March 11, 2022
Sometimes the toughest part about having houseplants is creating an environment for them to thrive. Worrying about your plants getting proper sun exposure can be difficult, but growlights are a simple solution! There are so many options for indoor lighting. Here’s the place to begin in your search for the best growlights for indoor plants.
Unlike the bulbs in chandeliers or sconces, grow lights emit a spectrum of light that’s similar to the sun.
Grow lights also give off less heat than traditional light sources, making them less likely to scorch your plants.
You can use grow lights to start seeds indoors before spring, care for outdoor plants that have moved inside for the winter, or grow plants indoors all year long. They can also act as stand-in windows for those who live in darker homes and need some help keeping sunlight-loving houseplants alive.
Mars Hydro SP 3000 LED Grow Light
Features:
The Mars Hydro LED Grow Light can accommodate up to 2.5' x 5' flower areas and 4' x 5' plant growth areas. Mars Hydro has a great reputation in the grower community. The successor to the popular Mars Hydro SP250, the SP 3000 LED Grow Light offers a range of new and improved features that make it a reliable, effective and long-lasting tool for any indoor grower. Among other impressive features, the fanless grow light features full-spectrum LEDs, a waterproof body, and the potential to increase production by 50%. The master designers at Mars Hydro have created the SP Series LED Grow Lights as a top-of-the-line LED option that combines a variety of features to take the device to the next level. Full-spectrum grow lights cover all necessary wavelengths, mimic natural light from the sun, and have removable drivers to reduce heat output.
ECO Farm ECO-GX Series 330W LED Grow Light Bar
Features:
This ECO Farm LED grow light uses OSRAM chips to provide the highest PAR/LUMEN output with the actual power of 330W. This LED grow light is very suitable for plant growth and flowering, making your growing life easy and convenient; and with a noiseless and fanless LED strip design, it is also a good choice for indoor growing side lighting for plants. This grow light also features a waterproof and dimmable Mean Well driver with auto-sensing power for 120VAC and 240VAC and 277VAC for large rooms and commercial setups. This grow light is covered with glue to protect the water from light, no need to worry about the high humidity greenhouse growing environment, and has a 50% longer lifespan compared to other brands of lights. ECO Farm LED Grow Lights feature full spectrum high output LEDs to provide optimal light for sowing, plant and flowering cycles, as well as herbs and other foods. Suitable for all stages of plant growth. Make your plants grow faster and develop better.
The decisions don’t stop once you choose between LEDs and fluorescents. There are many types of grow lights on the market these days, but these considerations can help narrow your search:
When you’ll be using them for: Again, fluorescent lights tend to be better for beginners who are using grow lights on a small plant collection for a limited time window (i.e., to start seeds). If you are a more advanced grower looking to keep plants alive year-round, or you’re working with a finicky crop you really want to see succeed, go with LEDs.
How much room you have: Do you have room for an entire shelving unit with built-in grow lights, or are you looking for a single bulb that can fit into an existing clamp light? Consider vertical space, too. “LED lights need to hang at least 14 to 24 inches above the plants, whereas fluorescent lights can hang as little as 3 inches above the plants, making it easy to hang several shop lights on one stacked shelving unit,” Kostovick explains. The more lumens a light has, the brighter it is and the farther away you can position it from your plants.
What you’re growing: Generally, lights that have a bluer hue (5,000 to 7,000 Kelvin) promote vegetative growth while red ones (3,500 to 4,500 Kelvin) are better for fruiting and flowering. The former tends to be better for leafy vegetables and herbs, while the latter is better for flowers, as Kostovick mentioned earlier. Plants that need a lot of sunlight will require brighter bulbs that have a higher wattage number.
After reviewing this guide, you should now know more about shopping for plant grow lights for your indoor plants. We recommend the ECO Farm grow light for its low power consumption, full-spectrum LED grow lights, and relatively affordable price. Those on a budget may appreciate the full-spectrum grow lamp, which offers great performance at a lower price point.
October 20, 2023