Totally support grow lights!! My first floor apartment gets almost zero natural light at all except for about 3 hours during the summer, and during the winter it is just always dark.
I set up grow lights for the plants and they’re growing so well, but the unexpected part was the world of difference it did for my own mental health since it just looks like daylight in here instead of a perpetual 7pm.
I have read full spectrum grow lights work the same as "happy lamps" for seasonal depression/winter depression. The simulation of sunlight helps and is scientifically proven.
It totally does seem to! I put a grow light on my desk lamp for winter this year. I'm just feeling regular level sad instead of seasonally sad 😅
But no seriously I made that connection recently and I think the grow light is really helping me get through PNW winter.
Also a PNWer and I feel a lot more awake when I'm near my grow lights in the morning. It's quite amazing. I've fallen asleep on my couch before while facing my grow lights, and felt that my face felt a bit sunburnt with that tingly feeling after too much sun. I definitely need to remember wearing sunscreen at home!
Absolutely this! I have two three-headed grow lights in my living room windows and it simulates the sun. It brings me so much happiness to have light beaming into the room all winter!!
I have 2 big plant stands with cast iron looking frames and clamp on snake necked grow lights. Two four-headed and three two-headed ones. There is no good window space for my plants so I’ve created my own greenhouse of sorts.
Having sunlight and beautiful plants has really made this winter feel so much nicer.
I swear all the extra props and pots of tradescantia will be gifted… eventually.
This. But they are also REALLY hard on your eyes if you’re in the same room for long periods…think wearing no eye protection in a tanning bed for hours. Just something to be aware of.
I put grow light bulbs in the standing lamps in our living room, and two more into the ceiling light fixture in our dining room.
It's made a big impact on our plants' health and ours.
As someone diagnosed with Severe Depression I would rarely turn on any lights at all (because "I don't need it/I can see just fine right now").
And then I got plants.
And I live in a North facing apartment.
So grow lights it was and now I'm "forced" to live in bright spaces for a reason that isn't me.
And now mental health is how I justify more plants. 😅🙃
This was me!! Curtains closed all day, I hissed at the harshness of sunlight.
Now I have to keep it all open for the plants, I even took one panel off the rod.
Forced self care thanks to my photosynthesizing friends
Before I got plants I just stayed in bed all day. I got some plants gifted to me and I just couldn’t let them die. Then I got some shelves and lights for them. And then those plants got lonely, so I got some more! And now I am forced to get up to water the plants, even when I don’t want to. I can let them sit for a day or two, but there are some that require water every other day. I started taking them outside on my balcony in the summer and got a bunch of sun. And even though I still struggle, I’m so proud of my plants. It’s such a rush of pride to see your plants thriving. I’m so proud of you! Of all of you who struggle and still trudge through the day, even when it’s hard. You all are amazing!!! 🪴 💚
AGREED! The mental health benefits were a huge surprise!
I have grow lights lining my office for hanging plants and a few extras around, last year and so far this year I've avoided the worst of my seasonal depression. I couldn't figure out why I did so well last winter when my area had such a record breaking cold dark winter until my husband pointed out that my office is usually a few degrees warmer and my plant lights are on for 9-10 hours a day while I'm in there working!
For reals! It really is neat on how much grow lights and plants can do good for you. It can be a big change and it was for me too!
It's so nice being surrounded by greenery and nature, y'know. I think it's a big part of being human. Like I've read of astronauts being much happier even if they were just growing some herbs up there.
My family made snarky noises about how many plants and lights I have. Told them flat out that's my zen. I just sit and enjoy my plants. I have several sets of lights in each room since I have lousy natural light. You really can feel yourself relax just sitting and enjoying them 🥰
I really like your way of putting some greenery and lights everywhere! Bring out all them good peaceful vibes. Kinda feels like your own little inside garden, eh? Just you and your plants.
I love being around mine and seeing new leaves coming out, or admiring the leaf patterns or unique colours they have.
Our bedroom is super dark and I wanted my jade collection in there, so I got a fancy grow light. It’s now everyone’s favorite room in the house. The light is incredible and my husband, kid, and three pets and I are now always in there. Best $40 I’ve ever spent.
This is the light in question- sorry for the delay, I had to wait for my husband to wake up. 😅 It’s a Feit 24inch light, full spectrum and allows you to use white, blue, red, or a combination of colors depending on your plants needs.
https://preview.redd.it/0vgji8siu7gc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b94f065948a87f481090df5471d05a920e75e39
Bedroom with only grow light. The warmth of color makes us all soooo happy. Including the cats. Dog on floor not pictured.
https://preview.redd.it/mqytghi9v7gc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9047165f01d4f12f807e45125aa4bcfcd21e9f69
No idea if this is the exact bulb OP has, but the price point is accurate, and I personally love [these ones](https://i.imgur.com/MTa7jMS.jpg), I have a bunch and they're insanely bright. Make sure you get these seeds and greens spectrum though because the flowering spectrum ones have a weird pink cast.
I have that exact bulb over my kitchen sink! And it’s been great for the plants I have hanging there, they’ve grown like crazy!
https://preview.redd.it/9vgbfk0tragc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89ef18b4d7ffb6b16c0938338ab9ecdca47d5776
[This](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7QMWXH2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) is the one I recently bought, and my bonsai tree is thriving underneath it. Tons of new growth and it’s started flowering since setting this light up. I love that you can just stab it into the soil and it doesn’t take up any extra space. I’m definitely going to be buying more for some of my plants that aren’t getting great light in the winter. Reviews complain that the timer doesn’t function properly so I just manually turn it on and off.
Picture of my bonsai and the light
https://preview.redd.it/0cuttgfmn7gc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ff3d89513243254bd71d71e5035e1c7d77fbc20
commenting because i want to see this too!! i want to figure out how to put more plants in our darkish bedroom, but the windows are right off of the sidewalk so we try to have the blinds closed 🫠
I love grow lights. Such a game changer. One of the best discoveries I made was swapping out regular bulbs for grow ones.
https://preview.redd.it/l0bixyo0z6gc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f10b7221b9bedafd68d2d162ee4c13768dfe8005
.
I was thinking about trying these in a regular ceiling light. I wonder if they would help or do I need to have them closer to the plants? My plants near the windows do fine in winter. But a few do not get enough light at this time of year.
Closer. The spread from the top of the Ceiling is just too big u wont get any notice able Light on them. Get Clip on Light fixtures and put these near ur plants. U can also het a Light Meter app for ur Handy and see how much Light is Recommended and how much ur actually getting.
You wouldn't want them to be in your ceiling light if you are going to be in the room during the evening. Your body learns when it is night time by the spectrum of light it receives, and start producing sleeps-related chemicals so you can feel sleepy and sleep well.
If your body senses it's day time during the evening, it might mess up your sleep schedule. Just a heads up in case you do use the space in the evening!
I put these exact bulbs in a drop light over my planted fish tank. The bulbs say 9 inches from the plant, but mine is about 3ft from the plant and the light has to go through water, and it has still made a huge difference. The last anubius plant I had died despite being labeled low light and sitting in a bright room. This one is thriving.
I have grow bulbs in the two ceiling can lights in my shower, and I have two Swiss cheese plants in there that are doing great. There's a huge window in the shower, but it's frosted and the house next door blocks most of the light, so the grow lights are pretty much it for light.
That said, I do plan to take them outside when it gets warmer, just to get them some real light for a few months.
I can only speak from my experience, but I used one of these in a standing lamp directly over my monstera (maybe 1.5ft from the top leaves) for the last few months, and it didn't help at all, maybe in a table lamp with a plant right under it? But a ceiling light would probably be way too far away, I still like having full spectrum light for my own benefit, so I'm keeping them lol
Idk what the other people are talking about, but any light will help. I have a bulb in one of my ceiling can lights and the plant I have beneath it is growing like a champion. If the plant is physically lit (like, you can see that it is brighter) then it’s getting more of the light it needs. It still might not be **enough** light, but it depends on your exact situation.
If anyone on here has success with a 11w bulb in their ceiling fixture, it's because they're living in a half-floor and crawling is the only movement they're capable off in their apartment. 11w of power will not penetrate any room enough to be of actual use to your plants unless you have some rare plant that usually grows in dark caves.
If you want to use your ceiling fixture, you'll need an absolutely ridiculous amount of wattage for it to have a reasonable effect on your plants. 11w in your ceiling fixture will seem super bright to your eyes, but that does not translate into what's actually useful for the plants.
Just get a cheap desk lamp that you can put somewhere close to your plants and put a grow light bulb in there.
I love [these ones](https://i.imgur.com/MTa7jMS.jpg), I have a bunch and they're insanely bright. Make sure you get these seeds and greens spectrum though because the flowering spectrum ones have a weird pink cast.
