In a perfect world, you'd have plenty of windows for all your houseplants to sunbathe. But if you've got a room with few windows or a dark corner, your plants aren't going to be happy. While many plants can adapt to lower light conditions, they won't look their best. Plus, they'll also be more susceptible to pests and disease. How can you tell if your plant is struggling? A plant that isn't getting sufficient light will not bloom and may drop leaves or stretch toward the light, creating an unattractive, gangly stem with sparse leaves. A grow light can solve these issues!

What plants need a grow light?

Certain plants require impeccable bright light for the majority of the day, described as needing "full sun". Light-loving plants include most flower and vegetable seedlings, warm season annual crops like tomatoes or pepper plants, and hemp. Those guys will all benefit from a grow light while they're indoors, no matter how naturally bright the space is. Succulents, cacti, microgreens, and herbs also enjoy full sun, but may be grown successfully inside without the use of grow lights as long as they're near a very sunny window (ideally south-facing if you live in the northern hemisphere).

On the other hand, some plants can get by with lower to moderate light, such as pothos, philodendron, or sansveria - all popular houseplants. Ferns, orchids, and leafy greens can also happily grow in partial shade. Whether or not your houseplants will need a grow light depends on your space. In our home, we've found the ambient light from our windows is adequate for most common houseplants. However, plants in darker homes or interior rooms without windows will greatly appreciate a light!

Which grow light should I buy?

You'll have to evaluate your unique needs to decide. As you read through the information below, consider the area and type of plants you want to use grow lights for. For example, how much square footage you need the grow light to cover. Will you need multiple lights, or one strong one? Can the style you're looking at 'daisy chain' or connect several lights together? Is there a lot of headroom above your plant to hang a light high? Or, will it need to be kept fairly low, such as over trays of seedlings in between shelves?

The price for grow lights also varies widely, so do whatever fits within your budget. No matter what you choose, providing indoor plants with supplemental light will make them significantly more happy than going without!

Optic LED Slim 600H Dimmable LED Grow Light 600W 

Features:
This Optic LED Grow Light is for any vertical grower or vertical farmer who is seeking the highest level of efficiency and latest grow light technology to take their vertical farming to the next level. The New Optic LED Slim 600H Gen2 Vertical Farming LED Grow Light is a new era in vertical farming. This slim, sleek and advanced grow light takes the industry to levels that were never seen before at prices affordable for all budgets. Slim 600H Gen2 delivers uniform light intensity, which promotes even growth across your canopy. Dimming gives you full control of how intense it gets to reduce BTU output without sacrificing efficiency or their lifespan. The Slim 600H Gen2 comes in at 4.6 LEDs per watt which increases the cost but also delivers industry-best efficacy for LED Grow Lights.

ChilLED Growcraft X5–600 Watt DIY Kit

Features:
This ChilLED Grow Light will boost your indoor garden and grow yields to increase profits 30% - 70+% without any added heat, energy costs, or cooling requirements. The X5 600 watt was designed to support all stages of your plant's growth, emitting a full spectrum of intense light so your garden thrives and produces an abundant harvest. This high-performance fixture provides a large footprint, fits easily in any environment, and its brightness can be adjusted between 5% and 100% to reduce operational costs, making it a perfect replacement for traditional HPS bulbs. The X5's passive cooled design means no moving part so the system's heat dissipates slowly while creating minimal noise. The X5 has been designed to support all the growth stages of a plant's life cycle. The LEDs in this quality grow light emit a full spectrum, giving your indoor plants a welcomed boost.

Fluorescent vs LED Grow Lights

LED grow lights are all the rage these days! LED, which stands for light emitting diodes, are very efficient, and can also be quite powerful. Yet some old school gardeners swear by their classic fluorescent lights instead.

Note that there are many types of 'fluorescent' lights, including compact fluorescent lights (CFLs), basic fluorescent tubes, high-output T5 fluorescent tubes, and more. When it comes to fluorescent grow lights, T5s are considered the best choice for plants. T8 tubes aren't quite as effective and bright, but are cheaper and can do a decent job for indoors seedlings or lettuce plants.

In general, a standard 45 or 60 watt incandescent light bulb (or LED equivalent) that you'd use in a household lamp fixture will not provide sufficient light for starting seeds or growing other plants that require ample light.

Differences between LED and fluorescents:

LED lights are generally more energy-efficient than fluorescents, and therefore lead to lower electric bills. 
LED lights typically have a higher upfront cost than classic fluorescent tube lights, but may have a longer lifespan. 

Since they're made up of dozens of diodes, LED lights come in a wider variety of shapes and sizes. T5 fluorescents are long slender tubes (e.g. "shop lights") with either one or several tubes mounted in a ballast fixture. 

Per watt, LED lights give off more lumens of light. Therefore, a compact LED fixture has the potential to give off stronger light than a comparatively larger T5 fixture (but it depends on each light's specifications). Some LED lights are weaker than T5s.

It is usually recommended to keep LED grow lights suspended significantly higher above plants (feet) than T5 fluorescent lights, while fluorescents can be kept only inches above plants. This makes fluorescents more ideal for shelving systems with close quarters.

Quick Tips for Working With Grow Lights

Like everything, plants need rest. Arrange for at least 8 hours with the lights out each day. If you have trouble maintaining a schedule, put your grow lights on an automatic timer.

Place grow lights about 12 inches from your plants for the best performance.

Don't pack your plants tightly underneath the grow lights. Allow space between each plant to ensure air movement. Add a small fan to circulate air around each plant. Space and air movement prevent fungus from growing in your containers.

Research and experiment to find the ideal conditions for growing inside of your home. Plants and homes are unique in the amount of natural light and airflow that exists. Play with different lights, platforms and fans to discover the optimal conditions to create happy, healthy plants.

Conclusion

Whether you're a pro-gardener or testing out your green thumb for the first time, using grow lights is a simple and effective way to get your plants the light they need. If your home's natural light situation isn't cutting it, get one of these light options today.