How to Select the Best Grow Light for Indoor Growing

Posted on Feb 10 2012 - 1:04am by Mike Lieberman

Michelle Moore

Not all light is the same.

Plants respond differently to different colors of light.

Light on either end of the spectrum, blue light or red light, have the greatest impact on photosynthesis.

Kinds of Light

Blue light, referred to as cool light, encourages compact bushy growth.

Red light, on the opposite end of the spectrum, triggers a hormone response which creates blooms.

Grow lights producing the orange and reddish light typically produce substantial heat, however, some lights are able to produce full spectrum light without the heat.

Grow lights come in all shapes, sizes and price ranges.

As a general rule, inexpensive lights to purchase tend to be the most expensive to operate and the least effective. While price is not necessarily an indicator of performance, many of the efficient grow lights require ballasts as well as specialized fixtures.

Image of vegetable being grown indoors under artificial light is via fortikur.com.

Check out SeedsNow.com if you’re looking to grow organic vegetable and herbs from seed.

Click here to read more about what GMOs are. It’s really easy for you to grow all kinds of vegetables, herbs, and sprouts inside.  All year long!  Invest in a grow light and you’ll be happy.

Basic Types of Grow Lights

These lights run the gamut of performance and price range.

Incandescent Lights.

The least expensive lights to purchase cost around $30. These incandescent lights work well for specific plants where the light is placed a minimum of 24” from the plant. These lights get extremely hot so they must be used with care. Spot grow bulbs, color corrected incandescent lights, install easily and are good for use with a specific plant or a small grouping of plants. Most spot incandescent bulbs last less than 1,000 hours. Some light fixtures come with a clip handle so you can put them exactly where they’re needed.

Fluorescent Grow Lights.

They are a common choice for homeowners. Fluorescent lights are reasonably energy efficient and relatively easy to install. A typical fluorescent bulb will last approximately 20,000 hours. Fluorescent light is typically on the blue end of the spectrum. Blue light encourages bushy compact growth which makes them perfect for seed starting. Blue light is also cool to the touch making it possible to place lights within just a few inches of the seedlings.

New Full-Spectrum Fluorescent Lights.

Provide the red spectrum as well to encourage blooming.

Combining the lights in a fixture makes for even, all around growth.

The next generation in fluorescent lighting includes the new T-5 lights.

These new lights have extremely high output but are energy efficient and long lasting.

The T-5 lights triple the light output of normal fluorescent lights without increasing the wattage. Plants absorb a high percentage of T-5 lighting because the fixtures function well very close to plants. High output bulbs require a high output fixture to operate, so the bulbs and normal fluorescent fixtures will not work together.

LED Lights

The newest type of grow lights use LED technology.

One major advantage to the LED lights is the small size.

LED lights are only a few inches in diameter and are easy to mount.

In some greenhouses, LED lights may be the only practical light option.

Hanging most grow lights requires a strong greenhouse structure and a place to hang the lights.

LED lights weigh a fraction of other lights and are easy to configure where needed. According to LED manufacturers, LED grow lights maximize blue and red light to provide and excellent balance for plants.

They do not have much green-yellow light. Since humans see green-yellow light best LED grow lights appear dim to our eyes. This is an exciting new technology that will be interesting to watch as it develops.

The Best Grow Light Option

Now that I’ve given you a good rundown on greenhouse lighting options, it’s also important to mention darkness.

Almost all plants benefit from a period of six hours or more of darkness.

It’s a good idea to know how much light your plants need, but unlike commercial growers, hobbyists often have a wide variety of plants so they need to take a broad approach to lighting.

Fluorescent lights offer excellent overall lighting options.

Other Considerations

If you chose to use any type of fluorescent lighting, you will need to account for plant growth.

Fluorescent lights perform best when positioned very close to plants.

As plants grow into the light, it is important to raise the fixture.

Generally only the plants touching the lights will burn, but be prepared because they grow quickly.

Adjustable hangers are a good solution. These hangers move easily allowing you to make quick adjustments.

If you’re looking for non-gmo seeds that grow well using hydroponic systems, click here.

