Lighting for Your Indoor Garden

    When you make the decision to pursue indoor gardening, you are faced with many decisions as far as what supplies to purchase and which styles of equipment to use. The choices may seem overwhelming and endless, but they do not have to be confusing. When it comes to choosing a light for your indoor gardening needs, the decision is simple with just a little guidance. There are two major types of indoor grow lights. One is mainly decorative and serves no real plant health purpose, and the other will be highly beneficial to your indoor gardening needs. Here are the different types of lights and what they work well for:

 

Incandescent Grow Lights: made more for decoration than for actual use, incandescent lights mainly are used to show off your beautiful indoor garden. Incandescent lamps do not do anything beneficial for your plants, so you cannot depend on them to help grow your garden. Instead use these to highlight your hard work just as you might do with a painting.

 

     Fluorescent Grow Lights: these lamps are the ones to choose when growing your indoor gardening. Fluorescent lights are highly beneficial to your plants’ well being, and you have three basic types to choose from, each with their own benefits. High Output lamps are sort of a catch all, perfect for growing all types of indoor plants, these lamps produce little or no heat, so they do not disrupt the plant’s growing cycle. Standard Fluorescent lamps are perfect for growing seedlings since they do not put out the strong rays of the high output variety. They also work well for growing leafy greens like cabbages and herbs. The third type of fluorescent lamp is the compact fluorescent. This type uses a concentrated ray that is reflected off of a system of mirrors and works very well for large house plants.

 

     Depending on the type of indoor gardening you will be doing, you will need to choose the correct lamp for your needs. A small herb garden will need different light than a larger tropical garden. So, with that in mind, you will be able to choose the perfect lamp for your indoor garden. Once you have the right grow light for your gardening, you will be ready to get started on your new hobby!

Indoor Gardening

So, you have decided you would like to start an indoor garden and you have no idea where to start. Well, there are certain supplies you will need to get your garden growing. While these supplies will not give you an automatic green thumb, they will get you started in your indoor gardening venture.

 

     Since you will be growing your plants in an environment with little or no natural light, you will need a good plant grow light. There are many different types of grow lights available for purchase. Incandescent grow lights are more used for décor than to actually help grow the plants. These lights work well to show off your indoor garden, but are not really beneficial to the plants. Fluorescent grow lights are extremely beneficial to an indoor garden, and there are three different types to choose from. High-output fluorescent lights are excellent for all types of indoor gardening; they do not produce very much heat, making them ideal for plant growing. Standard fluorescent lights do not put out as much light as the high output type, but they make perfect growers for seedlings as well as herbs and leafy greens. Compact fluorescent lights put all the power of a fluorescent light into a compact beam of light. These lamps work with reflectors to make sure the plant gets the right amount of light and work well for larger plants. The choice for lighting should be based on what type of plants you intend to grow and how much light they need. 

 

     You will also need trays in which to plant seedlings, pots and stands for the larger plants, a watering system of some sort, and peat or potting soil to grow the plants in. You can also purchase other optional items, like pest control sticks to keep gnats and flies away. A good thermometer is a good idea since many plants cannot tolerate vast changes in temperature. You may also consider sprouting boxes to help your little seedlings along. 

     

     And, most important of all, you will need your plants. You may choose to start your gardening directly from seeds, or you may choose to purchase seedlings. Either way, make sure to plan out what types of plants you want to grow and make purchases accordingly. Now, you have all your supplies, and it is time to get gardening. Have fun and happy growing!