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.

High Powered Grow Lights Need High Efficiency Hoods

Hydrofarm Grow Lights
Vented hoods reduce the temperature of your high pressure sodium, but plants still need to be pretty far away to stay cool.

Grow Lights come in various sizes.  The bigger the bulb the hotter it will be.  Most plants thrive at temperatures under 82 F.  Some high pressure sodium grow light kits come with a reflector, but no hood.  An enclosed hood is one of the most important pieces of a grow light setup.  On the left there is a picture of an enclosed vented hood.  The hood is not technically air cooled.  Air cooled hoods are much more efficient for cooling hot grow lights.  High pressure sodium and metal halide bulbs both require air cooled or water cooled hoods to run at cool temperatures.

High Pressure Sodium Grow Light Kit
Air Cooled Hood with intake and exhaust ducting.
Air Cooled Hood attached to a carbon filter Exhaust duct

Use powerful inline fans to push air through your hood.  The air needs to be ducted outside the grow environment to keep the grow box cool.  If you are looking for high performance air cooled hoods, go for the ones with bigger ducting holes.  The hydroponics shop and local hardware stores will carry duct converters for increasing or decreasing duct size.  Ultimately a bigger fan will be needed to drastically reduce HID light temperatures.

TIP:  Get Vinyl Ducting to reduce the annoying sound of intense air flow.