By RJ Frometa October 6, 2019
If you are planning on setting up an indoor garden and growing indoor plants, you need sufficient light. South-facing windows may provide adequate light for your window sill plants but for a vegetable garden and other sun-loving plants to mature, what you need are grow lights.
The grow lights are different from conventional indoor lights as these lights are not enough to enable photosynthesis. The incandescent bulb does not have the right spectrum of light, or intensity, to substitute the sun. A fluorescent lamp can be used as a grow light, provided that it is close to the foliage and kept running for 16 hours every day, which is not ideal.
Cool vs. Warm: Why are Color Spectrum Important in Grow Lights
There are different types of grow lights, and shopping for one can be confusing. You will notice that some are labeled with 4000K or 2700K. These numbers refer to the relative coolness and warmth of the bulb on the color spectrum. You have to remember, the higher the number, the cooler the light. Most plants would need the warmth of about 6500K for growth, but for it to bear flowers and fruits, plants need about 3000K.
To put in context, if you need to produce seedlings, crops, and leafy green vegetables, you need higher spectrum bulbs. For flowering plants or any fruiting plants, you may need a low spectrum bulb.
Types of Grow Lights: Which is Which?
There are three kinds of grow lights that you can find: fluorescent, LED, and HID. Each of them caters to different growth needs.
You can use a standard fluorescent bulb, or commonly denoted as T12 in your local hardware can be a decent grow light for your houseplants or seedlings. It is enough to supplement the natural light coming from a window or when there is modest lighting coming inside your home. It has a weaker light intensity so; you have to place it near the foliage to affect. You can buy CFLs (compact fluorescent light) for smaller spaces.
LED grow lights are generally more expensive than fluorescent bulbs, but they are more energy-efficient and can last five times longer. The average LED bulb available in the har…Click link below for complete article