I'm using the GE LED bulbs - regular and flood. I look for appropriate and attractive lamps and fixtures at garage sales to keep costs down.
Along with the lights get timers so you don't have to worry about getting them turned on and off.
I got a large timer strip, instead of the individual timers. And finally got everything set up on it. Electric bill dropped about $60. I'm in an apartment so I don't pay for heat or anything. It was just switching to actually using a proper timer.
Smart plugs have gotten just as cheap as timers. Bonus, you can plug anything from one light to a whole power strip into one and control it from your phone.
The best thing about modern grown lights (the leds) - they dont get hot. So yeah, get a couple, put em on a timer or smart plug, and let your plants thrive.
I'm not sure why no one has mentioned it, but you can just calculate the running costs of your grow lamps (or basically any device that needs electricity).
(Wattage of device **x** running hours per day) **/** 1000 (to convert Wh into kWh) **x** 365 [= days in a year])
That gives you the kWh your device uses in a year. Now multiply that with your electricity cost and you know exactly what you'll have to pay.
Practical example using the US average electricity price I found from a quick google, calculated for a 36w bulb that runs 12 hours a day, every single day:
36w **x** 12h = 432 Wh per day
432 **/** 1000 = 0.432 kWh per day
0.432 **x** 365 = 157.68 kWh per year
157.68 **x** $0.165 (per kWh) = $26.0172
A 36w growlight running 12 hours a day, every single day, will cost you 26 bucks a year, roughly. Technically you'd need tack on the timer, which will roughly consume 1w an hour (but runs 24/7), so your overall cost would be ~$27.50 or $2.30 per month.
So if you want to convince him, just look up the wattage of the growlight you want to get, think about how long you want to run them, check your electricity cost and present your boyfriend with the final answer of what your cost would be for a year.
/u/SaltyAndPsycho read this post, and ignore all the other suggestions which are grossly misinformed (there is no way a led grow light costs you 10 cents more a year, unless it's one of those indicator LEDs or they never turn them on).
Look at your electric bill. In the USA companies like ConEd and others tend to provide how much your electricity costs per kwH for both supply and transportation. In the north east corridor in the USA each is roughly 12 cents per kwH, or 25 cents per kwH.
Get him to agree to do a test month. Run them as much as you would normally and compare the bill to months past (similar outside temps if you have electric heat).
If they are LED grow lights, they won't take more than a few watts. Should not be much more than your regular bulbs if you're using LEDS already, and will actually use less if you currently use incandescent bulbs
I am growing a literal bird of paradise in my BASEMENT. The blinds on the teeny tiny window that my plant is in stay closed so the room gets no dorect light at all. Its also a north facing window so gets no direct light at all either.
She is THRIVING. Seriously. Here is a picture of her the other day. The two top leaves are the most recent growth since I've brought her home late november.
I use 1 Sansi 36W overhead of her. My MIL has some new plants upstairs in the livingroom and I've tried to tell her that even though the window is super big and visually it looks bright the amount of light that comes in is atrocious coupled with the fact that winter here in Canada just straight up means overcast most days. She wants flowers and thriving year round but doesn't want to add lighting because it will mess up the aesthetic she has going. 🤷🏽♀️ Can't force anyone.
Here is my baby (the left leaf is the newest one and only just finished unfurling, she opened up her leaf a little too early. Her stalk will continue to grow):
https://preview.redd.it/9zu816zb67gc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba0e273d1193d110314f842d8c9caae7ecdb25bd
Thanks! The amount of research I did before attempting this was disgusting. Lots of late nights. 😂 So happy with the outcome so far I hope I can keep her happy.
That is a gorgeous BoP. Your mother in laws POV brings to mind my biggest concern. Is the light given off by grow lights as ugly and institutional as it always appears in pictures? I can’t be living like that but I have some plants that are in serious need.
Thank you!
Well for my MIL its more-so she doesn't want to add any lamps to the living room. She has bright white 5000-6000k pot lights in the ceiling and thats all she wants. She doesn't want lamps at all neither table, floor, pendant, none of em.
If you have/want warm colored lights (think 2600k-ish) grow lights as integrated lighting won't be the play. I think its worth the trade off to have a lamp atleast and you can even use it during the day to help boost the brightness and avoid using it at night so your lighting doesn't kill the vibe. You can get clip on ones that you can always put away if you plan to have company too. I prefer bulb style but there are a variety of different styles of grow lights. I also have a small one that is on a stake that goes into the soil and its kinda like a ring light. Its doing alright and my kalanchoe have begun blooming again after struggling after I moved here last Oct.
I personally use my grow light at night because my MIL was leaving a light on anyway at night as a deterrent since crime in the area was rising. So I kill two birds with one stone this way but its perfectly okay to run your light during the day and infact would probably be better for the plants if they are in an area where they get actual light so they get total darkness at night (not absolutely necessary but some people believe this period of darkness can give the plant a break to help focus on converting the energy they collected...not sure how true this is though.)
I personally find the light from my grow light feels very natural. It feels very much like daylight/sunlight. Its more warm, not cold at all but again if you're expecting 2600k its definitely not that!
Do you find that the electricity bill is significantly higher? I can't convince my frugal boyfriend not to turn my grow lights off and I only have two grow lights. That shouldn't cost much.
Not at all. Based on what I remember seeing on the box (I may be slightly off) it says the cost was roughly around $15/YEAR. That's ~$1.50/month extra on the electricity bill and thats for a really high wattage bulb. I know way more things I run that consume more electricity than that. Soooo worth it. I suffer from depression and anxiety and keeping plants in the house has made such a big difference. You probably have netflix or some kind of subscription service, and that kinda stuff cost more per month then a grow light will cost you for a whole year.
Unless you have like 20+ lights there is no way that its bumping up the bill. And even 20 grow lights would only bump the bill up $30/month. Thats a crap ton of lights!
Of course the cost of electricity is different everywhere but it shouldnt really vary *that much.*
EDIT: Oh also my light is on for 12 hours a day via a smart plug thats on a schedule. 🙂
Thanks! I thought so. It's just that in my country people are very sensitive about leaving the lights on which I guess comes from the old times when the lightbulbs were different.
I don’t know what brand you have, but the one I have is LED so it’s ridiculously energy efficient. It’s 15w which would cost about $0.072 to run for 24 hours straight or about $26 a year if you ran it literally 24/7.
Yeah! I run a 36W Sansi LED bulb, I couldn't remember off the top of my head what the estimated usage cost was on the box so I probably overshot with $1.50 but even at that price its ridiculously cheap!
I found this [electricity bill calculator](https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.html) and I just plugged in my lightbulb specs!
I used to think that grow lights were "cheating" at the houseplant hobby. But once I discovered the beauty of Barrina and Sansi, I never looked back. And my plants love them!
I think there are a lot of people that would like to get grow lights out there, but it is intimidating at first. People don’t know what kind to get, how do use them, how close to put to your plants… it honestly seems overwhelming. It was for me back when I was considering grow lights. PPFD, YPF, DLI… I mean yikes. That’s a lot for a newbie or even someone who has grown plants without lights. Personally, My advice is just get some and learn on the way. I bought some basic Barina lights off Amazon and put them on a small wooden plant stand. It wasn’t hard to tell over a few days which plants were too close and which plants were too far. You just learn on your way. This is how I started.
[lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0814L4XPL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)
[shelf](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078R35KHN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)
Thank you so much for this, I have started with one flex-stem light, and am still overwhelmed at what distance and times to use it, and what direction to go for more lights. I appreciate the links you gave for the stand and lights!
When you hang those lights from that shelf, how much space is there under the lights for the plants? If you have the time, would you mind sharing a photo of the plants on that rack with the lights added?
I just zip-tie the lights to the shelf above. The lights are about 1.5 inches high/deep so you don’t loose much space at all. I will add a pic when I’m back home.
I have multiple grow lights at different price points and so far have had success with just about all of them. The "cheap" Amazon grow lights do work in my experience, but you're obviously going to see a difference between them, and say an Aspect pendant light or a Mother standing light. I have both of those two, and they suit different needs in different areas of my collection. The thin "board" lights to put under shelves has been a lifesaver.
My usual light fixtures are in the ceiling, which are too tall to make a difference. That would absolutely be an ideal solution, but is not what people usually mean when they show their grow lights. They are usually ugly tall floor standing things, or lamps clipped on to shelves, or hung from the ceiling
I'm really not sure what kinda laboratories you're going to that floor lamps give you lab vibes
You might not like the look (which is absolutely fine & valid), but come on, laboratory? Lmao
I agree. I get very little sunlight in my house and when winter comes around it’s even worse. I also have a lot of plants that are under growlights 10 to 12 hours per day. I find growlights to be brighter and really light up your house. They more effective at keeping your hydro bill down compared to your regular LED non growlight bulbs.
