Direct Light: Direct sunlight is a pretty straightforward concept. This is when a plant receives direct, unobstructed sunlight. The unobstructed part is key here. You might not realize how many objects get in the way of direct sunlight throughout the day – think tree branches, houses, or anything that stands up high above the plants. Interestingly, direct light through a window is considerably less intense than direct sunlight outside.
Indirect Light: As we touched on above, indirect light is when the plant is in a light-filled environment but the sun’s rays are not directly hitting it. The area is still light because the sun reflects off or is refracted through other objects in the environment before hitting the plant directly. For example, light that shines through a curtain or a plant that is sitting on a shaded porch is in indirect light.