cheap grow lights – Hydroponic Economics

Indoor gardening tends to revolve around grow lights. grow lights have a very large effect on harvest weight. The more intense the light is, the faster your plants will grow, right? There is no practical light you could use to replicate the sun’s powerful beams. Instead, growers turn to high powered grow lights. High power lights use a lot of power and are usually really hot. They may not be practical for most indoor gardens.

High pressure sodium and metal halide light bulbs are really hot after they have been burning. They also crank up your electric bill. There are a few alternatives to this type of lighting. Metal halide bulbs are meant for vegetative growth. In most indoor gardens, the vegetative phase includes smaller plants. Swapping out your metal halide for a fluorescent grow light may save you space and energy. Fluorescent grow lights do not require large air cooled hoods because the fluorescent tubes stay relatively cool. At least cool enough for most plant growth.

Fluorescent Grow Lamps can be used for grow and bloom phases as long as you use the right bulbs.

A small salad greens garden for the family and your pets could be grown with ease under a few fluorescent grow lights. The grow lights you will want to use are not standard shop lights. Although low power shop lights will work for cloning systems, use indoor grow lights from a hydroponics shop. You can also order grow lights online. They are usually much cheaper online.

There are also fluorescent grow light bulbs for the bloom phase. They feature a red/orange spectrum. They are powerful enough to bloom tomatoes, strawberries, and other plants that do not require tropical light. Fluorescent light fixtures come in different sizes and lengths. Find the grow lights that will best suit your grow room.

Easy Grow Lights — Fluorescent light fixtures are usually outfitted with internal ballasts and a simple three prong cord.

The Hydrofarm 4-Foot T5 Grow Light System is a well respected Grow Light Set Up. Hydrofarm offers affordable grow lights that are cool enough for plant growth. Read over 50 customer reviews at Amazon.com

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.

Before CFL Light Socket — 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.

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Fluorescent Grow Lights: Get Intense Vegetative Growth with Less Space

Cheap Grow Lights You Can Get Anywhere