I bought the cheap grow lights off Amazon. I've been looking into lighting the darker areas of my apartment so I could spread my plants out. What should I look for when purchasing non plant lights? I'm searching shop lights now but want to make sure I'm getting the correct lighting :)
Lighting professional here, you are completely correct. There is one thing, though that I would like to add for the safety of your viewers. LED does emit UV light. in most cases it’s not enough for them to have to state it on the packaging that it does. Where are you going to see your most UV is your higher color temps like 65K. I say this, because you do need to take steps to properly protect your eyes if you were or around these lights often.
And ur all stuck slow lmao there exists 4 ft bars same or near sa.e but have 600 2835 diodes per bar and can be ordered in 6 diff spectrums just about um 1000x times .ire efficient and the cost savings lmfao I'm not even gonna have people wanting to shoot themselves
LED does emit UV is not something you can say like that. LED can emit UV is more appropriate. The great thing about LED light is it's narrowband spectrum which can be achieved by the use of specific band-gap semiconductors. That is why, with more expensive devices the most effective wavelengths of light can be used and combined to suit the specific needs of the plants. Generally workplace white LED like the ones used by OP, do not emit UV, at least not anything near noticeable or dangerous. That is because they are produced for working environments, which means that people need to be safely working under them for 8+ hours a day. The grow lights do emit UV. You can see it, a grow-light will usually have a few LEDs which look like they are turned off, in fact these are (N)UV and (N)IR LEDs. With these kind of lights it is generally wise to use eye protection, also because the brightness can damage your eyes when you look into it.
We installed little LED strip lights underneath kitchen cabinets just for looks/fun. I started my props there just cuz my countertop was easier than anywhere else. My plants LOVE it there! Thx for the helpful vid
Last spring, I created an indoor grow light station for my seedlings using a wire storage rack. I bought four, 4 ft. LED shop lights at Walmart that were $20 each. Each light has 2 LED strips with daylight ratings of 5,000 lumens with about a 5,500 Kelvin. Hung 2 lights on a shelf using S hooks and a small chain to lower/raise the lights. Quick and easy. Kept the LED lights on for 12 hours over my seedlings, then they automatically turned off with a digital timer. My seedlings did amazing! The total cost for the storage rack and lights was about $115.
@@DJChirpzTV Initially, I kept the grow lights about 2-3 inches above the seedlings. As they grew taller, I raised the lights. The LED lights don't get hot, so they shouldn't scorch the plants. My tomato seedlings did extremely well under the grow lights. I had a couple plants start to produce tomatoes around the 7th week. I was very impressed using the shop lights as grow lights.
Thanks for the video. A while ago I watched a plant youtuber saying that normal LED lights won't work for the plants. But in my experience, my plants look happy and keep growing in the winter. This is confirming it.
Light is light, what matters is really the wavelength available to the plants and the brightness of those. Plants only absorb in the beginning and in the end of the visible spectrum, that's why they appear green, so basically you need a blue light and a red light
LED lights typically don’t emit much UV unless they are made for such application. You can mix LED types to get the right blend. Also the lighting needs of your plants flux with the seasons. I usually grow with a medium K rating like 5500 during the first month (spring), and change to a higher K rating 6500 (summer) during the second month, and finish with a low rating 4500-5000 at month three (fall). That would be optimal, but it’s not critical.
Disagree. Barrina 42W grow lights cost about ~66% more, but put out ~110% more light, and in the right spectrum. You have too little light w/ those 3 bulbs, and you are wasting electricity.
You infact didn't use these shop lights though. Yah the old floros worked. T-8 or t-5 even better. With time things got much better. Lower light bill and more efficient. Floros will be like the old fatback televisions. LEDS are flat-screens.
I had a similar setup with my Ikea OMAR shelf and opted for the Ledvance LED Strip Lights in cool white. They worked like a charm and were budget-friendly, which was perfect for my space. Thanks for sharing your setup!
My tissue culture lab is four 2ft under-cabinet lights which can be mounted on the front edge of the shelves so the heat doesn't dry out the flasks further back, but it still throws light to the back where the shelf is and not straight down at all. They were $10 each.
