Every gardening enthusiast is excited about bringing nature inside the home. We can accomplish thriving indoor gardening with the help of grow lights. Indoor grow lights have a learning curve.
Grow lights do not need to be on around the clock. This is because when the lights are off at night, the plants go through a growth and restoration period. To keep track of your light schedule use a timer for your grow lights.
In this article we will look at the ins and outs of operating your indoor grow lights and what kind of grow lights could be most beneficial to your indoor gardening.
Should I Run My Grow Lights At Night
Like the sun’s cycle, it is unnecessary to run grow lights around the clock. Yes, some plants need more sunlight than others. So depending on what species of plants you are lighting, this would determine how long during the day you run your grow lights.
A good general rule of thumb to remember, if your plant is flowering or a vegetable it needs 12 to 16 hours of light in a day and 8 hours of darkness to rest.
Listed below are a few examples of how much light we need for certain plants.
Plants that need 6 to 8 hours of light
- Strawberries
- Cherry Tomatoes
- Basil
- Rosemary
- Thyme
Plants that need 8 to 12 hours of light
- Begonia
- Ferns
- African Violet
Plants that need 14 to 18 hours of light
- Aloe Vera
- Large Tomatoes
- Cucumbers
- Figs
- Lemon Tree
- Small Orange Tree
The citrus trees tend to grow larger even if a dwarf size, so they will need a larger space to grow and larger lights hanging 6 to 12 inches from the plants. You will want to keep your lights about six to eight inches away from the plants so they do not burn from being too close. If you have a variety of plants and some require being closer you can prop them up, so that way the others have adequate room to grow.
How Can I Tell If My Plants are Thriving Under A Grow light?
Learning to grow and care for your plants while utilizing grow lights takes a little trial and error before perfecting the system. Let’s say you have successfully started your seedlings and you can visibly see them growing and changing every day. How can you tell if your plants are healthy? Look for some of these signs of a failing plant.
- Long Thin or Reaching Plants Limbs
- Small and bitter fruits
- Limp leaves
- Leaves that look shriveled up
- Yellowing or Browning of leaves
- Small leaf growth
Try These Solutions If Your Plants are Showing These Signs
- Add More Blue or natural Light
- Check for Adequate watering
- Check PH of the soil
- Fertilize
- Check for root rot from over watering
- Check for mites or other invasive pests
3 Accessories For The Grow Light Guru
- LED Grow Room Glasses
- These Hydroponic LED Grow Room Glasses are made specifically for observing your plants in the grow room without disrupting the light cycle. They will protect your eyes from straining under the grow lights and protect you from unwanted rays.
- Heavy Duty Adjustable Grow Light Ratchet Rope Hanger
- These adjustable grow light rope hangers are useful to those who have multiple hanging grow lights with 150lb capacity. As plants grow taller adjust the ropes as needed.
- Light Timer
- The plant light timer will help you keep track of how much light your plant is getting during the day, and how much of a resting period at night. The timer is conveniently programmable.
Types of Indoor Grow Lights
There is a variety of grow lights available on the market. What is best for you is dependent on how much greenery you are growing and how much light they require. Pay attention to the lumens in your light choices.
The lumens will tell you how bright the light is, indicating how far away the light can be from the plant. You want to choose a light that fits your space and will offer enough light for your plant. Too much light or heat and you could fry your plant and poor lighting will result in poor plant growth.
Free Standing Grow Lights
Free standing grow lights do not require suspension from the ceiling or any hardware to install. Simply place in the desired location and plug it in! Some of these lights can sit or clip onto a surface. Check out some of these options below:
Desk Clip LED Grow Light This double headed clip on desk light gives off 10 watts with a 360 Degree swivel head for easy positioning. The light has a built-in timer and gives off both red and blue lights which plants love. This lamp has an aluminum shell which assists in heat and warmth for your plants. This type of lamp is ideal for smaller potted plants.
Hanging Grow Light
Hanging LED grow light by Roleadro:
This hanging LED light is larger than your typical lamp. It is 75 Watts and is meant to hang above your plants. Because it is a hanging light it will cover a broader area for multiple plants. It has an even distribution of blue and red bulbs to help your plants thrive. It has 6000 to 65000 k. This light can be used for plants and even for an aquarium. One of the perks of this light is it has a 30 month warranty and customer support service for any questions you may have.
Grow Light Bulbs
GE Full Spectrum grow light bulb: This is a 9 watt light bulb and offers a balanced spectrum for your plants.
Grow Light Garden
LED Grow Garden: The grow light garden will save the hassle of placing your plants on the right shelving with the right lighting area. Instead it is all built in together for you. Much like an aquarium but made for growing plants.
This particular grow garden is compact and versatile. You could place on a countertop in the kitchen when growing herbs for cooking or in a decorative area with succulents. It would make a fine starter grow light.
Which Color Grow Lights Are Best
Grow lights are designed to mimic the sun’s light. The sun even though it appears yellow-sih is not just one color. It is made up of a spectrum of light.
There are different types of grow lights that differ by color and size. Just like when plants are outside they need that full spectrum of light they would naturally receive from the sun. These full spectrum lights offer both warm and cool light to the plant, combining red and blue. This is why you will find grow lights can be found to be
- White LED
- White LED lights are not just white as they appear to the naked eye. They actually contain a full spectrum of light that plants crave. This is why white LED lights are versatile and work well for fruit and vegetables. Look for white LED lights that say “grow light” on them for the best results.
- Red
- Red light is great for fruiting or flowering plants.
- Blue
- Blue is the cool color that focuses on green growth and creates the energy for the plant. Blue lights are ideal for plant growth especially vegetables and herbs.
7 Perks of Using Grow Lights
Some perks of investing in indoor grow lights are
- Starting Seedlings
- Year-round gardening opportunity
- Constant supply of Herbs
- Low Energy Cost
- Healthy energy for plants
- Controlled Environment
- Versatile
Grow Lights A Gift to Gardening
In conclusion we can see that grow lights are beneficial to the indoor gardener and can boost plants growth immensely. While they do not need to be on around the clock, they do need to be monitored for healthy and thriving plants.