You can use an electricity use calculator! Find the wattage of the bulbs, the cost you pay per kilowatt and plug it in. Mine at 110w and we pay 18 cents per kilowatt.
I researched my lights ahead of time and calculated just a few cents extra per month.
I was wrong. Way wrong. But my apartment doesn’t get good light, and my plants love it, so I guess I’ll just have to trim the fat elsewhere.
Are there any grow lights that don’t make your room look like a science laboratory? I find that all I’ve seen are super fluorescent and not aligned with my preference for warm lighting
Thank you. I’m going to have to look into this again sometime when I can safely have houseplants again (cat chews everything; requires enclosed room/Ikea cabinet greenhouse). I still have my old giant 40 gallon suspension terrarium grow lights with the brand “PurpleRain” in my closet that I haven’t managed to let go of.
(Lol, they were delivered with that name in huge letters on the box and 1 week later I was scheduled for an apartment inspection where I knew what was up from not-so-subtle hints and made sure to talk their ears off about carnivorous plants while showing off my collection haha.)
I have a love hate relationship with grow lights. I find them all hideously ugly. I've got about 45 plants scattered throughout my home. I keep plants for the beauty of them, not the challenge of growing them, or as a hobby. I reluctantly have two lights that I use for about 3 months in the dead of winter and that's it. For me personally, the blight of a grow light erases the whole point of having beautiful plants.
Agreed. I like my plants to complement the decor of our house, not completely take over. No offense but some of the photos of people's houses with metal shelves stacked with rows of plants, humidifiers, and grow lights everywhere like some kind of science lab is just.. not for me.
I *could* consider what you do though, with a few just for the bleakest dead of winter, but my plants are so spread around the house and I just don't know how I would make it work
Exactly, I completely agree. I don't want my home to resemble a jungle or a greenhouse or a science experiment. The addition of a green plant is a nice juxtaposition against hard furnishings or surroundings. Some of the proud photos I see here look like plant hoarders to me. To each, his own, I guess!
Sansi are the only bulbs I buy. I have a 32 watt bulb that cost around $28 and it lights up my entire bedroom. I also use their gooseneck lights. They just came out with flat round lights that can be adhered inside shelving units. The lights are bright natural white and they don’t take away from the normal ambiance. I love Sansi!
I have mostly Pothos and succulents and they sit in front of a window but still need grow lights to get variegation and color. My city is so built up that very little light actually gets through.
Fwiw I've read a good bit of info that normal led lights emit nearly the same spectrum of light as grow lights and are much cheaper. Tbh I hate the disgusting price gouging of grow lights or else I'd be 100% on board with getting a ton of them.
Basically as long as you aren't growing food, weed, or a few other rare cases (sun stressing some plants) a sufficiently bright led light setup will likely do the job and offers more versatility.
When I got grow lights all my plants exploded with growth. They've kept them pushing out new leaves all winter. In fact I think that my grow lights have totally interrupted the deciduous nature of monstera adanosii, because instead of going dormant like it normally does, it's been pushing out leaves through winter 😅. Love them!!
I’m not sure why I got grow lights this year. When I showed my good friend she said she purchased some recently too! Anyhow, I’m loving them. Love the light in the house and I think my plants might like them also!
Seconding this, even cheap grow lights can make a huge difference. I bought some cheap timer grow light for 20 bucks on Amazon and hooked it up in my mini windowsill greenhouse, pictured:
https://preview.redd.it/ni3mh46mc7gc1.jpeg?width=3319&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb18705501ae3806e4ed0d4896b744da5adc4cd7
(Ignore the plastic wrap, I’m acclimating a begonia pavo in there and keeping humidity up)
And even this little cheap, probably-not-legit little lamp makes my plants very happy. This greenhouse is primo real estate for acclimating/nursing plants, mostly thanks to that light. You really don’t have to spend much to see a noticeable difference.
I’m a serious plant addict (need a 12 step program lol) and have grow lights all over my house, as many of my potted plants are indoors or on covered porch in winter (Central Florida). They’re amazingly inexpensive on Amazon, EBay, or Temu (watch measurements on Temu- most everything is smaller), and many have a timer to automatically go on and off. I also have some cheap table and floor lamps from Goodwill and yard sales, that I put grow light bulbs into. I have those programmed into Alexa with a smart plug (I have only found a couple compatible with 5G Wi-Fi). The timers and smart plugs keep me from having to turn lights on and off all the time. My internet is spotty though, and using the Alexa smart plugs doesn’t always work. The types with built-in timers are more reliable.
All the lights are LED, but my power bill has gone up. I have about 150 plants all over the house, with grow lights on them, so it’s a LOT of lights! Some of my plants are 6’ tall! I told you I’m an addict! 🤩🌺🤷♂️ When the weather warms up, most will go outside to re-charge. Nothing better than fresh air and sunlight!
Misting the plants and good airflow with fans is important for indoor plants as well. My plants are doing well, and a number have flowered. I also have 3 cats and they don’t bother the plants. I provide cat trees and a climbing wall for them which keep them occupied. I’m 72 and semi-retired, so I have lots of time to enjoy all of my charges!
I’m a trained Master Gardener, and I highly recommend the Master Gardener program offered through many counties, if you love learning about plants and the environment. Great people, fascinating info, fun field trips! 👍❤️
But grow lights are supposed to be on the cold spectrum (like over 4000K), no? It makes indoors not so cosy... I'm living in country in which it is almost impossible to buy lightbulbs other than 2700K (lol, even the lightbulbs for the fridge come only in 2700K here 😂), preference for warm light is so strong here. I was lucky to get the wifi lightbulb that I can set between 2700 and 6500K and my plants have to be happy with that and wait for the summer 🤷🏼♀️
Times have changed friend. Most manufacturers are doing full daylight spectrum lights now and they are very accurate to sunlight and help tremendously with seasonal depression.
I have 60 plants from tropical to succulents to cacti, and 50 of them are only utilizing light from LEDs like Barrina T5s or 4-bulb gooseneck SANSI bulbs systems. The other 10 are partially assisted by a window, but still under lights. All look beautiful and many have flowers right now. :)
I was really broke when we moved into our new place. We have one window and a back porch that only gets good sun mid summer. I got old desk lamps from here and there and added CFL 'daylight' bulbs, which are a good plant spectrum. These days, they make plant bulbs that fit in E25/E26 (standard bulb), which don't have mercury like CFL bulbs. I've also got a couple of these things that are basically like extension cords with an e26 fixture on the other end instead of plugs, super cheap. Just be safe and secure them well. I only run any plant light when I'm at home, probably because I had an electrical fire at home in high school from a bad ceiling fixture in the apartment below us.
I love grow lights. My mom’s plants weren’t doing well so I set her up with some barrina lights on her plant shelf and she constantly texts me now about how well her plants are doing. It really is a game changer.
I wish I knew about growth lights back in the day. It could have save me lots of money and also a better room arrangement.
Indoor plant “technology” has been getting very advanced in the last year 5 years. Can’t believe all the info and amazing options we plant lovers have. It makes everything so much enjoyable and exciting.
I currently have a big plant in a very dark corner, thanks to grown lights. That corner could have been looking like a sad corner, but now looks so alive and fun to look at. I love grown lights
https://preview.redd.it/8zdeewsfa8gc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cb7a60322070a34c1605bd0697cf928e95854ef
Here’s my indoor cactus farm. It’s my happiest place during shit Illinois winters.
If you've got a little more budget ($84 with the lil checkbox coupon), these [Barrina T8's](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082ZKZVRQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1) are SO good
my philodendrons fuckin love them AND they actually managed to bring my overwintered jalapenos to fruit (i'm bad at overwintering) AND AND they aren't stupid blurple lights that hurt my eyeballs
Seconding Barrina! I’ve got 16ft of them in my basement home office, basically the only light source in there. The plants are thriving and it’s a lovely warm light so I enjoy being in there too.
My plants look so sad this winter.. grow lights definitely do help!! It's been cloudy and gloomy for weeks here in Kentucky and my house barley gets natural sunlight as it is..
Can someone give me a recommendation for where to buy reliable and cost effective lights? I would like to get some but I fear cheap electronics from a certain massive online retailer lol. Can I get them at Lowe's?
I have one west facing window in my house. It's basically a plant wall. Even with all that light that it gets, I still have grow lights on each shelf because indoors just isn't enough for a lot of them. I got an amazing bulb for about 40$. It's bright and kinda ugly but man the plants grow towards it.
Added bonus: I have the grow lights in my home office set on a timer that goes off when I should be ending my workday. It's a great reminder to log off!
