How to use grow lights for houseplants: What are grow lights?
Everyone knows plants need light to grow, but not all light sources are the same. Growing lights allow you to cultivate beautiful indoor plants in any climate, any time of year. There are many different types of grow lights that are all specifically designed to stimulate photosynthesis and help your plants grow.
Science basics: What is photosynthesis?
Remember learning about photosynthesis in middle school science class? Great, let’s get back to basics for a minute. Photosynthesis is a process that occurs in plants. It converts light energy into chemical energy that the plant can then use to grow. Photosynthesis occurs differently depending on the plant.
This means that plants sometimes require different wavelengths of light to grow. Grow lights can either mimic the light spectrum of the sun or emit specific wavelengths needed to help an indoor plant flourish. For example, blue light can help with foliage, while red has an effect on root formation and flowering.
What’s the difference between grow lights and traditional lights?
So what’s the difference between grow lights and traditional lights? Wavelengths and heat. Traditional lights only offer narrow wavelengths, meaning your plants won’t get the right light, and photosynthesis cannot occur. Additionally, traditional grow lights for indoor plants give off heat, which can easily scorch and burn your plants.
Grow lights, on the other hand, support photosynthesis by offering a wide range of wavelengths, as well as specific lighting depending on your plant’s needs. Grow lights also consume less energy and do not give off heat like a traditional bulb, making it safer for your plants.
1. Incandescent weed grow lights
These are the most commonly found, least expensive light bulbs; you can find these at a hardware or grocery store. They are the typical light bulb you’d use in a lamp. However, they aren’t the best choice as a grow light because they give off a lot of heat which can scorch your plants, and they aren’t very energy efficient or long lasting.
2. Fluorescent grow lights
Fluorescent light bulbs are typically sold as long tubes or compact fluorescent reflector (CFL), which you might recognize as a spiral bulb. Unlike incandescent bulbs, these do not produce a lot of heat so they are safe for your plants. The light they emit is also easy on the eyes.
Fluorescent bulbs can give off the full spectrum—warm for flowering, and cool for vegetation. Fluorescents tend to be on the pricier side. However, they last a long time and are very energy efficient.

3. LED grow lights
LED stands for light emitting diodes; these lights are made out of many little diodes that each emit light. These are the most high-tech led grow lights samsung as of yet because they produce a wide range of wavelengths while giving off almost no heat.

Additionally, they do not consume a lot of energy and can be customized depending on which color light your plant needs. The grow lights I have are all commerical led grow light strips, and I’ve been really happy with them.