Your Turn

Are you currently using grow lights to grow indoors? What kind? What are you growing?

Do you plan on growing indoors using grow lights?

Let me know in the comments below.

89 Comments so far. Feel free to join this conversation.

  1. Michelle A. February 10, 2012 at 7:25 am -

    Great lighting tips.  We want to bring our garden indoors and this will help.  We have a tiny greenhouse attached to our home which gets lots of good natural light during the year, but when the weather turns we’ll need better lighting. Thanks! 😉

  2. Mike Lieberman February 10, 2012 at 8:30 am -

    Glad you found it useful!

  3. Susan February 10, 2012 at 4:16 pm -

    Thank you for the very helpful post!

  4. Tris February 11, 2012 at 4:36 am -

    Cool post, Mike!  The hubby and I are really interested in the LED lights right now.  We’ve already switched to LED Christmas lights for the tree and have several LED flashlights that you hand crank…no batteries!  Looks like this is the next step for our seedlings and houseplants.  Right now, I have cool blue flourescents in shop style fixtures for the houseplants and keep them on a timer.  It works ok but we have to hang on to the burnt out ones until there is a recycling event near us because you can’t just toss those in the trash.  Big no no!

  5. Mike Lieberman February 11, 2012 at 10:59 am -

    Glad you found it useful.

  6. Mike Lieberman February 11, 2012 at 11:00 am -

    Sounds like you are on your way and doing a great job!

  7. Sandra Whitlock Dwan February 11, 2012 at 3:21 pm -

    I have what I think are fluorescent bulbs installed under my cabinets in my kitchen to provide extra light to the counter workspace ~ the long tube like bulbs.  Would it be OK to use those?  And could I install full-spectrum fluorescent bulbs in them?  

    I also am slowly changing my CFL’s to LED’s in the house and have some in my kitchen so would the plants benefit from them or are the LED’s used for plants a specific kind of LED?  What makes it a “grow light” vs. just a normal light bulb you might use in your home?  Thanks!

  8. Angela at Frugal Gardening February 12, 2012 at 7:15 am -

    Great ideas.  However, I find creating my own grow lights units very rewarding.

  9. ScottfromtheBK February 12, 2012 at 12:30 pm -

    I set up a grow light system last year and will definitely be using it again this year. I have a fluorescent system (with T-5s) that I found online; the fixture and bulbs were a little pricey, but I searched around and found a better deal from a lighting distributor than from any of the gardening sites.  I figured that a little more investment up front would save me in the long run.

    The system is set up in the top of a bookshelf because I don’t have much space in my NYC apartment for a dedicated seed-starting area.  I screwed some hooks into the underside of the top of the bookshelf, took out a shelf, and hung the grow light from the hooks.  I bought a cheap light timer and set the time increment to 18 hours; with the timer I don’t have to worry about remembering to turn the lights off and on (because I would definitely forget).  I also have a capillary mat that I set my seedlings on so I don’t have to worry about watering either.

    Overall, I think my lazy-man’s system works pretty well.  I’ll try to post a picture when I get some seeds up and going…

  10. Mike Lieberman February 12, 2012 at 5:55 pm -

    That’s great. 

  11. Mike Lieberman February 12, 2012 at 5:56 pm -

    Sounds dope. Gonna be putting some stuff together myself. Def share the pics when you get started.

  12. Mike Lieberman February 12, 2012 at 5:57 pm -

    Thanks for the question Sandra. I am not a grow light specialist and have asked someone at The Greenhouse Catalog to chime in with a response.

  13. Kathy February 14, 2012 at 9:06 am -

    Sandra, you should be able to replace your standard fluorescent bulbs with full-spectrum grow lights as long as you make sure they are the same size as the bulbs you currently have in your fixture (most commonly T12). If you grow under your kitchen cabinet, I recommend that you make a platform for your plants/seedlings to sit on, so the top leaves are just a few inches below the fixture. You will need to adjust the platform as the plants grow. Your home’s LED lights are designed for visual appeal (a limited spectrum of light) and not for growing. LED’s designed as grow lights have full-spectrum light with a lot of reds and blues for plant growth,  but they are not visually appealing as a house light.

