Owning a grow light can be a great way to boost plant growth and to extend your growing seasons. Many plants have requirements for light that may not be met without supplemental lighting, depending on your location and the season. You should consider a grow light if you want to actively grow in the winter, especially if you live in a particularly cloudy area or if you have exceptionally short days (most plants like about twelve hours of light.) Without sufficient light, plants are not able to adequately photosynthesize and they will not mature properly. There are several types of grow lights available, which each produce specialized types of light that will benefit your plants in different ways at different stages in their lives.  You can find a complete listing of all available grow lights.

Fluorescent Grow Lights

These systems emit a soft light that contains the full spectrum of light. This type of lighting works well put directly over seedlings who are not getting enough light to stimulate growth. It should be used in small areas, rather than to light an entire greenhouse. The big advantage of fluorescent grow lights is the low heat which allows you to put the light within inches above the plant.

Metal Halide Grow Lights

These systems emit the violet and blue portions of the sun’s spectrum. This is the kind of light that is found during springtime. As a result, the plants have compact green growth, a stronger root system and are consequently more disease-resistant. For that reason, metal halide light is best for starting plants and supporting them while they are in early development.

High-Pressure Sodium Lights

These systems produce more of the orange and red spectrum. This light naturally occurs during late summer and fall and encourages flower production, fruiting and ripening. Therefore, this light is best for plants that are more mature and in production.

For metal halide or high-pressure sodium lights (which produce a much more intense light than fluorescent lights), a 400 Watt bulb is best used for approximately a 4' x 4' area, but it will give some coverage to an 8' x 8' greenhouse. If your plants require lots of light or if you have a larger greenhouse, a 1000 Watt bulb is more appropriate for that area. If you do not see the wattage you are looking for on our website, be sure to contact us so that we may special order the proper bulb for you.

T-5 Flourescent Grow Lights

Use less energy and get more light. T-5 full spectrum lamps are superior to other fluoresent lamps because they are thinner, lighter and more efficient, and capable of producing greater light intensity. One T-5 high output lamp produces virtually double the light output as other fluoresent lamps.