What bulb is best for growing plants?

Category: home and garden outdoor decorating
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Incandescent lights



Also know, can you use regular light bulbs to grow plants?

Regular incandescent bulbs get quite warm, and they aren't all that energy efficient. They give off more red wavelength light than white. So can a regular light bulb help plants grow? Yes, you can grow a plant with them, but it's not the best idea.

Additionally, what color light is best for plants? Red and blue light are most effective for plant growth, while green has minimal effect. UV light can damage plants, causing leaves to burn. Greenhouse growers use supplemental light for optimal plant growth.

Additionally, which grow lights are best?

Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH) & Light Emitting Ceramic (LEC) Grow Lights

  • HIDs are the most efficient type of grow light (gets the highest yields/watt).
  • Of all the HIDs, HPS grow lights are the most efficient and the best for the flowering stage.

What light bulb is closest to natural sunlight?

Halogen bulbs are a variation of incandescent. They give the closest approximation of natural daylight, known as "white light." Colors appear sharper under halogen light and the bulbs can be dimmed.

28 Related Question Answers Found

What type of bulb to grow plants?

Incandescent lights are good for lighting up a room or growing low-light houseplants, such as vines, ferns or dracaenas. They have limited utility for growing plants with higher light requirements. These lights put out only about 10 percent of their energy as light while 90 percent is heat.

Can any LED light be used as a grow light?

You can use any LED Lights to grow plants, but that doesn't mean your plants will grow healthy or efficiently. So the short answer is yes. You need to ensure your plants are receiving light from a full spectrum LED light and that only comes from the best LED grow lights.

What is the difference between a grow light and a regular light bulb?

Obviously, these are two very different lights used for very different purposes. Grow lights are very specifically constructed to aide in various stages of plant growth. Regular lights are made for everyday use, and although many are used for specific purposes, they all are based on human needs and consumption.

How far from plants should a grow light be?

TIP: Place grow lights directly over plantings to mimic natural sunlight. As a rough guide, incandescent grow light bulbs should be at least 24 inches over your plants. Fluorescent and LED lights have a lower heat signature, so they can be placed 12 and 6 inches over plants respectively.

How many lumens does a plant need?


The optimal light would be 7000 to 7500 lumens per square foot. If the plant only requires minimum lighting, it should be approximately 2000 lumens per square foot. For the mid-range measurement, it should be approximately 5000 lumens per square foot.

Will 5000k LED grow plants?

Go higher than 5000K, and so much red light is left out from the spectrum your plants will grow slowly and without much vigor. They don't “need” blue for veg and they don't “need” red for flower, heck, they'll even grow under a completely green light source from start to finish!

Are house lights good for plants?

House plants adapt perfectly well to growing under artificial light. Incandescent lamps, however, even those offered for plants, produce light of poor quality that promotes weak, unhealthy growth. They are only good choices for house plants receiving some natural light.

How much does it cost to run a 1000w LED Grow Light?

Grow Light Operating Cost
1000 watt Sodium 600 watt Sodium
Cost per Month $52.80 $31.92
Initial Lumens 130000 89000
Mean Lumens 126000 81000
Mean Lumens per Watt 114 121

How do I choose a grow light?

Four Steps to Picking the Right Grow Lights
  1. Pick Grow Lights That Are Full Spectrum. In order to properly photosynthesize (use light to produce energy to feed themselves), plants rely on different wave lengths of light.
  2. Pick Grow Lights That Use Less Energy.
  3. Pick Grow Lights That Are Lower Maintenance.
  4. Ask Before You Buy.

How many plants can I grow with a 300w LED light?


How Many Plants Can I Grow?
Grow Space Size Minimum Number of Watts Required Number of Plants You Can Grow
6 sq ft (2×3) 300w 1-6 plants
9 sq ft (3×3) 450w 1-9 plants*
12 sq ft (3×4) 600w 1-12 plants*
16 sq ft (4×4) 800w 1-16 plants*

What's better led or HPS?

LED grow lights are more energy efficient. They produce the same amount of light as HPS lights but consume substantially less energy. LED grow lights do not produce as much heat as HPS lights, avoiding the need for additional ventilation or airflow systems.

Do grow lights really work?

But do growing lights work, really work that is? The short answer is that yes they do. The longer answer is that they will only work if you choose the right kind of light to use. All grow lights seek to reproduce the same kind of light that the sun makes, thus being able to help stimulate a plant into growing.

Are grow lights worth it?

They may illuminate a room rather well and provide a nice warm glow, but since they emit only a small portion of usable photosynthetic light they provide little energy for plant growth. Weighing all of the factors, I would say yes, LED lights grow lights are worth the cost.

Are LED lights bad for your eyes?

LED light can damage eyes, health authority warns. The "blue light" in LED lighting can damage the eye's retina and disturb natural sleep rhythms, France's government-run health watchdog said this week. LED uses only a fifth of the electricity needed for an incandescent bulb of comparable brightness.

Are kind LED lights worth the money?


Conclusion. Overall the Kind LED brand is a quality product, but they aren't always worth the price. They standardly use 3-watt diodes, but they like to boost the price with a perfect mix of 3 and 5-wattage LEDs. Although the 5-wattage diodes are brighter this blend doesn't justify the price increase.

What helps plants grow faster?

Inorganic fertilizers provide immediate nutrients to plants and help them grow faster. Organic fertilizers take longer to release in the soil, but they create a healthier soil over time. If your goal is to take an existing plant and make it grow faster, then use inorganic fertilizer.

Is blue light or red light better for plants?

The effect of blue light on plants is directly related to chlorophyll production. Plants that receive plenty of blue light will have strong, healthy stems and leaves. Red light is responsible for making plants flower and produce fruit.