  14. ScottfromtheBK February 28, 2012 at 6:58 am -

    Here are pics of my setup.  Pretty self explanatory, but let me know if there are any questions.

    I planted the seeds in coir in the biodegradeable tray which sits on a capillary mat with a water reservoir below.  The coir is working out awesome – I definitely recommend it as seed-starting medium.  In this tray I have (from left to right): genevese basil, citrus basil, mini bell peppers, cilantro (the empty row was cilantro too… I wonder if I just forgot that row… d’oh!), and cherry tomatoes.

    Hit me up if you have any questions.

  15. Mike Lieberman February 28, 2012 at 9:29 am -

    Nice bro. Good isht!

  16. Andre Ferchau February 24, 2013 at 9:22 pm -

    I’ve worked with LEDs since they were invented (about 1975). What people don’t realize is they
    are not at all like any other light source except, and only barely like, fluorescent.
    They and fluorescents and HIDs output less than a full spectrum. So no matter what you
    read about full spectrum only exists in the incandescent bulbs and ideally the halogen bulb.
    Why?
    The Sun is what we define as full spectrum. It has ‘all the colors’ of the rainbow. No light
    but halogens (and to a limited extent any incandescent) bulb has this same full spectrum.

    OK but so what?
    Does it matter. That’s the real question.
    Only science and you, trying out different lights, including sunlight, will determine what works
    versus what’s the cost.

    I wish someone or a site would spell all this out. The truth is that I’ve never read what
    color (wavelengths) EXACTLY certain plants need.

    If you want to see why there are different colors in the Sun but they’re not in lamps
    read about it under topics like ‘light spectrum’ in wikipedia articles about the types
    of bulbs you want.
    To get a quick look see here
    http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Red-YellowGreen-Blue_LED_spectra.png
    See how 3 led bulbs don’t give you the ‘full spectrum’ but only give 3 very narrow
    colors. it’s a bit like hearing one low, one medium and one high piano key played.
    Full spectrum would be to play every key on a piano at the same time.
    HID have more colors but when we say color we mean wavelengths. That’s the key to
    the answer of the question: What do plants really need?
    If you look at a spectrum of the Sun it’s a continuous coverage from infrared (deep red and heat) through all colors and into the ultraviolet (tanning wavelengths). Does a plant need
    Infrared? Does it need ultraviolet? Does it need a specific wavelength of red or will a
    different wavelength of red work? An LED has a red color of about 652 nm which is like
    saying a piano has a key at middle C of 440 hz . Yes you must learn the terminology and thats
    the hardest part of this. the idea is simple. One color may work well while a color that is
    so close you can’t see a difference may not ‘fit’ the plant’s needs.. after all plants are
    made to work under the Sun which has all wavelengths. The only way we provide that
    is using halogen bulbs. HID are next. Then ‘full spectrum’ fluorescents which aren’t
    full spectrum at all if you ask a scientist. Then the least ‘full spectrum’ are LEDs.
    But
    LEDs are the coolest. Fluorescents are next. HID next and halogen the hottest.
    So stop.
    Think.
    LEDs the worst for ‘full spectrum’ but the coolest. that’s some bad and some good.
    Halogen are the best ‘full spectrum’ but the hottest. That’s the best light but it’s hot.
    What’s the best choice?
    I really think that a smart innovative design would be to reflect sunlight into the plant area.
    yeah. A curveball at the end.

    Take data. Try various lights. Use HID in winter when you need the heat (in the house).

    Use LED or standard T5 fluorescent in Summer (when you avoid heating the house) and get some Sun on your plants. That’s how I would approach it for maximum result for minimum cost.

    What you want is to take away the incentive for companies to lie to you. You do that by
    buying only what you need not what they want to sell.
    How many of you know what CRI is? If it’s a CRI of 85 versus 77 and the 77 is full spectrum
    you should yell ‘stink’ I smell lies. The sun has a CRI of 100. Halogen lights are CRI of 95 or more. When you have all colors then what you look at looks right in its color. Color rendition
    index = CRI. When it looks right it must have all the colors shining on it.

