In general, when buying grow lights, more light intensity is better. Bulbs range in price, light intensity, and light spectrum. It is increasingly common for lights to be labeled “for greens and seeds” or “for flowers and fruit”. If you are just using grow lights to start seeds or to grow leafy vegetables, stick to lights that are labeled either as blue-green spectrum or balanced light spectrum. Typically, plants use more blue and blue-green light when they are seedlings, and more red light later on in their life cycles when they begin to flower and produce seeds. Plants use light in the photosynthetically active radiation spectrum, which includes wavelengths ranging from 400 (violet) to 700 (red) nanometers. Both types are typically available at local hardware stores, online and at garden centers. They also do not produce excess heat and have become available in a wide variety of shapes and sizes. LEDs are usually more expensive than fluorescent bulbs, but they are very energy-efficient and long-lasting. There are other types of grow lights like sodium vapor lights, but they are harder to find and more commonly used in commercial greenhouse settings.įor many years, fluorescent shop lights were the go-to seed starting bulbs for gardeners, but LEDs have quickly replaced them as the standard choice. Most gardeners use either fluorescent lights or light-emitting diode (LED) bulbs. Bulb technologyĪ small shop light can provide coverage to one or two trays. If you’re starting multiple seedling flats, a longer shop light will allow fairly uniform coverage across your trays. A better, usually more expensive option, would be a tube light that is the length of your seedling tray so that the light is more evenly distributed. So, if you only have one tray of seedlings, a single bulb model will likely work fine, especially if you have some natural lighting to supplement it like a bright window. If it’s off to the side or too high above them, they will stretch to reach it, resulting in thin, weak stems. Ideally, your light should be positioned directly above your seedlings. The best size and shape for you depends on the orientation of your seed starting setup. Grow lights are sold in a variety of shapes and sizes, from bulbs that look like those you would put in a lamp, to clip-on rods, to long shop lights. Let's break down which options may best suit your seed-starting needs. They come in a variety of colors, shapes and prices.

If you’ve shopped for grow lights recently, you have likely noticed that there are a lot of different options for seed-starting lights.

Etting up grow lights for seedlings