Cheap Grow Lights You Can Get Anywhere

If you live somewhere that does not allow you to grow outside all year round, you may want to start an indoor garden.  You could also be looking to start a small plant propagation area in your house.  A small indoor garden can do many things, including a head start when spring comes.

This grow box uses hand wired Compact fluorescent grow lights. CFLs go in any normal lamp socket.

Making a small grow box is easy and cost effective.  Small grow setups use compact fluorescent grow lights.  Basically you just want daylight color spectrum bulbs.  Compact fluorescents are a great way to set up a cheap indoor garden.  I use the equivalent to 100 watt incandescent bulbs.  In CFLs that is roughly 23watts.

To get the most out of your cheap grow lights, position them so the bulb is either horizontal with the floor of the grow box or hanging at a 45 degree angle.  The bars of the compact fluorescent grow lights are what gives off the “sun” effect.

plant grow light bulb
The fluorescent grow light bulb is attached to a socket coming from the wall of the grow box.

Fluorescent grow light bulbs stay relatively cool.  You may need some air circulation and an exhaust fan to keep the grow box at a cool temperature.

To avoid wiring sockets for your cheap indoor grow lights, you can buy some conversion pieces that will save you loads of time.  Start with an extension cord or surge protector.  You can plug sockets into the plug spaces that convert the plug space to a lamp socket.  You can turn your lamp sockets into two lamp sockets with a Y adapter.  The Y adapter is also the perfect tool for getting 45 degree angle lights from the ceiling or walls.  Refer to the pictures for clarification.

fluorescent grow light bulbs
This compact fluorescent grow light is on the ceiling and uses a Y adapter to split one socket into two 45degree angled sockets.
cheap indoor grow lights
Small grow lights for small gardens.