Using Regular Fluorescent Lights To Grow Plants

The commonly used kinds of regular led lights for growing plants are fluorescent and incandescent bulbs.

Using regular fluorescent lights to grow plants.

Best cfl grow light setup. The short answer is. However since plants are only looking for heat and light and don t care about their carbon footprint fluorescent lights work just fine as grow lights. However they rarely support photosynthesis and if you keep them too close to the plants the heat will be damaging.

This will improve plants yield to a large extent and offer better harvest. Special led and fluorescent grow lights will work but so will less expensive fluorescent tube bulbs. Be sure the light source is within 6 inches of the plant foliage for the best results. A compact fluorescent light cfl bulb.

However for the regular led grow light you need to ensure that the light you use has the right color temperature. Using fluorescent garden lights to enhance plant growth allows you to grow a host of plants in an interior space. They can be used in reflectors sized to hold from one to eight bulbs in two to four foot reflecting fixtures. The technology has improved but for the past 25 years a regular fluorescent light is all i have been using to start seeds and grow plants with great results.

But it s not quite so simple. So why spend the extra money for plant lights when they just aren t necessary. T5 fluorescent bulbs t for tubular 5 meaning they measure 5 8 inch in diameter are a common choice for growing plants indoors. Regular lights are very easy to find cost less than the grow lights and may help your plants just a little bit.

The right kind of grow lights can make all the difference in how your plants perform. Even though they were still producing light they ended up being no better than a regular fluorescent bulb. As a very general rule of thumb plan for one cfl bulb per medium plant. Use a grow tent or white reflective material around your plants to steer light back to your plant.

Use a basic light timer available at any home improvement store to run your grow light on a regular schedule. Here are some tips for using cfl lights. Newly emerged seedlings and young plants grow well with the aid of full spectrum light both blue wavelengths and red wavelengths. Cfls do generate some heat compared to leds but don t need to be actively cooled.

To provide light to a few plants on a shelf you may only need a two foot fixture with a single bulb. Also regular bulbs don t provide the full color spectrum that every plant needs during the entire growth. Any type of fluorescent light will help any type of plant grow whether it is cannabis or lettuce or orchids. Standard indoor lights do little to influence photosynthesis while using fluorescent lighting placed closely to the top of the plants can help drive this important plant process.

While you can use any type of tube or bulb and see results you want to provide the kind of light your plants want most.