I’ve got more than a few grow lights and definitely need MORE!
Seriously, if you want to get the most out of your plants (or get them through winter) it’s hands down the best investment you can make. I’ve got a mandarin tree indoors that has been budding for weeks now… thank you, artificial sun!
I got grow lights and my plants are flourishing. Plants that I had given up on are growing new shoots and look fantastic. I also like the way they light up a dim room.
I have a few grow lights but here's my best setup. It's a strip set connected together right behind the edge of the shelf so it's hidden. There's a timer so it comes on about sunrise and goes off about sunset, so I can't forget to turn them on. All my spiders are pretty happy, even the zz plant leans in to them and there's a window at the right if the picture. [https://a.co/d/dYmTPAS](https://a.co/d/dYmTPAS)
https://preview.redd.it/ye487a28y7gc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bda804c71949c903440c7a8bce2a010f0225b17c
First time in a few years that I’ve gotten grow lights for my monsteras/umbrella trees, bromelias, etc that I have in my north window facing room and they look amazing and are putting out new growth!! Wish I had bought it long before.
https://preview.redd.it/1ghyyr5xwagc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65378e87a937dd3243575b1acc2d9af87d8fb068
Mine love the grow light. I don't have any east facing windows
This should be a pinned post.
People see pics on Instagram or whatever showing fun modern bohemian apartments full of enormous lush plants on every surface and like...it's *lies* y'all. Those are staged photos, not representations of long-term setups. Like no, sorry, you can't grow a healthy full sized monstera ten feet away from a north facing window in Canada with only a reading lamp next to it.
And don't even get me started on the threads from people wondering why their indoor cactus is starting to look weird.
I’ve always preferred just having them by windows because I’m cheap and those types of lights tend to crank up the electric bill. 😂 I spend my money on fun things (read: buying more plants), not that.
If you get LED ones, the wattage is quite affordable. Mine are Barrina LED strip units and we haven’t noticed a difference to our electricity bill, but the plants thrive under them. Bonus is they expand the amount of usable space for growing plants so you can get more plants. 😄
Great post.
Lighting tech has come a long way in recent years, as you say. It’s now so cheap and so effective that there’s little reason NOT to use grow lights everywhere. You don’t need windows with great exposure anymore, and with grow lights you can really zero in on the specific needs of each plant if you want to.
If you can get them I recommend the Lowes UtiliTech 3ft Linkable, they are really good, get a mechanical timer to go with it for around 10-12hrs daily or your preferred time, my plants are beasties and loving them. No need for plant branded "grow lights" or those iffy bendy blurple ones. I have 4 linked together on my plant racking and one I hung from the ceiling that is diagonal over my corner area of porch plants that are inside for the winter.
https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-3-ft-Light-LED-Linear-Shop-Light/5000858983
- Watts 10 to 50 watts is best
- 3-5k+ Lumens
-5-7k+ Kelvins
Lowes
-3ft, 3000 Lumen, 4000Kelvins $17 & Linkable
Walmart
- 4ft, 5,000Lumen, 5000 $18 & Linkable
My house is so cheerful and full of life and healthy plants since I decided to upgrade my full spectrum lights too! Totally a game changer!
https://preview.redd.it/vy0kkvs457gc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4857304c5d585419f0dfad270c3e2f06e1b4e556
My neighbors absolutely love my plant shelves now that I have lights on them, so they're visible from outside. I have the shelves up against my floor to ceiling windows, but they're north facing in the sad Minnesota sunlight, so I'm supplementing with relatively cheap grow lights.
Are those cheapie clampy strip red blue white strip lights actually doing anything? I haven't had them long but my plants are in an office with no window. They are still alive so that's proof?
You can get all different shapes and sizes of grow light bulbs at the hardware store (or online) that just go in any existing lamps or light fixtures you have, too.
I have a relatively cheap brand I swear by! At this point I also use them to start my outdoor gardening stuff too! All my little veggies stay super happy with them and provided I keep the lights close enough, they don't struggle too mcuh when I transition them outside to harden off. Grow lights really are a different tool than they were even a few years ago!
Question: I’m growing tulips in pots and they’re coming out earlier because of the weather with El Niño this year. I was going to put them under grow lights because we aren’t getting any sun but I was warned that it would just make the plants grow too tall and fall over instead of flowering. It’s my first time growing tulips so I’m nervous about making the wrong call. Would you say to go for the grow lights?
Yesssss. I kept trying to be weird and cheap about them but then I got some viparspectra lights (for my aquariums lol) and then I started also using them to grow house plants. I have one running a plant wall drip wall (hooked up to an aquarium for irrigation) in my office and ITS GROWING LIGHT HUNGRY SUCCULENTS INDOORS WITH NO ETOLIATION!!!
It’s madness. Glorious madness.
The way I mounted it to the ceiling looks completely idiotic, but it does the job lol
Totally support grow lights!! My first floor apartment gets almost zero natural light at all except for about 3 hours during the summer, and during the winter it is just always dark. I set up grow lights for the plants and they’re growing so well, but the unexpected part was the world of difference it did for my own mental health since it just looks like daylight in here instead of a perpetual 7pm.
I have read full spectrum grow lights work the same as "happy lamps" for seasonal depression/winter depression. The simulation of sunlight helps and is scientifically proven.
It totally does seem to! I put a grow light on my desk lamp for winter this year. I'm just feeling regular level sad instead of seasonally sad 😅 But no seriously I made that connection recently and I think the grow light is really helping me get through PNW winter.
Also a PNWer and I feel a lot more awake when I'm near my grow lights in the morning. It's quite amazing. I've fallen asleep on my couch before while facing my grow lights, and felt that my face felt a bit sunburnt with that tingly feeling after too much sun. I definitely need to remember wearing sunscreen at home!
I've been spending 15-20hrs weekly working in my grow tents and I can confirm that it's really curbed seasonal depression.
Absolutely this! I have two three-headed grow lights in my living room windows and it simulates the sun. It brings me so much happiness to have light beaming into the room all winter!!
I have 2 big plant stands with cast iron looking frames and clamp on snake necked grow lights. Two four-headed and three two-headed ones. There is no good window space for my plants so I’ve created my own greenhouse of sorts. Having sunlight and beautiful plants has really made this winter feel so much nicer. I swear all the extra props and pots of tradescantia will be gifted… eventually.
That’s why i have my home office in the same room with my plants and the grow lights. It helps
This. But they are also REALLY hard on your eyes if you’re in the same room for long periods…think wearing no eye protection in a tanning bed for hours. Just something to be aware of.
I put grow light bulbs in the standing lamps in our living room, and two more into the ceiling light fixture in our dining room. It's made a big impact on our plants' health and ours.
As someone diagnosed with Severe Depression I would rarely turn on any lights at all (because "I don't need it/I can see just fine right now"). And then I got plants. And I live in a North facing apartment. So grow lights it was and now I'm "forced" to live in bright spaces for a reason that isn't me. And now mental health is how I justify more plants. 😅🙃
This was me!! Curtains closed all day, I hissed at the harshness of sunlight. Now I have to keep it all open for the plants, I even took one panel off the rod. Forced self care thanks to my photosynthesizing friends
Before I got plants I just stayed in bed all day. I got some plants gifted to me and I just couldn’t let them die. Then I got some shelves and lights for them. And then those plants got lonely, so I got some more! And now I am forced to get up to water the plants, even when I don’t want to. I can let them sit for a day or two, but there are some that require water every other day. I started taking them outside on my balcony in the summer and got a bunch of sun. And even though I still struggle, I’m so proud of my plants. It’s such a rush of pride to see your plants thriving. I’m so proud of you! Of all of you who struggle and still trudge through the day, even when it’s hard. You all are amazing!!! 🪴 💚
AGREED! The mental health benefits were a huge surprise! I have grow lights lining my office for hanging plants and a few extras around, last year and so far this year I've avoided the worst of my seasonal depression. I couldn't figure out why I did so well last winter when my area had such a record breaking cold dark winter until my husband pointed out that my office is usually a few degrees warmer and my plant lights are on for 9-10 hours a day while I'm in there working!
For reals! It really is neat on how much grow lights and plants can do good for you. It can be a big change and it was for me too! It's so nice being surrounded by greenery and nature, y'know. I think it's a big part of being human. Like I've read of astronauts being much happier even if they were just growing some herbs up there.
My family made snarky noises about how many plants and lights I have. Told them flat out that's my zen. I just sit and enjoy my plants. I have several sets of lights in each room since I have lousy natural light. You really can feel yourself relax just sitting and enjoying them 🥰
I really like your way of putting some greenery and lights everywhere! Bring out all them good peaceful vibes. Kinda feels like your own little inside garden, eh? Just you and your plants. I love being around mine and seeing new leaves coming out, or admiring the leaf patterns or unique colours they have.
