How to Use LED Grow Lights for Indoor Plants

2022-01-13

One of the biggest misconceptions about indoor plants I've come across is that they don't need much light. In actual fact, the opposite is true! To live indoors in our homes, and to keep providing us with lush and leafy growth, they'll need all the light they can get.

At the beginning of my indoor plant journey, I really had no idea about plants. I just found one that caught my eye and stuck it in the corner. As I slowly started learning more, I realized how I was caring for them probably was best for their needs.

Buy from Amazon: AntLux 4ft LED Grow Plant Lights

Buy from website: AntLux 4ft LED Grow Plant Lights

Giving plants as much light as possible can go against our plans to spruce up that bare corner or that dark room that needs some life added. What's a plant gal(or guy) to do?

That's when I discovered grow lights for indoor plants, and they're an absolute game changer! If you want your plants to thrive, need a plant for that low-light corner, or just want to grow plants indoor that normally wouldn't(like herbs, veggies, and flowers), a grow ligth can make it possible.

If grow lights are new to you, read on to learn specific advice on how to use grow lights for indoor plants.

What is a grow light(or plant light) anyway?

Plants use light differently from humans. Where we use light to see, plants use light as energy to photosythesize and grow. A grow light is specifically designed to give plants the right type of light in the spectrum that they need for life.

Can I just use a regular light bulb as a grow light?

While some regular light bulbs may produce some of the specific light waves needed for plants, they're mostly not effective when it comes to growing plants. This is because they're designed to brighten our homes. With a grow light the spectrum of light they use, how powerful they are, their colors, and even the design or shape of the light itself all go towards providing a plant with the maximum amount of energy they need to grow.

Some grow lights may appear to look similar to regular household globes. But keep in mind that how our eyes perceive light is very different from how plants perceive and use it.

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Buy from website: AntLux 4ft Full Spectrum Growing Lamp Fixture

How long should a grow light be left on?

How long a grow light should on really depends on a few factors. They include the particular light you're using, the environment your plant is in and what you're using the light for(eg, foliage growth, vegetables, or flowering).

The light you use should come with specific instructions. But as a general guide, here are a few tips.

• To be effective, grow lights really need to be on for at least 8-10 hours a day. This can vary up to 16 houes, depending on the conditions. That's why LED grow lights are so popular - when they have to be left on all day, it's best use an energy-efficient type!
• Always position a grow light above the plant. This replicats sunlight. Plants will naturally start to lean towards a light source, so above is always the best choise.
• If your grow light heat up, make sure it's not touching plants or getting too close to them.
• Young or shade-loving plants can get away with less powerful grow lights, whereas large plants and ones with big leaves that can absorb lots of light(eg Fiddle Leaf Figs) can love the benefits of a stronger light.

Where Should I Position My Grow Light?

What distance should a growlight be from my plants?

In general, plants will need to be within a couple of feet of a grow light to get any benefits. The closer a light is to the plant, the higher the light intenesity is.

The distance also really depends on the strength & type of light you're using. If you're worried, I would suggest starting off further away and bringing the light closer to see how your plants respond.

Generally, the closer a light is to a plant, the less width it covers. So if you're only after lighting a single plant, you can put the light closet to the plant(which means more light for the plant).

If you're lighting a few plants, consider the span of the bulb. You may need to have the grow light further away to cover multiple plants. Keep in mind that the further the grow light is from the plants, the less light they'll receive.

What colour grow light is best?

You may have noticed that grow lights come in all different colours. This is because plants use different light waves for different uses, such as flowering, fruiting or general leafy growth.

If you're looking to supplement a grow light for your indoor plants(aka leafy, green growth), I would suggest a full spectrum bulb. A full spectrum grow light will provide plants with the full range of light they need (and if you find a white one, they look much more appealing than the coloured ones)!

A full spectrum grow light is therefore great for common indoor plants such as fiddle leaf figs, philodendrons, calatheas, peace lilies, palms and more.

Other popular grow light colous are red, blue and red & blue together. Red light is great for flowering, while blue helps with vegetative growth. However if a plant gets too much of one colour, its possible they can grow a little deformed or out of shape.

So, what grow light should I use for my indoor plants?

For green, leafy indoor plant growth or to keep your plant babies alive through winter(or in darker homes), choose a full spectrum LED white grow light.

There are two sizes, a small and a large which have two different levels of light/power output. The small is best for low & medium-light-loving plants that are small in size. Pick the large size light if you're growing larger indoor plants or would like the option to hang the light highter over a group of plants indoors.

When we bring plants into our home, they become part of our decor and part of our lives! Not only do they clean the air and provide us with joy, but in return, I'll bet you want to lavish them with care to see them thrive in your home.

There's (almost) nothing better than seeing your plant babis grow lush, full, and healthy within your care. Grow lights provide us with the ability to do just that.