How to Grow Ming Aralia With Artificial Light

Ming aralia (Polyscias fruticosa) is a tropical plant that grows outdoors in warm, subtropical to tropical climates. In the United States it is generally grown as a houseplant. Popular in bonsai gardening, the ming aralia has a bushy growth habit with fine foliage. Although it does best when grown within 3 feet of a south-facing window, ming aralia does well under artificial light, often seen thriving in a brightly lit office. Plants, to carry out photosynthesis, mature and develop adequate foliage, require both red and blue light, according to the experts with the Agricultural and Rural Development Department in Alberta, Canada.

White paper
Fluorescent lights
Fertilizer

Instructions

- 1
  Place a white sheet of paper beneath the ming aralia’s pot to reflect the light back onto it.
- 2
  Use a combination of warm and cool white fluorescent lights. This provides the appropriate amount of red and blue light that the ming aralia requires, according to the experts at the University of Florida.
- 3
  Place the lights 12 to 14 inches above the ming aralia.
- 4
  Run the lights for 14 to 18 hours a day. If the ming aralia begins to stretch out, or become spindly, increase the amount of time it spends under the lights by one to two hours. If the leaves curl or take on a scorched appearance, either move the lights 2 inches higher or reduce the amount of time you leave them on by one or two hours.
- 5
  Water the ming aralia when the top half of the soil is dry. Overwatering causes root rot.
- 6
  Fertilize the ming aralia once a month with a fertilizer high in nitrogen. The first number in the fertilizer analysis, such as 17-4-17, represents nitrogen. Ensure that the fertilizer is water-soluble and apply it, at the rate on the label, to wet soil.

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