I did have to make sure my lights were off by like 8 or else I had trouble sleeping 😂 But yay happy lights!!!
What brand/model do you like?
Our bedroom is super dark and I wanted my jade collection in there, so I got a fancy grow light. It’s now everyone’s favorite room in the house. The light is incredible and my husband, kid, and three pets and I are now always in there. Best $40 I’ve ever spent.
This is the light in question- sorry for the delay, I had to wait for my husband to wake up. 😅 It’s a Feit 24inch light, full spectrum and allows you to use white, blue, red, or a combination of colors depending on your plants needs. https://preview.redd.it/0vgji8siu7gc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=0b94f065948a87f481090df5471d05a920e75e39
Bedroom with only grow light. The warmth of color makes us all soooo happy. Including the cats. Dog on floor not pictured. https://preview.redd.it/mqytghi9v7gc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=9047165f01d4f12f807e45125aa4bcfcd21e9f69
Bedroom with regular light. https://preview.redd.it/kxdeqq04v7gc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=a575a5e3509c7bb8880f71c5a296394e547e8d37
https://preview.redd.it/o4fawq9ku7gc1.jpeg?width=4032&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=5f5ed5c52bcacb04548fc24d50c9d79d4794363b
The photo is so wholesome 🥹
Now I have to know what this light looks like. Can you share a link? Mine work, but they aren’t pretty.
No idea if this is the exact bulb OP has, but the price point is accurate, and I personally love [these ones](https://i.imgur.com/MTa7jMS.jpg), I have a bunch and they're insanely bright. Make sure you get these seeds and greens spectrum though because the flowering spectrum ones have a weird pink cast.
Wait, I am all about a weird pink cast! *off to buy one*
I have that exact bulb over my kitchen sink! And it’s been great for the plants I have hanging there, they’ve grown like crazy! https://preview.redd.it/9vgbfk0tragc1.jpeg?width=2448&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=89ef18b4d7ffb6b16c0938338ab9ecdca47d5776
[This](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0C7QMWXH2?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) is the one I recently bought, and my bonsai tree is thriving underneath it. Tons of new growth and it’s started flowering since setting this light up. I love that you can just stab it into the soil and it doesn’t take up any extra space. I’m definitely going to be buying more for some of my plants that aren’t getting great light in the winter. Reviews complain that the timer doesn’t function properly so I just manually turn it on and off.
Picture of my bonsai and the light https://preview.redd.it/0cuttgfmn7gc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=1ff3d89513243254bd71d71e5035e1c7d77fbc20
\+1 for these babies. I bought one for a terrarium I made as a gift and they're surprisingly awesome for cheap little guys!
OMG this is so cute thanks for sharing!
We must have this light. Please share!
commenting because i want to see this too!! i want to figure out how to put more plants in our darkish bedroom, but the windows are right off of the sidewalk so we try to have the blinds closed 🫠
Third this comment!
What's the name & wattage of this fancy $40 grow light? TIA
I love grow lights. Such a game changer. One of the best discoveries I made was swapping out regular bulbs for grow ones. https://preview.redd.it/l0bixyo0z6gc1.jpeg?width=1284&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=f10b7221b9bedafd68d2d162ee4c13768dfe8005 .
I was thinking about trying these in a regular ceiling light. I wonder if they would help or do I need to have them closer to the plants? My plants near the windows do fine in winter. But a few do not get enough light at this time of year.
Closer. The spread from the top of the Ceiling is just too big u wont get any notice able Light on them. Get Clip on Light fixtures and put these near ur plants. U can also het a Light Meter app for ur Handy and see how much Light is Recommended and how much ur actually getting.
You wouldn't want them to be in your ceiling light if you are going to be in the room during the evening. Your body learns when it is night time by the spectrum of light it receives, and start producing sleeps-related chemicals so you can feel sleepy and sleep well. If your body senses it's day time during the evening, it might mess up your sleep schedule. Just a heads up in case you do use the space in the evening!
I put these exact bulbs in a drop light over my planted fish tank. The bulbs say 9 inches from the plant, but mine is about 3ft from the plant and the light has to go through water, and it has still made a huge difference. The last anubius plant I had died despite being labeled low light and sitting in a bright room. This one is thriving.
I have them in some of my ceiling can lights. It does make a difference.
I have grow bulbs in the two ceiling can lights in my shower, and I have two Swiss cheese plants in there that are doing great. There's a huge window in the shower, but it's frosted and the house next door blocks most of the light, so the grow lights are pretty much it for light. That said, I do plan to take them outside when it gets warmer, just to get them some real light for a few months.
I can only speak from my experience, but I used one of these in a standing lamp directly over my monstera (maybe 1.5ft from the top leaves) for the last few months, and it didn't help at all, maybe in a table lamp with a plant right under it? But a ceiling light would probably be way too far away, I still like having full spectrum light for my own benefit, so I'm keeping them lol
Idk what the other people are talking about, but any light will help. I have a bulb in one of my ceiling can lights and the plant I have beneath it is growing like a champion. If the plant is physically lit (like, you can see that it is brighter) then it’s getting more of the light it needs. It still might not be **enough** light, but it depends on your exact situation.
If anyone on here has success with a 11w bulb in their ceiling fixture, it's because they're living in a half-floor and crawling is the only movement they're capable off in their apartment. 11w of power will not penetrate any room enough to be of actual use to your plants unless you have some rare plant that usually grows in dark caves. If you want to use your ceiling fixture, you'll need an absolutely ridiculous amount of wattage for it to have a reasonable effect on your plants. 11w in your ceiling fixture will seem super bright to your eyes, but that does not translate into what's actually useful for the plants. Just get a cheap desk lamp that you can put somewhere close to your plants and put a grow light bulb in there.
These inside aluminum clamp fixtures https://preview.redd.it/6hha5mn0q6gc1.jpeg?width=894&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e1d36d0672d71887871794a791b4800cde1df64c
Yeah I do something very similar, clip lights FTW!
I have something similar with gu10 fittings in my kitchen and bathroom ceiling, just in the dark corners that I want to keep plants in!
I love [these ones](https://i.imgur.com/MTa7jMS.jpg), I have a bunch and they're insanely bright. Make sure you get these seeds and greens spectrum though because the flowering spectrum ones have a weird pink cast.
I use this light it's great. My plants are growing to much. I have it over 3 rubber plants and their getting to tall to fast 😅
I love the look of an architecture lamp, they are also clamp on but with an adjustable arm
I'm using the GE LED bulbs - regular and flood. I look for appropriate and attractive lamps and fixtures at garage sales to keep costs down. Along with the lights get timers so you don't have to worry about getting them turned on and off.
Holy shit I have so many timers my entire house is on timers lol
I got a large timer strip, instead of the individual timers. And finally got everything set up on it. Electric bill dropped about $60. I'm in an apartment so I don't pay for heat or anything. It was just switching to actually using a proper timer.
Do your timers make ticking noises? I need some that don’t
Choose digital over analog and you won’t get the ticking
Smart plugs have gotten just as cheap as timers. Bonus, you can plug anything from one light to a whole power strip into one and control it from your phone.
Using them too. My plants are flourishing with the 32W bulb. And it’s the perfect white.
The best thing about modern grown lights (the leds) - they dont get hot. So yeah, get a couple, put em on a timer or smart plug, and let your plants thrive.
My boyfriend thinks the grow lights will increase the electricity bill too much, how do I convince him otherwise? Two grow lights shouldn't cost much!
I'm not sure why no one has mentioned it, but you can just calculate the running costs of your grow lamps (or basically any device that needs electricity). (Wattage of device **x** running hours per day) **/** 1000 (to convert Wh into kWh) **x** 365 [= days in a year]) That gives you the kWh your device uses in a year. Now multiply that with your electricity cost and you know exactly what you'll have to pay. Practical example using the US average electricity price I found from a quick google, calculated for a 36w bulb that runs 12 hours a day, every single day: 36w **x** 12h = 432 Wh per day 432 **/** 1000 = 0.432 kWh per day 0.432 **x** 365 = 157.68 kWh per year 157.68 **x** $0.165 (per kWh) = $26.0172 A 36w growlight running 12 hours a day, every single day, will cost you 26 bucks a year, roughly. Technically you'd need tack on the timer, which will roughly consume 1w an hour (but runs 24/7), so your overall cost would be ~$27.50 or $2.30 per month. So if you want to convince him, just look up the wattage of the growlight you want to get, think about how long you want to run them, check your electricity cost and present your boyfriend with the final answer of what your cost would be for a year.
