The Dark Apartment Survival Guide | Growing Joy × Soltech · Free Download

Growing Joy × Soltech · Free e-guide

Grow any plant.
Even in a dark apartment.

A free 6-page guide from Maria Failla, host of the #1 US houseplant podcast. Light science, window cheat sheets, low-light plant picks by personality, and her foolproof grow light rules.

★★★★★ 2M+ podcast downloads · 325+ episodes · 5★ listener reviews
The Dark Apartment Survival Guide, Maria's Edition. A Growing Joy x Soltech free e-guide

× Growing Joy

We're Soltech.
We teamed up with Maria.

Soltech designs full-spectrum grow lights for real homes, not greenhouses. Over a decade of work out of Bethlehem, PA. 85,000+ customers who refused to choose between thriving plants and a beautiful interior.

Maria Failla, host of the #1 US houseplant podcast, has been using our lights in her own homes for nearly ten years. So when she offered to write down everything she'd learned about growing plants in dim apartments, we said yes immediately.

This guide is the result.

Maria Failla, founder of the Growing Joy with Plants podcast, standing in front of her plant collection
Author Growing Joy
A Note From · Maria Failla

A Plant Killer turned Happy Plant Lady™

"I wrote this guide for the version of me who killed every plant she brought home. If you've ever wondered why your snake plant is dying in a north-facing kitchen, this is for you."
Maria Failla
Host, Growing Joy with Plants · Author, Growing Joy: The Plant Lover's Guide to Happiness
2M+
Podcast Downloads
#1
US Houseplant Podcast
325+
Episodes
Visit Growing Joy

What's Inside

Six pages. Zero plant-killing.

Everything Maria wishes she'd known when she was killing every plant she touched. Designed for anyone living somewhere the sun doesn't reach far enough.

Page 01

Indoor Light Crash Course

Why your eyes are lying to you about light. Why standard apartment bulbs don't count for photosynthesis. The diagram Maria wishes she'd seen on day one.

Page 02

Window Direction Cheat Sheet

South, west, east, north, ranked by sun exposure. Plus what to do when there's a building blocking your "perfect" southern window.

Page 03

Best Low Light Plants

Curated picks by Plant Parent Personality™. Low Maintenance, Design Based, Mindful, and Curious Collector. Pothos, Snake Plant, Calathea, Rare Dracaena, and more.

Page 04

Plant Parent Personality™

A framework for picking plants based on how you actually live. The reason your friend's plants thrive on their windowsill but die on yours.

Page 05

Which Soltech Light Is Right

Maria's honest take on Aspect, Grove, Highland, and Vita. What she uses in her own home and which is the right starting point for yours.

Page 06

Foolproof Grow Light Rules

Full-spectrum only. LED only. Timers are non-negotiable. Distance matters more than you think. Four rules Maria swears by.

Maria Failla with a large collection of houseplants

Plant Parent Personality™

There's no one right way to grow plants.

Maria's signature framework matches plants to the way you actually live. Not how Instagram tells you you should live. Inside the guide, you'll find low-light picks tailored to each personality.

Low Maintenance Loves ease, consistency, and no fuss.
Design Based Curates an aesthetic home, featuring plants.
Mindful Believes plant care is self care.
Curious Collector Plants are the ultimate collector's item.
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