Dreaming of a lush garden but stuck with limited space? You're not alone.
Vertical indoor gardening is a brilliant solution for those who want to maximize their greenery without needing a big yard. But if your indoor plants are struggling without enough sunlight, it can be frustrating.
Here's the game-changer: grow lights. They make it possible to create a thriving vertical garden right inside your home, ensuring your plants get the light they need to flourish.
With so many types of grow lights available, choosing the right one can feel overwhelming. This guide will simplify things for you, breaking down the different types of grow lights and how to use them effectively.
Why You Should Use Grow Lights
Ever wondered why so many people are turning to grow lights for their plants? Here are some top reasons:
- Indoor Gardening: Whether you’re into houseplants, flowers, vegetables, or microgreens, grow lights let you cultivate a lush indoor garden.
- Seed Starting: Get a head start on spring by starting your seeds indoors with the help of grow lights.
- Plant Propagation: Perfect for nurturing new plants from cuttings.
- Extended Daylight: Some plants thrive on long, hot days. Grow lights can give them the extra hours they need to perform their best.
- Longer Growing Season: In colder climates, grow lights help extend the growing season, letting you enjoy your plants for longer.
Using grow lights means you can essentially 'outsmart' Mother Nature. You create the perfect climate for your plants, no matter what the weather is like outside.
So, you’re not stuck with only the plants that can survive your local conditions—you get to grow the plants you love!
Light Spectrums Needed for Growing Plants
Light falls on a multi-colored spectrum. If you have ever used a prism to break a beam of light apart, you know that the spectrum includes red, orange, yellow, green, indigo (blue), and violet.
Different colors on this spectrum affect plants in different ways.
Cool Light
Light derived from the violet and blue end of the color spectrum is cool and ideal for plants in the vegetative stage.
Use cool light for starting seeds to plant outdoors in the spring, or for propagating cuttings from other plants.
Once your seeds have sprouted, the cool light will encourage compact, healthy growth of the roots and foliage of your plants. You would also want to use cool lighting for non-flowering houseplants.
Warm Light
Orange-red light is considered warm light. This is used to promote flowering and fruiting.
Once your plants grow to maturity, you can change the lighting from cool to warm in order to ‘force’ the plants to bloom and encourage more blossoms and, ultimately, more fruit.
Tomatoes especially require warm light to produce well. Warm light can produce long, thin stalks with minimal foliage, which inhibits the plant's ability to make food, so it is important not to use it too soon.
Bulbs have numbers 2700k or 4000K this refers to warmth or coolness, the higher the number the cooler the light. Plants need warm light to produce flowers, and cool light to produce foliage.
You can get bulbs with both warm and cool light, and while they will do the job, it works best to use separate lights for each of the color spectrums for the different stages of growth.
Types of Grow Lights
There is a whole world of variety when it comes to the type of bulbs and grow light setups available to the home gardener.
The type that you choose will depend on the plants that you are growing, your budget, and even your home decor.
1. Fluorescent grow lights
Fluorescent lights are best used during the beginning stages of a plant's life. They are best for starting seeds, root cuttings, and early to mid-stage vegetative growth.
These types of lights are more energy efficient and don’t produce a lot of heat. T5 fluorescent bulbs are the most commonly used, as they are the brightest fluorescents. They are available in many different forms and colors.
You can also get high-output and very high-output fluorescents, which put out more light. These project more heat, so they will need to be placed further away from your plants.
Tube-style fluorescents are not as intense as HID. They are used for growing vegetables and herbs indoors and starting seedlings. Ballast is used with these types of bulbs.
Compact Fluorescent Lighting (CFL)
These are smaller versions of fluorescent lighting that are the same size as a traditional light bulb and will fit in standard lighting fixtures.
These have started replacing the old-style light bulbs because of their energy efficiency and longevity.
Compact Fluorescent Lighting is one of the best growth light systems for beginners. It is cheap, easily accessible, and does a perfectly good job of growing most plants.
CFL lamps are made just for growing plants. They usually have a reflector to direct the light towards the plants.
CFLs are available in red, full-spectrum/daylight, or blue spectrum, so you can easily switch out your bulbs when your plants reach the maturity level where they need more warmth to bloom.
2. LED grow light
LEDs are made up of light-emitting diodes. This enables them to be customized to put out a specific wavelength, as the diodes can each provide a different color on the light spectrum.
They provide a full spectrum of color that mimics natural light, not just red or blue, which are the colors needed to grow plants. Some studies suggest that green is also needed for optimum plant health.
These lights are more cost-effective than the others as they do not use as much energy to operate.
They also do not produce as much heat, which makes them safer to use in close quarters. LED grow light setups are often equipped with cooling fans, which help the bulbs last even longer.
The Phlizon 600W LED Grow Light is perfect for indoor growing. Suspended by an adjustable chain, it includes blue, red, and UV lights to mimic natural sunlight.
A switch allows you to change the light from blue to red, supporting your plants at any growth stage.