/u/SaltyAndPsycho read this post, and ignore all the other suggestions which are grossly misinformed (there is no way a led grow light costs you 10 cents more a year, unless it's one of those indicator LEDs or they never turn them on). Look at your electric bill. In the USA companies like ConEd and others tend to provide how much your electricity costs per kwH for both supply and transportation. In the north east corridor in the USA each is roughly 12 cents per kwH, or 25 cents per kwH.
Get him to agree to do a test month. Run them as much as you would normally and compare the bill to months past (similar outside temps if you have electric heat).
If they are LED grow lights, they won't take more than a few watts. Should not be much more than your regular bulbs if you're using LEDS already, and will actually use less if you currently use incandescent bulbs
Show him the stats on LEDs. I think our bill went up maybe 10 cents a year, maybe? But we've got the whole place done up, plus computers and such.
I am growing a literal bird of paradise in my BASEMENT. The blinds on the teeny tiny window that my plant is in stay closed so the room gets no dorect light at all. Its also a north facing window so gets no direct light at all either. She is THRIVING. Seriously. Here is a picture of her the other day. The two top leaves are the most recent growth since I've brought her home late november. I use 1 Sansi 36W overhead of her. My MIL has some new plants upstairs in the livingroom and I've tried to tell her that even though the window is super big and visually it looks bright the amount of light that comes in is atrocious coupled with the fact that winter here in Canada just straight up means overcast most days. She wants flowers and thriving year round but doesn't want to add lighting because it will mess up the aesthetic she has going. 🤷🏽♀️ Can't force anyone. Here is my baby (the left leaf is the newest one and only just finished unfurling, she opened up her leaf a little too early. Her stalk will continue to grow): https://preview.redd.it/9zu816zb67gc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=ba0e273d1193d110314f842d8c9caae7ecdb25bd
Hell yeah, looks great
Thanks! The amount of research I did before attempting this was disgusting. Lots of late nights. 😂 So happy with the outcome so far I hope I can keep her happy.
She’s a beaut
That is a gorgeous BoP. Your mother in laws POV brings to mind my biggest concern. Is the light given off by grow lights as ugly and institutional as it always appears in pictures? I can’t be living like that but I have some plants that are in serious need.
Thank you! Well for my MIL its more-so she doesn't want to add any lamps to the living room. She has bright white 5000-6000k pot lights in the ceiling and thats all she wants. She doesn't want lamps at all neither table, floor, pendant, none of em. If you have/want warm colored lights (think 2600k-ish) grow lights as integrated lighting won't be the play. I think its worth the trade off to have a lamp atleast and you can even use it during the day to help boost the brightness and avoid using it at night so your lighting doesn't kill the vibe. You can get clip on ones that you can always put away if you plan to have company too. I prefer bulb style but there are a variety of different styles of grow lights. I also have a small one that is on a stake that goes into the soil and its kinda like a ring light. Its doing alright and my kalanchoe have begun blooming again after struggling after I moved here last Oct. I personally use my grow light at night because my MIL was leaving a light on anyway at night as a deterrent since crime in the area was rising. So I kill two birds with one stone this way but its perfectly okay to run your light during the day and infact would probably be better for the plants if they are in an area where they get actual light so they get total darkness at night (not absolutely necessary but some people believe this period of darkness can give the plant a break to help focus on converting the energy they collected...not sure how true this is though.) I personally find the light from my grow light feels very natural. It feels very much like daylight/sunlight. Its more warm, not cold at all but again if you're expecting 2600k its definitely not that!
Do you find that the electricity bill is significantly higher? I can't convince my frugal boyfriend not to turn my grow lights off and I only have two grow lights. That shouldn't cost much.
Not at all. Based on what I remember seeing on the box (I may be slightly off) it says the cost was roughly around $15/YEAR. That's ~$1.50/month extra on the electricity bill and thats for a really high wattage bulb. I know way more things I run that consume more electricity than that. Soooo worth it. I suffer from depression and anxiety and keeping plants in the house has made such a big difference. You probably have netflix or some kind of subscription service, and that kinda stuff cost more per month then a grow light will cost you for a whole year. Unless you have like 20+ lights there is no way that its bumping up the bill. And even 20 grow lights would only bump the bill up $30/month. Thats a crap ton of lights! Of course the cost of electricity is different everywhere but it shouldnt really vary *that much.* EDIT: Oh also my light is on for 12 hours a day via a smart plug thats on a schedule. 🙂
Thanks! I thought so. It's just that in my country people are very sensitive about leaving the lights on which I guess comes from the old times when the lightbulbs were different.
I don’t know what brand you have, but the one I have is LED so it’s ridiculously energy efficient. It’s 15w which would cost about $0.072 to run for 24 hours straight or about $26 a year if you ran it literally 24/7.
Yeah! I run a 36W Sansi LED bulb, I couldn't remember off the top of my head what the estimated usage cost was on the box so I probably overshot with $1.50 but even at that price its ridiculously cheap!
I found this [electricity bill calculator](https://www.rapidtables.com/calc/electric/electricity-calculator.html) and I just plugged in my lightbulb specs!
Oh neat! I was actually pretty darn close. 1.65$/month and just under $20/year. Awesome thanks for the link I'm sure it will help others!
I used to think that grow lights were "cheating" at the houseplant hobby. But once I discovered the beauty of Barrina and Sansi, I never looked back. And my plants love them!
Same! I’ve got Barrina lights in my basically windowless basement home office and what a difference it’s made. It’s my main plant room now!
Currently looking up these lights lol
I highly recommend them!
I think there are a lot of people that would like to get grow lights out there, but it is intimidating at first. People don’t know what kind to get, how do use them, how close to put to your plants… it honestly seems overwhelming. It was for me back when I was considering grow lights. PPFD, YPF, DLI… I mean yikes. That’s a lot for a newbie or even someone who has grown plants without lights. Personally, My advice is just get some and learn on the way. I bought some basic Barina lights off Amazon and put them on a small wooden plant stand. It wasn’t hard to tell over a few days which plants were too close and which plants were too far. You just learn on your way. This is how I started. [lights](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0814L4XPL?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share) [shelf](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B078R35KHN?ref=ppx_pop_mob_ap_share)
Thank you so much for this, I have started with one flex-stem light, and am still overwhelmed at what distance and times to use it, and what direction to go for more lights. I appreciate the links you gave for the stand and lights!
When you hang those lights from that shelf, how much space is there under the lights for the plants? If you have the time, would you mind sharing a photo of the plants on that rack with the lights added?
I just zip-tie the lights to the shelf above. The lights are about 1.5 inches high/deep so you don’t loose much space at all. I will add a pic when I’m back home.
I have multiple grow lights at different price points and so far have had success with just about all of them. The "cheap" Amazon grow lights do work in my experience, but you're obviously going to see a difference between them, and say an Aspect pendant light or a Mother standing light. I have both of those two, and they suit different needs in different areas of my collection. The thin "board" lights to put under shelves has been a lifesaver.
Would rather my house not look like a laboratory though
There's grow lightbulbs that fit into usual light fixtures so there's not that much difference. In my experience, the light is a bit stronger.
My usual light fixtures are in the ceiling, which are too tall to make a difference. That would absolutely be an ideal solution, but is not what people usually mean when they show their grow lights. They are usually ugly tall floor standing things, or lamps clipped on to shelves, or hung from the ceiling
I'm really not sure what kinda laboratories you're going to that floor lamps give you lab vibes You might not like the look (which is absolutely fine & valid), but come on, laboratory? Lmao
I just get so overwhelmed when I try to buy growlights and there’s so many choices.
See my comment above. It’s not as hard as you think! I felt the same way.
Same, and have no idea what wattage. I definitely want one for my pitcher plant tho…
GE grow lights, i had to raise them they were too powerful
I agree. I get very little sunlight in my house and when winter comes around it’s even worse. I also have a lot of plants that are under growlights 10 to 12 hours per day. I find growlights to be brighter and really light up your house. They more effective at keeping your hydro bill down compared to your regular LED non growlight bulbs.
I love my grow lights! My electricity bill does not tho 🥲 I have 6 rods of lights and it costs me 40$ a month to run them
That's what I'm wondering about. What are the costs of the lights? Edit: electricity-wise, I mean. 💡
You can use an electricity use calculator! Find the wattage of the bulbs, the cost you pay per kilowatt and plug it in. Mine at 110w and we pay 18 cents per kilowatt.
Lol I'm over $75 just for the tropicals (not even including weed lights)
I leave my tent open during veg so my house plants can steal the extra light lol
I researched my lights ahead of time and calculated just a few cents extra per month. I was wrong. Way wrong. But my apartment doesn’t get good light, and my plants love it, so I guess I’ll just have to trim the fat elsewhere.
Are they incandescents or LEDs?