    How to learn:
    Write down what’s important to you.
    Study what interests you and write it down (don’t bookmark it) Write it.
    The write of this page has 20 years to her credit working with greenhouses. She’s not
    yet an expert on lighting .. unless she’s used a spectrometer and measured the
    color of light falling on plants and measured which plants grew well using colors other
    than full spectrum. Once you do that you begin to learn.

    I’ve never read that anywhere. it’s a terrible travesty that so much time and money is
    spent by the public foisted by companies selling, often, stuff they don’t themself even
    understand. A Chinese company will rebrand something and call it something and then
    someone markets it and no one has a full picture of what it is.

    You really have to do your own studies when you want to get it right.
    or play the piano

  17. philly February 28, 2013 at 7:33 am -

    Have you ever used induction lighting

  18. Amie May 20, 2013 at 11:14 pm -

    Hello! We plan to grow indoors come frosty weather… part of our food source comes form the food t that I grow. I do can and preserve what i know how to do …..canned is good, dehydrated is good……but fresh is best. We want to start aquaponics in our garage……and use the space around the tanks as a growing in house, (all in the garage). Any suggestions on how many lights? our garage is 14X10…….
    and we open it everyday for fresh air and what not ~that the plants need. i have to self pollinate which is timely…or “time consuming’…. but IF the lights are good and don’t cost a fortune……thats the wat for our winters.
    `please advise.

  19. amoja June 10, 2013 at 6:50 pm -

    Help me. I have a LOT of rather gigantic houseplants, lit mainly by costly CFL’s. I have been looking to replace them with blue, red & cool white LED light bulbs. Or perhaps some LED string lights. I understand (I think) that a white LED needs to be 450 lumens, but I need to know how many lumens a blue LED bulb needs to be effective. Or a red one. I need about 30 white bulbs, 4 or 5 red ones, & maybe 8 to 10 blue ones. I think. Not a lot of $ going on here, so I’m looking for an inexpensive source. Plain, screw-into-lamp socket bulbs. Any suggestions will be much appreciated.
    Namaste’.

  20. chickenscratch July 7, 2013 at 9:13 pm -

    Only thing I can say is stay away from The Greenhouse Catalog I ordered some lights from them and they did not work- DOA. No refund or replacement offered or anything. They tried to claim I was using them wrong. Come on, really?

  21. chickenscratch July 7, 2013 at 9:14 pm -

    Just kidding,
    Seriously though, this article is riddled with cheap plugs.

  22. devideaster August 16, 2013 at 6:43 am -

    Proper lighting is the most important factor that should be considered at the time of growing any types of plant. I am really impressed by the way you have explained about best grow light options.

  23. Michelle August 22, 2013 at 12:19 pm -

    Hi my name is Michelle and i was trying to get my own garden started indoor. I needed a few tips on lighting

  24. Michelle August 22, 2013 at 12:23 pm -

    Even wanting to grow fruits and vegetables will i have to use a certain type of lighting?

  25. David October 21, 2013 at 6:45 am -

    Have you tried the lights from Illumitex? They’ve got some incredible plant growth science behind their LED grow lights.

  26. Aarielle Aaers November 4, 2013 at 11:11 am -

    Wow, great comment, really appreciated it. Thanks! I love Halogens. Although the bulb is more expensive, the light is most beautiful. And, we use 12V so they’re very inexpensive. : )

  27. Hydroponic Lights November 13, 2013 at 5:41 am -

    Can we decorate our home easily with using grow light ???

  28. iris November 25, 2013 at 11:43 pm -

    In fact, for growing your plants, the lamp must be with red and blue led, and you need to know your indoor garden area, then you can chose the right lamp for your room.

  29. iris November 25, 2013 at 11:51 pm -

    this lamp was use to promot plants grow quick,dear friend

  30. Danny December 4, 2013 at 6:15 am -

    im using t5 lights in an industrial sized hydroponics system, but do different seeds need different hights to germanate plus do they need different lux levels, please help just starting out and dont want to get it wrong

  31. Stephen Wadding December 7, 2013 at 2:14 am -

    Quality information has been shared by you. If you are bit confuse to choose which is a better grow light then read this stuff and be sure about it. I think LED lights are best grow lights.

