Grow Lights (Part 2)

Before I had a greenhouse, I always had a fascination with houseplants. Could I get them to grow? How big would they get? Would they produce any flowers? Many times the sunlight that comes in my windows was not strong enough to hit the plant stands just a few feet away. I was left to raise many types of houseplants that did not require full sun but all this changed as I started using grow lights in my extra kitchen spaces and I started experimenting with grow lights in my greenhouse as well.

The thing about using grow lights is that no matter how small the space is, or how limited you are with sunlight you can grow a great collection of herbs, plants and flowers! I am really proud of my shelf that I have my grow light protecting because it makes the corner of my living room colorful and bright. It used to be this dark little corner that no one was interested in and now all my family and my guests take notice of what I am growing.

On your quest to find a grow light that is just right for your home or in your greenhouse you will find that there are two types of lights that you can basically choose from. One is the fluorescent type light that you see in the grocery stores or in larger retail stores, and then there are high intensity lights.

Even with fluorescent and high intensity lights, there are different ranges of light from low, to medium and to bright. Most plants will only require a low amount of light to actually benefit from the light.

Fluorescent lights will not be as bright as the sun in your greenhouse or in your garden, but when the days are short and light is scarce a fluorescent light will help your plants get along for the money that you pay for them.

High intensity lights are a little more expensive but you can find high intensity lights that range from very low wattage to very bright and high wattage. Higher wattage lights are best used in the greenhouse or in a dark shed or basement, but in your home you will want to keep with a lower wattage because of the brightness. A 400-watt high intensity light will produce enough light for a six-foot square area for any type of light loving flower, plant or vegetable. You should consider using even a lesser wattage for an area in your home when you are using high intensity light as a grow light.

Fluorescent lights are readily available and less expensive and the high intensity lights are a little more expensive but great for raising plants in the middle of winter when the sun is a distant memory that will not return for a few more months.