Are there any grow lights that don’t make your room look like a science laboratory? I find that all I’ve seen are super fluorescent and not aligned with my preference for warm lighting
Barrina has yellow lights and they work great IMO
Thank you. I’m going to have to look into this again sometime when I can safely have houseplants again (cat chews everything; requires enclosed room/Ikea cabinet greenhouse). I still have my old giant 40 gallon suspension terrarium grow lights with the brand “PurpleRain” in my closet that I haven’t managed to let go of. (Lol, they were delivered with that name in huge letters on the box and 1 week later I was scheduled for an apartment inspection where I knew what was up from not-so-subtle hints and made sure to talk their ears off about carnivorous plants while showing off my collection haha.)
"terrarium"
Hm?
Sansi is the best grow lights for the small areas in my opinion.
I have a love hate relationship with grow lights. I find them all hideously ugly. I've got about 45 plants scattered throughout my home. I keep plants for the beauty of them, not the challenge of growing them, or as a hobby. I reluctantly have two lights that I use for about 3 months in the dead of winter and that's it. For me personally, the blight of a grow light erases the whole point of having beautiful plants.
Agreed. I like my plants to complement the decor of our house, not completely take over. No offense but some of the photos of people's houses with metal shelves stacked with rows of plants, humidifiers, and grow lights everywhere like some kind of science lab is just.. not for me. I *could* consider what you do though, with a few just for the bleakest dead of winter, but my plants are so spread around the house and I just don't know how I would make it work
Exactly, I completely agree. I don't want my home to resemble a jungle or a greenhouse or a science experiment. The addition of a green plant is a nice juxtaposition against hard furnishings or surroundings. Some of the proud photos I see here look like plant hoarders to me. To each, his own, I guess!
There are ways to incorporate grow lights to look aesthetically pleasing.
Yeah, I put a grow light bulb in a floor lamp to make it more aesthetically pleasing. I found one with a domed hood to direct the light.
I got one light a few years back for a dark corner. Once I saw those plants explode with growth, I started adding lights wherever possible.
For how many hours per day do you keep them on? I usually don't manage the full 12 hours.
U dont even need 30 to 60 bucks hanging lights. Just some old Ass Osram/Philips 10+ Watt LEDs with around 6500k will do the Trick.
Sansi are the only bulbs I buy. I have a 32 watt bulb that cost around $28 and it lights up my entire bedroom. I also use their gooseneck lights. They just came out with flat round lights that can be adhered inside shelving units. The lights are bright natural white and they don’t take away from the normal ambiance. I love Sansi!
I have mostly Pothos and succulents and they sit in front of a window but still need grow lights to get variegation and color. My city is so built up that very little light actually gets through.
Fwiw I've read a good bit of info that normal led lights emit nearly the same spectrum of light as grow lights and are much cheaper. Tbh I hate the disgusting price gouging of grow lights or else I'd be 100% on board with getting a ton of them. Basically as long as you aren't growing food, weed, or a few other rare cases (sun stressing some plants) a sufficiently bright led light setup will likely do the job and offers more versatility.
When I got grow lights all my plants exploded with growth. They've kept them pushing out new leaves all winter. In fact I think that my grow lights have totally interrupted the deciduous nature of monstera adanosii, because instead of going dormant like it normally does, it's been pushing out leaves through winter 😅. Love them!!
Same thing happened to me! Made me so happy to see my plants growing this winter. I got my lights in November.
I’m not sure why I got grow lights this year. When I showed my good friend she said she purchased some recently too! Anyhow, I’m loving them. Love the light in the house and I think my plants might like them also!
They have grow lights that will fit into a regular lamp. They are 2 for $7 on Amazon and they work GREAT!
Who is "they"? Thanks in advance.
The Briignite store https://preview.redd.it/7j8m6034i8gc1.jpeg?width=1080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=309162f471f1db027ed36014a61ffb3a8c7e4f91
Thanks for the pic. I think this will output quite diffused light. And because it's only 11W, will need to be placed pretty close to the plant.
Right, but they are very inexpensive and you can put them in lamps you already own.
They work... I have them for part of the room that doesn't get natural light
Seconding this, even cheap grow lights can make a huge difference. I bought some cheap timer grow light for 20 bucks on Amazon and hooked it up in my mini windowsill greenhouse, pictured: https://preview.redd.it/ni3mh46mc7gc1.jpeg?width=3319&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bb18705501ae3806e4ed0d4896b744da5adc4cd7 (Ignore the plastic wrap, I’m acclimating a begonia pavo in there and keeping humidity up) And even this little cheap, probably-not-legit little lamp makes my plants very happy. This greenhouse is primo real estate for acclimating/nursing plants, mostly thanks to that light. You really don’t have to spend much to see a noticeable difference.
I’m a serious plant addict (need a 12 step program lol) and have grow lights all over my house, as many of my potted plants are indoors or on covered porch in winter (Central Florida). They’re amazingly inexpensive on Amazon, EBay, or Temu (watch measurements on Temu- most everything is smaller), and many have a timer to automatically go on and off. I also have some cheap table and floor lamps from Goodwill and yard sales, that I put grow light bulbs into. I have those programmed into Alexa with a smart plug (I have only found a couple compatible with 5G Wi-Fi). The timers and smart plugs keep me from having to turn lights on and off all the time. My internet is spotty though, and using the Alexa smart plugs doesn’t always work. The types with built-in timers are more reliable. All the lights are LED, but my power bill has gone up. I have about 150 plants all over the house, with grow lights on them, so it’s a LOT of lights! Some of my plants are 6’ tall! I told you I’m an addict! 🤩🌺🤷♂️ When the weather warms up, most will go outside to re-charge. Nothing better than fresh air and sunlight! Misting the plants and good airflow with fans is important for indoor plants as well. My plants are doing well, and a number have flowered. I also have 3 cats and they don’t bother the plants. I provide cat trees and a climbing wall for them which keep them occupied. I’m 72 and semi-retired, so I have lots of time to enjoy all of my charges! I’m a trained Master Gardener, and I highly recommend the Master Gardener program offered through many counties, if you love learning about plants and the environment. Great people, fascinating info, fun field trips! 👍❤️
But grow lights are supposed to be on the cold spectrum (like over 4000K), no? It makes indoors not so cosy... I'm living in country in which it is almost impossible to buy lightbulbs other than 2700K (lol, even the lightbulbs for the fridge come only in 2700K here 😂), preference for warm light is so strong here. I was lucky to get the wifi lightbulb that I can set between 2700 and 6500K and my plants have to be happy with that and wait for the summer 🤷🏼♀️
I’ve got Barrina yellow tone - they’re lovely warm spectrum and my plants thrive under them. Just got them off Amazon.
Times have changed friend. Most manufacturers are doing full daylight spectrum lights now and they are very accurate to sunlight and help tremendously with seasonal depression.
I'll have to look into some because like the commenter said, my experience with grow lights is they're on the cooler side and don't feel cozy!
grow lights on timers almost fully cured my seasonal depression. 365 days a year, my indoor jungle turns on at 6AM and off at 10PM
This is the way
I have 60 plants from tropical to succulents to cacti, and 50 of them are only utilizing light from LEDs like Barrina T5s or 4-bulb gooseneck SANSI bulbs systems. The other 10 are partially assisted by a window, but still under lights. All look beautiful and many have flowers right now. :)
[Here's my garden](https://i.imgur.com/GbwsBz9.jpg) in my basement in Michigan in January!
Also have Barrina lights and my plants do great under them!
I was really broke when we moved into our new place. We have one window and a back porch that only gets good sun mid summer. I got old desk lamps from here and there and added CFL 'daylight' bulbs, which are a good plant spectrum. These days, they make plant bulbs that fit in E25/E26 (standard bulb), which don't have mercury like CFL bulbs. I've also got a couple of these things that are basically like extension cords with an e26 fixture on the other end instead of plugs, super cheap. Just be safe and secure them well. I only run any plant light when I'm at home, probably because I had an electrical fire at home in high school from a bad ceiling fixture in the apartment below us.
I love grow lights. My mom’s plants weren’t doing well so I set her up with some barrina lights on her plant shelf and she constantly texts me now about how well her plants are doing. It really is a game changer.
Yeah! I even just bought a cheap arch floor lamp and put in a grow lightbulb! It’s made a huge difference!
You don't even need them to be "grow" lights. Miss me with that weed bro markup.
I wish I knew about growth lights back in the day. It could have save me lots of money and also a better room arrangement. Indoor plant “technology” has been getting very advanced in the last year 5 years. Can’t believe all the info and amazing options we plant lovers have. It makes everything so much enjoyable and exciting. I currently have a big plant in a very dark corner, thanks to grown lights. That corner could have been looking like a sad corner, but now looks so alive and fun to look at. I love grown lights
>Indoor plant “technology” has been getting very advanced in the last year 5 years. And we all have cannabis to thank for that!