  32. Loulou January 27, 2014 at 12:51 pm -

    My experience with halogen is they release a lot of heat< I have just converted to LED, need a few weeks to see how it work.

  33. Tom February 22, 2014 at 3:49 pm -

    Thanks for a clear explantion of grow lights it is the best and clearest i have seen and I will not have to spend a ton of money to start our seeds.

  34. Rob March 15, 2014 at 8:42 pm -

    Thank you for the info. I just planted some organic seeds into little cells, and currently have an incandescent light on them, but Im going to put a fluorescent light on them now that I’ve read your article. The packages say to start indoors, Im growing some chilli peppers, cayenne peppers, and two types of tomatoes, and the label says to keep them warm and under a light. Is fluorescent a good choice? Do they need sunlight? And a few hours of darkness is good for them right?

  35. Puchong Vongthongdee April 12, 2014 at 6:46 am -

    May i used White LED for Grow Light ? because my pot is small and i want it light Color friendly for human eyes.

    As i know plant love blue and red. but white led are contain RGB color but they are some RGB LED also all 3 color build in 1 LED which one this the best for human eye and plant

  36. danilekk May 14, 2014 at 1:23 am -

    what is most important when to buy a grow light? there are two type: led panel light or led UFO, which it better?

  37. Erich June 16, 2014 at 7:10 am -

    Hi how many light bulbs do I need ?
    how do I know I have enough Light ?

  38. bill July 30, 2014 at 8:09 pm -

    there is a new light on market called the sun engine built in ohio it is said to be the only grow light which duplicates the sun . do you know any thing about it .where can you buy them

  39. K B July 31, 2014 at 5:09 am -

    I’m trying to do a better job of getting my potted plants from outdoors to make it through the winter, indoors. The lack of light is part of the problem. I can usually get most of them through, but they look so scraggly by Spring. I can group them together pretty well in one place, but they are all different sizes. After reading the advice above, I don’t think a fluorescent will work. I’m asking now so I can have everything ready when I bring them inside again this fall.

  40. cunt August 29, 2014 at 2:04 am -

    durrrrrrrrrrrr

  41. DirtyDarlene September 24, 2014 at 6:37 pm -

    I want to try growing veggies indoors this winter. I have an all glass south facing sunroom. It currently has an awning-like covering over the top which I can roll back for optimal sunlight. It has windows about 3-4ft from floor that crank out. It has two ceiling fans. It has a heat or air unit inside it. I have been trying to study the best options for me to get setup. I get so many different opinions that I am still unsure. I have a plan for the stands. Could you offer your opinion for my winter garden? I enjoy a very nice organic garden through the summer months.

  42. bill blizzard October 4, 2014 at 1:41 pm -

    can i grow ginseng and golden seal root inside with grow light system,if so please give me some instructions and what i need to get started

  43. Lana Critchfield Barton October 18, 2014 at 6:34 pm -

    I picked up an incandescent plant light bulb today for a plant that is struggling in a northeast window. It’s all my little local store had. Is this bulb enough or do you recommend a florescent bulb when I’m able to get to a bigger town. I live very rural so I can’t always get the best right away.

  44. peteski72 October 30, 2014 at 8:09 am -

    I’m trying to reduce my cost while growing indoors. The major expense is electricity. I went all out in he begging and bought a 600 w MH and HPS light. All was well, even sucking up the cost, eventually it became to much to bare. Now I am all over the map trying to come up with one light or to use a combination of lights I have and possible adding a LED. I have a 4 tube HO fluorescent ballast. I have four tubes for Vegetation and four for the flowering stages. Also, I have numerous CFL’s 55w equivalent 200w replacement I see LED’s are getting better and the price is dropping along the way. What I don’t know is; is a $250 168 w x3 sufficient? I have a very small area in which I can utilize it’s basically a 4 sq.ft area. It is a small operation and intended to be for the time being. It is crazy to be spending $100 to $150 a month. I am open to any/all suggestions. I need clarity before I proceed. Tank you so much for your time and attention to my matter. Peter

  45. Cindy November 10, 2014 at 10:25 am -

    what lights are ok for wheatgrass?