If you are looking for something that will blend in with the decor of your home a little more, this Bamboo LED Grow Light Garden Plant Stand might be a better option.
This plant stand has three levels, each with its own lighting, which makes it great for starting seedlings or just growing plants in your living room in a tidy and attractive manner.
3. HID grow light
HID, or High-Intensity Discharge, is popular for its good light output and low cost. These types of lights need a ballast to operate, which controls the wattage.
The best wattage for using HID grow lights is 600W and 1000W. Metal Halide and High-Pressure Sodium emit the most sun-like color spectrum.
4. Plasma grow light
The new kid on the block, plasma grow lights last longer than HID lights and emit a full spectrum of colors.
They also use less wattage than an HID light. Since they are newer to the market, they are more expensive and less common than the other types of lights available.
5. Metal Halide (MH)
These lights produce more blue and violet on the color spectrum, which is very similar to the sun in spring. This produces the most pleasing aesthetic for plants that are growing in your living spaces as part of the decor.
Metal Halide lights are very good for seed starting and propagation and promote strong root growth, compact, leafy growth, and disease resistance.
6. High-Pressure Sodium (HPS) light
Rarely used during a plant's whole life cycle, HPS lights are great for flowering and fruiting stages as they emit a lot of red and orange light.
These are more efficient than metal halides. They are sold in many different wattages, but the most efficient are 600w and 1000w.
Plants can become leggy due to the lack of blue-spectrum light. Also, since HPS lights emit a yellowish color, it can be difficult to tell if a plant is healthy.
These lights are frequently used in greenhouses to supplement the natural blue light and help promote blooming and fruiting on hothouse plants.
7. Dual Arc Lights
A combination of MH and HPS within the same bulb provides both red and blue spectrum light.
This is a decent solution for lighting for the full life of a flowering plant. Dual Arc Lights are not as effective as using individual color spectrum lights and changing them from cool to warm as needed by the plant.
The Timing for Lighting Your Plants
Like all living beings, plants have a cycle of day and night in nature. While using grow lights would enable one to provide 24 hours of light a day, that is not healthy for your plants.
Ideally, you should time your lighting to coincide with the number of hours of sunlight in a typical day. You should aim for 12 to 16 hours of light.
Plants need around 8 hours of darkness to reset and produce flowers. Just like sleep for humans, plants become rejuvenated during this time of darkness.
If this is going to be difficult for you to manage, you can set your lighting system up on a timer. This will enable you to ensure that your plants have a consistent light schedule needed for optimum growth.
This Century 7 Programmable Digital Timer is a cost-effective solution. It can be programmed to turn your light on or off, helping to maintain the correct lighting schedule for your plants.
How to Space Your Lighting
Different kinds of bulbs need varying distances from your plants due to the heat they emit.
Place your lighting directly over the plants to mimic midday sun. Ensure your setup has enough bulbs to provide light to all plants, with exact placement dictated by the plants' needs.
If plants get too hot or the light is too direct, leaves can burn, causing damage or death. Adjust the light positioning if you notice any issues.
Lights suspended from an adjustable chain are ideal as they can be moved up or down as the plants grow and their needs change.
- Fluorescent lighting produces the least heat and should be positioned between 3 inches and 12 inches from your plants.
- LED lighting should be 12 inches to 24 inches from plants.
- HID lighting can be anywhere from 24 inches to 60 inches, depending on the types of plants and the lighting system itself, as well as the wattage of the bulbs.
Grow Light Accessories
You can purchase individual bulbs or grow light kits, which often include light hoods and reflectors to direct light. A timer can automate your light schedule for optimal plant growth.
MH and HPS lights need ballasts to control wattage. HPS ballasts have an igniter for the sodium in the bulb, while all electrical ballasts can light an MH bulb.
A switchable ballast can be used with either MH or HPS bulbs of equal wattage, allowing gardeners to switch bulbs during the growing season based on plant needs.
Keep it Safe
When dealing with electricity, safety is crucial. Different bulbs have their own potential hazards.
Periodically check your equipment for frayed wires or faulty connections, which can deteriorate after a few seasons. Keep cords and electrical equipment away from watering systems to minimize electrocution risk.
HID systems can contain toxic substances like mercury, which poses a health hazard if the bulb breaks. Ensure these lights are secured and behind a protective lens.
Each type of HID light requires its own ballast; using the wrong one can cause electrical overloads or fires.
Wear protective eyewear around grow lights as they may emit UV radiation, which can damage your vision.
Brighten Up Your Green Space: Mastering Grow Lights for a Thriving Vertical Garden
And there you have it—everything you need to know to get started with grow lights for your vertical garden!
From choosing the right type of light to ensuring safety and proper usage, you're now equipped to help your indoor garden thrive.
Remember, whether you're starting seeds, propagating cuttings, or extending your growing season, grow lights are a game-changer.
They allow you to create the perfect environment for your plants, no matter what the weather is like outside.
So, set up those lights, watch your plants flourish, and enjoy the green oasis you’ve created right in your home!