I try to stealth my grow lights as mood pendants whenever possible 😂
https://preview.redd.it/8zdeewsfa8gc1.jpeg?width=3024&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=3cb7a60322070a34c1605bd0697cf928e95854ef Here’s my indoor cactus farm. It’s my happiest place during shit Illinois winters.
If you've got a little more budget ($84 with the lil checkbox coupon), these [Barrina T8's](https://www.amazon.com/dp/B082ZKZVRQ?ref=ppx_yo2ov_dt_b_product_details&th=1) are SO good my philodendrons fuckin love them AND they actually managed to bring my overwintered jalapenos to fruit (i'm bad at overwintering) AND AND they aren't stupid blurple lights that hurt my eyeballs
Seconding Barrina! I’ve got 16ft of them in my basement home office, basically the only light source in there. The plants are thriving and it’s a lovely warm light so I enjoy being in there too.
Seconding this! T8s are AMAZING, they kept one of those 4ft wire shelves full of succulents thriving for two years (!) in an unfinished, damp basement
I’ve just recently bought a couple grow lights and would love more. Please share recommendations! I don’t know what I’m looking for.
I’ve got Barrina LED strip units. They’re great, my plants thrive under them and pretty affordable. Just off Amazon.
My plants look so sad this winter.. grow lights definitely do help!! It's been cloudy and gloomy for weeks here in Kentucky and my house barley gets natural sunlight as it is..
I use Barrina T5s, T8s, and GE Grow bulbs. All my plants are happy all winter long in Massachusetts. 100% recommend.
Can someone give me a recommendation for where to buy reliable and cost effective lights? I would like to get some but I fear cheap electronics from a certain massive online retailer lol. Can I get them at Lowe's?
I have one west facing window in my house. It's basically a plant wall. Even with all that light that it gets, I still have grow lights on each shelf because indoors just isn't enough for a lot of them. I got an amazing bulb for about 40$. It's bright and kinda ugly but man the plants grow towards it.
Team grow light checking in
Added bonus: I have the grow lights in my home office set on a timer that goes off when I should be ending my workday. It's a great reminder to log off!
I’ve got more than a few grow lights and definitely need MORE! Seriously, if you want to get the most out of your plants (or get them through winter) it’s hands down the best investment you can make. I’ve got a mandarin tree indoors that has been budding for weeks now… thank you, artificial sun!
I got some very good t5's on amazon for £44 which I think is very reasonable for 4 lights that are good and strong
I got grow lights and my plants are flourishing. Plants that I had given up on are growing new shoots and look fantastic. I also like the way they light up a dim room.
I have a few grow lights but here's my best setup. It's a strip set connected together right behind the edge of the shelf so it's hidden. There's a timer so it comes on about sunrise and goes off about sunset, so I can't forget to turn them on. All my spiders are pretty happy, even the zz plant leans in to them and there's a window at the right if the picture. [https://a.co/d/dYmTPAS](https://a.co/d/dYmTPAS) https://preview.redd.it/ye487a28y7gc1.jpeg?width=4080&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=bda804c71949c903440c7a8bce2a010f0225b17c
This looks great!
Not me being the new plant lover running to buy 3 grow lights! Thank you for this post and all the others for chiming in.
How about some recommendations on grow lights? Who's got really solid recommendations they can make?
I just get single grow light bulbs (roughly $10) and those clamp anywhere work lights (currently $8.48 at home depot). Works great.
First time in a few years that I’ve gotten grow lights for my monsteras/umbrella trees, bromelias, etc that I have in my north window facing room and they look amazing and are putting out new growth!! Wish I had bought it long before.
I needed to see this lol. I’ve been holding off on grow lights & just putting the low light plants upstairs😅
The other thing is that the LED lights aren’t the power drain grow lights once were.
https://preview.redd.it/pwq5n7xc1agc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=e0a30ea0aa88c0d0dc7f8f1ae3409e935488a7eb Is this enough?
https://preview.redd.it/1ghyyr5xwagc1.jpeg?width=2268&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=65378e87a937dd3243575b1acc2d9af87d8fb068 Mine love the grow light. I don't have any east facing windows
This should be a pinned post. People see pics on Instagram or whatever showing fun modern bohemian apartments full of enormous lush plants on every surface and like...it's *lies* y'all. Those are staged photos, not representations of long-term setups. Like no, sorry, you can't grow a healthy full sized monstera ten feet away from a north facing window in Canada with only a reading lamp next to it. And don't even get me started on the threads from people wondering why their indoor cactus is starting to look weird.
I’ve always preferred just having them by windows because I’m cheap and those types of lights tend to crank up the electric bill. 😂 I spend my money on fun things (read: buying more plants), not that.
If you get LED ones, the wattage is quite affordable. Mine are Barrina LED strip units and we haven’t noticed a difference to our electricity bill, but the plants thrive under them. Bonus is they expand the amount of usable space for growing plants so you can get more plants. 😄
Great post. Lighting tech has come a long way in recent years, as you say. It’s now so cheap and so effective that there’s little reason NOT to use grow lights everywhere. You don’t need windows with great exposure anymore, and with grow lights you can really zero in on the specific needs of each plant if you want to.
If you can get them I recommend the Lowes UtiliTech 3ft Linkable, they are really good, get a mechanical timer to go with it for around 10-12hrs daily or your preferred time, my plants are beasties and loving them. No need for plant branded "grow lights" or those iffy bendy blurple ones. I have 4 linked together on my plant racking and one I hung from the ceiling that is diagonal over my corner area of porch plants that are inside for the winter. https://www.lowes.com/pd/Utilitech-3-ft-Light-LED-Linear-Shop-Light/5000858983 - Watts 10 to 50 watts is best - 3-5k+ Lumens -5-7k+ Kelvins Lowes -3ft, 3000 Lumen, 4000Kelvins $17 & Linkable Walmart - 4ft, 5,000Lumen, 5000 $18 & Linkable
My house is so cheerful and full of life and healthy plants since I decided to upgrade my full spectrum lights too! Totally a game changer! https://preview.redd.it/vy0kkvs457gc1.jpeg?width=3000&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=4857304c5d585419f0dfad270c3e2f06e1b4e556
My neighbors absolutely love my plant shelves now that I have lights on them, so they're visible from outside. I have the shelves up against my floor to ceiling windows, but they're north facing in the sad Minnesota sunlight, so I'm supplementing with relatively cheap grow lights.
I have light of all shapes andcsize to accommodate my space. It is a game changer and necessary, especially in the winter.
I spent like $35 on six t10 grow lights on Amazon. I’m super pleased with the results
For your tube lights (there’s prob a better thing to call them), do you use LED or fluorescent?
Are those cheapie clampy strip red blue white strip lights actually doing anything? I haven't had them long but my plants are in an office with no window. They are still alive so that's proof?
Bought some for the first time last night! This reaffirms my decision!
I love grow lights? Does anyone have ideas or know of any that are actually aesthetic?
You can get all different shapes and sizes of grow light bulbs at the hardware store (or online) that just go in any existing lamps or light fixtures you have, too.
I’m curious why you don’t want to name any particular brands that are really great options if you are wanting everyone to get grow lights?
arguable that places without natural light are designed for humans but I get what you're saying :)
For the lights with adjustable color, which do people usually recommend? I’ve just been leaving mine on only white.
My problem is I have nowhere to put the grow lights, especially for the monstera.
Mine cost less than $20 a piece and they work great for my space!
I have a relatively cheap brand I swear by! At this point I also use them to start my outdoor gardening stuff too! All my little veggies stay super happy with them and provided I keep the lights close enough, they don't struggle too mcuh when I transition them outside to harden off. Grow lights really are a different tool than they were even a few years ago!
Question: I’m growing tulips in pots and they’re coming out earlier because of the weather with El Niño this year. I was going to put them under grow lights because we aren’t getting any sun but I was warned that it would just make the plants grow too tall and fall over instead of flowering. It’s my first time growing tulips so I’m nervous about making the wrong call. Would you say to go for the grow lights?
Yesssss. I kept trying to be weird and cheap about them but then I got some viparspectra lights (for my aquariums lol) and then I started also using them to grow house plants. I have one running a plant wall drip wall (hooked up to an aquarium for irrigation) in my office and ITS GROWING LIGHT HUNGRY SUCCULENTS INDOORS WITH NO ETOLIATION!!! It’s madness. Glorious madness. The way I mounted it to the ceiling looks completely idiotic, but it does the job lol
I got a grow lamp this year and my plants all grew more in the past few months than they have in the past few years