  46. Cindy November 10, 2014 at 10:26 am -

    How long do i leave the light on for wheatgrass?

  47. Ted K December 21, 2014 at 7:52 am -

    What kind of lights I need to grow tomato plants in side

  48. michael92064 January 1, 2015 at 10:57 am -

    Investigating LED grow lights. Some have LEDs of different colors arranged together and some have LEDs all the same (whiteish) I just want a cost effective solution to starting my vegetables early before planting outside.

  49. Bill Flynn January 13, 2015 at 11:51 am -

    HELLO, I AM NEW TO GREENHOUSE GARDENING, I LIVE IN NYC . THE GREENHOUSE (SHED TYPE) IS 80 SQ/FT FOOTPRINT. I PLAN TO GROW PRIMARILY TOMATOES, VARIOUS HERBS AND GARDEN FLOWERS. I AM PREPARING TO GET SEEDS STARTED AND WILL DO SO IN THE BASEMENT. AFTER READING YOUR INFO HERE, I WOULD GUESS I COULD START WITH A 4′ T5 SETUP. I WAS PLANNING A 2 TRAY ATTEMPT AT GROWING SEEDLINGS ( TO TRANSPLANT TO G/H IN MARCH/APRIL? WOULD YOU ALSO SAY A HEATING MAT IS A GOOD IDEA? I AM INTERESTED IN ANY TIPS SHARED….THANK YOU.

  50. Steve February 1, 2015 at 9:45 am -

    where to I find the GMO seeds?

  51. Sherri Lucas-Gibson February 2, 2015 at 12:22 pm -

    Google gardening in small spaces.. Aquaponics is a great addition to a greenhouse

  52. Sherri Lucas-Gibson February 2, 2015 at 12:25 pm -

    It depends on the money you want to spend, room size and plants you want to harvest.. I do indoor and outdoor both veggies and medicinal marijuana.. It is all about light spectrum.. Plants see a different light than we do.. And they don’t see green at all.. That is the colour bounced off of them.. That is why we see them as green.. Because of that light refraction we have no real idea of a plants true colour

  53. Sherri Lucas-Gibson February 2, 2015 at 12:26 pm -

    You can’t miss with full spectrum.. If there is no blossoming needed.. A blue spectrum sounds better.. Red is for blossoming

  54. Bill Flynn February 3, 2015 at 12:35 pm -

    Thanks for taking the time to reply……mine is a small greenhouse 80 sq/ft in NYC outer boro……will check out Google. Happy planting! Bill

  55. Alex Storey February 9, 2015 at 3:38 pm -

    You can, But you do realize that ginseng can take up to 6 years to grow right?

  56. Jeff February 11, 2015 at 7:31 am -

    Hello, considering switching to LED lighting. would a 90 watt LED light used for lighting up a public parking garage put out the same blue and red spectrum the plant LED lights put out?

  57. Laura in Ohio March 4, 2015 at 4:24 pm -

    Strangely enough I want to grow dandelions and other weeds (all year) for my tortoises to eat. I live near Cincinnati, Ohio so summers are hot and winters are very cold (and snowy) … I inherited a small garden set up of 4 shelves with a plastic cover that goes over it …. So, it could be inside or outside (weather permitting) .. but with “shelves” how could a ” on the top” light shine down on all shelves? Are there side lights or some way to give all the shelves grow lights?

  58. Laura March 9, 2015 at 12:33 pm -

    You could hang a light on the underside of each shelf (except the bottom) with adjustable hangers (a lot of people use chains) and put the plants on the shelf below. I don’t think that using just one light will get the job done. I have also seen the plastic covering the greenhouse lined with tinfoil or mylar (something reflective) to reflect extra light back on the plants

  59. Niko August 22, 2015 at 7:27 pm -

    Hey! I’m moving into a small room Boston soon with NO windows to the outside. I’m considering having a few hanging plants that live in low light, like English Ivy and Boston Ferns.

    What would be ideal lighting for me, if anyone can help?

    Im trying to figure out what bulb to use and I only have a 1.5′ square (width and length) by 6′ (height) space open for plants.

