank you Sage, it's great to know that plants can utilize artificial light to grow.