While many houseplants do just fine indoors with whatever natural light flows through your windows, certain ones can be coaxed to bloom more reliably, or will grow more healthy leaves, with additional light from artificial sources. And if you're starting vegetable and annual flower seeds indoors, they often need the help of lights to develop properly. While the amazing power of sunlight is tough to completely replicate, using grow light fixtures fitted with simple fluorescent or LED bulbs can come close. Here's what you need to know about setting up the best light systems for your houseplants and seedlings.
Use Grow Lights for Seedlings
Bright lighting is key to getting a jump start on spring transplants indoors. Most rooms do not provide enough light to produce dense, healthy seedlings. Even a south-facing window often falls short when it comes to the amount of time the sunlight can shine through. Seedlings will usually germinate well and produce their first set of leaves in a sunny window. But then the "stretch" begins as stems reach desperately for more light to fuel their rapid growth.
Prevent leggy plants by growing your seedlings under artificial light created by standard shop lights outfitted with fluorescent tubes or energy-efficient LED bulbs. These bright lights provide a combination of blue and red light waves necessary for good plant growth. Look for bulbs that are "full-spectrum," which your plants will need.
Using Grow Lights for Houseplants and Herbs
Illuminating your favorite blooming houseplant, such as an African violet, will encourage the plant to come into bloom more than it would in just natural indoor light. Likewise, you can use artificial lighting to boost your harvests of basil, parsley, and other greens that are easy to grow indoors during the long winter months.
Red light waves spur flowering and fruit production for houseplants and edibles. Choose a light source that provides plenty of rich red wave light. For example, warm white light is deemed 2,700K to 3,200K on the Kelvin color temperature scale, and is rich in red wave light. Look for the Kelvin rating of a bulb on the product packaging.
Illuminate interior plants for 12-14 hours a day. Seedlings grow best when supplied with light around the clock. Leaving the lights on 24 hours a day compensates for the lower level of artificial light compared to sunlight. This is when more energy-efficient LED bulbs pay off. Although more expensive to purchase up front, LED bulbs use less power to run and last longer than fluorescent bulbs. A simple mechanical timer will make using grow lights easier and more efficient.
Artificial lighting must be very close to the plants to be effective. As rays of light move away from the source, they dim significantly. Keeping the lamps close to plants increases the amount of light received, which keeps seedlings compact, preventing long, weak stems. Position lights 6 inches or so above transplants, moving the lights up as the plants grow, to maintain the 6-inch source-to-plant distance. Indoor plants and edibles grow best when they're within 12 inches or so of the light source.
There are many types of specially designed lights and fixtures for growing plants indoors. A simple setup with fluorescent or LED bulbs is perfectly fine for growing seedlings to transplant into your garden. Blooming indoor plants and food crops will benefit from specially designed LED grow lights.
When setting up grow lights for indoor plants, it's important to consider the location and spacing. A general rule of thumb is to maintain a minimum distance of 3.5-4” of space between your Grow light's bulb/hood and the plant's top leaves - also known as the canopy!
When setting up grow lights for indoor plants, it's important to consider the location and spacing. A general rule of thumb is to maintain a minimum distance of 3.5-4” of space between your Grow light's bulb/hood and the plant's top leaves - also known as the canopy!
Although there's no perfect answer that fits all use cases, experienced growers do provide some insights on how long should a grow light be on. In general, plants under grow lights need at least 8-10 hours of light per day, but no more than 18 hours - make sure your plants have at least 6 hours of rest per day.
' plants do require a daily respiration period of at least 6 hours per day (for seedlings) and ideally 8-10 hours for more mature plants. Therefore we do not recommend providing more than 14-16 hours per day of light, even if you are growing long-day-loving varieties and trying to induce flowering/fruit from them.
Typically, these plants need somewhere between 14 and 20 hours of light every day. And seedlings require the highest intensity of light. There are exceptions, however. Leafy greens and shade-tolerant herbs prefer a little less light . . . that means lower intensity and shorter days.
Can you run grow lights at night? You can run grow lights day or night, but having grow lights mimic daylight hours will give you better results. However if your plants are in a dark area with little to no natural light, by all means create your own schedule for them.
Using grow lights 24/7 can have both advantages and disadvantages. While it might be beneficial for certain growth phases, prolonged exposure to light can hinder natural rest cycles, potentially leading to stressed plants. It's recommended to tailor light schedules based on the specific needs of your plants.
The grow light consumes the most energy in the grow room
The grow light wattage to delivery a good yield will range from 400 to 650 watts, depending on the technology used. Therefore the power consumed by your grow light is about 80-90% of the total used in the grow room (excluding air conditioning).
Other cons of grow lights is that they have a short life span, can't be plugged into a standard socket, and will definitely increase the electric bill. LED lights are the best option, as they are the most energy efficient grow light. That said, they cost more at start up and are not always as advertised.
As an unofficial rule of thumb, many growers work on the basis that: You need 20-40 watts of power per square foot. Lower wattage LEDs of around 200 watts should sit between 12-20 inches from the top of the plant. Higher wattage LEDs of 1000 watts and above should sit between 36-46 inches from the top of the plant.
While grow lights offer controlled climate conditions and extended periods of light, natural sunlight remains more powerful. Plants grown under sunlight receive sunlight for around six to eight hours each day, while they can sit under grow lights for 10 to 12 hours.
Blue: This is the most important light for plant growth. It is easy for chlorophyll to absorb and convert into energy. Red: As the second most important wavelength, red light is incredibly potent for plants when combined with blue light. Orange: Similar to red light, but less effective.
A well-placed mirror reflects light while adding extra aesthetic appeal. Low-heat and energy efficient, LED lights can be extremely effective in helping your greenery thrive (use blue light for foliage and red for flowering plants).
For indoor grow rooms, plants should be kept on an 18-hour day light cycle with a 6-hour night period. You can keep your plants on a 24-hour light cycle but plants tend to do better when given breaks and it will save you some money.
Introduction: My name is Duane Harber, I am a modern, clever, handsome, fair, agreeable, inexpensive, beautiful person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.
We notice you're using an ad blocker
Without advertising income, we can't keep making this site awesome for you.
:strip_icc()/Indoor-Grow-Lights2-e6f7128a730d462c8ad22445685c1829.jpg "Here's How to Use Grow Lights to Keep Your Indoor Garden Thriving (1)")