  60. fernis October 13, 2015 at 6:43 pm -

    I will like to move the bananas plants to the basement, for the winter time.What kind of light would be for this plants?

  61. Nicolle Toth-Braunberger October 18, 2015 at 10:22 am -

    My place is floor to ceiling windows and a new condo building is going up next door. The amount of sun will be almost nil in about a month – are there bulbs that I can use in my existing fixtures that can help my plants stay healthy? Thank you! I’m starting to panic.

  62. Jennifer November 7, 2015 at 3:37 am -

    I have a large Ficus Tree, a spider plant, and two different kinds of peace lilies. Oh and a huge Mother-in-law tounge. My natural lite in my living room is awful. I have put up a 18″ under counter florescent lite above my plants. They always start looking bad by the time I can move them back to the porch. Should this help them or do I need to buy a special bulb. I always worry about my Ficus. I’ve had it for about 18 years. It was two feet tall when I got it and it is now almost six feet tall. It went crazy this summer and got bushier. I don’t want it to start doing poorly.

  63. John Butler December 17, 2015 at 1:47 pm -

    Can you mix lights… I have florescent now, I have LEDs ordered…. can I use both in same room..

  64. Bob December 27, 2015 at 8:45 pm -

    yes, but use the LEDs as supplemental, and add them to some HPS or MH

  65. Steve Zylstra January 12, 2016 at 2:35 pm -

    Just starting. have 1 ea. t-5, 8 light sys. to start with. When transplanting to bigger pots, figure will need more lights to cover the bigger plants, in bigger pots. question do I need another 8 light system to cover 4 trays or can I get buy with a 2 or 4 light sys. and move the tomato’s etc. around a bit.

  66. Barbara January 15, 2016 at 7:19 pm -

    Hi there,
    I’m currently building a new home and will have an indoor pool.
    Lighting will be a grid pattern of regular downlights however, I plan to have a group of indoor plants in the room but the area where they will reside is a bit dark, namely corners and I wondered if I could get assistance with choosing the right LED light to put into two of these downlights to assist in providing the plants with sufficient light to continue to grow well.
    These two lights will be on a seperate switch, so can be put on and off to suit the plants. If downlights and or their globes are considered insufficient, I can put spotlights in that place again with the correct growing globe.
    I understand there is a globe or colour for flower production and a different colour for growth and I think there is also a globe that can do both but I haven’t a clue and need help.
    The plants are a varied group including umbrella tree, ferns and elephant ears.
    I appreciate any help.
    Cheers,
    Barbara

  67. Tammie Galles February 27, 2016 at 6:02 pm -

    I am in the process of building my basement grow light and wondering if this bulb is a good choice – TOGGLED 48 in. T8 16-Watt Natural White (5000K) Linear LED Tube Light Bulb – Amazon $30???????

  68. Hope March 13, 2016 at 9:44 pm -

    I have been starting seedlings for 10 years with 4 foot shop/grow light fixtures with white plant light bulbs; two on the top tier and two on the bottom tier of the wooden plant stand my husband and I made that is about five feet tall. These lights at the time were affordable. I am now considering investing in the T5 light systems that have blue/red hues to the lights as I need another plant stand because I am growing so many seedlings. I have not yet decided which I am purchasing but need to get one soon and build another plant stand for the adjustable light system. The new light systems seem to be about equal in cost to the older grow lights. The blue/red combos seem to provide better lighting for bushier growth of plants, although I can not attest to this as I have not used them yet.

  69. Peter Howard April 13, 2016 at 8:32 pm -

    I am currently setting up a aquaponics system and the plants that i will be growing are most common types of vegetables.
    Because the system is indoors i have set up grow lights over the grow beds which are the Fluorescent blue lights and appears to be burning the seedlings that i have transfer from the Nursery. Can you provide some assistance to have set up what i need?

  70. Chris Pieser April 25, 2016 at 6:11 am -

    Hello, would you consider adding a blurb about tPlasma Grow Lighting, we have 6 years experience with Plasma and have completed a dozen doctorate level university research programs on many, many types of plant material.

  71. Johanna Breijer April 26, 2016 at 3:27 pm -

    I was running out of grow lights and had an under mount led light strip left over from the kitchen reno. I placed the strip on the clear plastic top of a mini green house flat because I had planned to get extra grow lights. I was surprised at how quickly the seeds germinated and the plants began to rapidly grow. The leaves were green and there have been no signs of disease or other problems. I’ve been thinking of getting more light strips. They are great for seed germination and early emergence.

  72. Wrench G May 19, 2016 at 8:48 am -

    If I pit 12, 8w blue pool LEDs underwater, will the light help the underside of plant or is this not worth it….

  73. Somona Mason August 28, 2016 at 5:39 pm -

    Pix tell me what lights to get I’m growing mustard greens, beet, Tomatoes ,bell pepper, jalapeño each plant is over 5 inches tall – the beets and greens

  74. Linda SD October 29, 2016 at 1:47 pm -

    Living in the Pacific NW, it is now officially dark and rainy. I’ve rooted a number of outdoor annuals (coleus) and perennials (salvia amistad and dahlias) in hopes of saving them for the spring. Since my goal is just to keep them happy and alive, it sounds like blue light is most important. Do ordinary LEDs work, or is it best for me to buy the blue LEDs? Thank you!

  75. Moso4life November 3, 2016 at 12:58 pm -

    I will be growing my own organic vegetables please tell me what light is best to use .thanks in advance

  76. LadyG529 January 21, 2017 at 6:07 am -

    Any suggestions for a light for a gardenia plant? I was given one, and live in Michigan, not exactly the sunshine capital of the country, especially in winter.

  77. Steve January 24, 2017 at 3:53 pm -

    Lowest cost: 4 foot fluorescent light fixture (from Hoe Depot or Lowes) hung by chains (to raise it as plants grow) with qty. 2, T8 cool white fluorescent 6500 Kelvin bulbs. Slightly higher cost with better brightness: fixture with qty. 4, T5 cool white fluorescent 6500 Kelvin bulbs. More expensive still? LED or HID system.

  78. Midwest February 16, 2017 at 5:43 pm -

    Spectrum King led
    Bright full spectrum light.
    Grows amazing quality fruits and vegetables.

  79. jenny March 13, 2017 at 9:09 am -

    any suggestions on what kind of light to use for a pine tree indoors?

  80. Patrick Shannon March 19, 2017 at 1:39 pm -

    Excellent article! Very interesting about the different colors of light having different effects…and that we tend to see the yellow/green part of the spectrum better. Thank you!

  81. arlene.hughes1300@yahoo.com May 24, 2017 at 3:50 am -

    I just got A gardenia,has a bud.I have a low light house and need to know also what kind of indoor lighting they need?I have the red and blue and also the floresient

  82. Jianxi Chen June 25, 2017 at 7:14 pm -

    It really a good artical

  83. Jianxi Chen June 25, 2017 at 7:16 pm -

    We are led manufacture and specialized in all kinds of led grow light,if there is any need,please just feel free to contact us

  84. Jianxi Chen June 25, 2017 at 7:23 pm -

    Hi,do you still need the led light strip,we are manufacture of led grow lightand we can meet your demand both of price and products,if there is any need,please just contact me freely,i will give you more information then.

  85. Bonet June 26, 2017 at 7:14 pm -

    I have an hgrope 45 wt LED grow light. I need to know how close to my tomato & pepper seedling I should have the light

  86. Peter September 27, 2017 at 8:11 pm -

    Great article! I have been using LED Habitats grow lights for the last 2 years. They are super cool! I have grown everything from tomatoes to herbs and salad greens. Even African Violets. The lights look cool and also run cool. Easy on the eyes as well, not just blue and white.

  87. Bridget Smith September 28, 2017 at 1:06 pm -

    I am looking for affordable LED lighting on a small scale but may be looking on a larger scale in the future when I get more space. Do you have a webpage?

  88. Jocelyne Robillard February 9, 2018 at 8:29 am -

    I HAVE BESTVA LED LIGHT 2000 WATT…..CAN I INSTALLED IT ON SIDE..NOT HANG

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