Well… I’ll jump into the conversation to say we installed led under cabinet lights in our kitchen and then began to notice that tomatoes we buy and keep in a bowl on the counter would have seeds sprouting when we cut them open! If only after a week sitting in the bowl. I was stupid enough to question the manager at Publix about this 😂 He informed me that the proximity of the lights was my problem not his product 😊 Grow up safely!
Thank you for this. I’m trying to create a tropical oasis in my house in Alaska. Thought about indoor plants I see thriving in no window offices, and saw 4 plants in a medical office growing beautifully under a dim light, and started wondering If I needed all the fancy setups for my house plants. I’ll stick to the marketed grow lights for fruit trees and herbs I want to grow since I don’t have much knowledge, and won’t take the time to confirm the marketed information regarding said lights, but for indoor plants I’ll follow your advice. Thank you for this.
I put full spectrum bulbs and daylight bulbs in my lamps and then rearrange the plants underneath the lamps all over the house. This way I didn't end up adding grow lights of any kind. Just changed the bulbs in the lamps.
Finally Someone who makes sence ! For a few years now ive been growing plants under very bright shop lights that would rival even some of the best grow ops..thanks for this . why pay hundreds of dollars for all those gimmicks?
Many shop lights have incredible light output. For vegetative growth (growing leaves) this is adequate for most of us! What you end up paying for with grow lights is VERY efficient LED chipsets that convert electricity to light more efficiently
it really depends on the application, T5s or T8s are fine for shallow, wide canopies of sprouts, lettuces or leafy greens where you can keep the bulbs very close to the canopy. Even scrogs can work with this type of phosphor coated light, they are not the best for the environment though, as they contain a lot of mercury and require specialist disposal (to comply with environmental protection laws). But hey, if it works for you, it works.
I bought three, 4 foot, 200 watt, 5000k LED shop lights from Homeless Depot. I removed the plastic diffusers to expose the LED's. They work great for my off grid, winter garden. They cost $65 each. Adding the word "grow Light" increases the price.
Do you do solar for your off grid situation?? I had a random thought...if it's possible that indoor lights emit enough of the correct light to "power" a solar panel big enough to run one of the lights in the video. (Or if any light could work with a solar panel/battery setup...)
I bought 3 cxb 3590 for 60 And cobs not used anymore but they good and put that 65 you spend on the pocket With 60 i already bought a Viparspectra 90w with Samsung diodes So you capping hard!
I've used flourescents for decades ever since I noticed that the plants in the office grew better under them. Still have two sets of shop lights for seedling use. The fact they put out heat as well seems to work very well for the seedlings. The orchids that I have under LEDs, don't seem to like them that much. ::shrugs::
Well this is very interesting. I am just missing an analysis of the power used per watt of light actually emitted? I mean you mention it but I don't see that you are right just because you said so. Some 8W lamps emit only 1W of light which means electricity costs are way higher. The effectiveness of the light also depends on the spectrum and the type of plant. Some specific wavelenghts are also a lot more effective than others, hence the use of individual narrow-band LEDs to compose a spectrum. All of these together can make a 10$ growlight just as expensive as a 100$ growlight because the growlight is 10 times as efficient at growing plants. And then the growlight generally also has a dimmer which means that you can underpower your LEDs and increase their lifespan to 20+ years. Want to have different plants which respond better to another spectrum? With your method you have to buy new lamps, with modern growlights... just tune the spectrum. But yeah spiderfarmer is waaaaay overpriced you got scammed good there.
There is no such measurement, you cant measure light output in watts. Sure you can say lamps advertised as 8W, only consume 1W, the lamp is then 1W, but the light output is neither 1W or 8W. For light output you need to look at lumens, and lumens per watt. Or uMol/m2/s etc in grow lights. A 10$ growlight can never be as expensive as a 100$ one, you must be refering to W :). A lot of sellers just fabricate their own numbers, and states that they have a 1000w growlight, but the product is more likely only 100w. If you are paying less than 1$ per watt for a dedicated grow light, it is most likely a scam.
@@runargraneng4237 you are wrong. Light can be expressed in power. As it is energy of a specific amount. Just because it is not regularly done doesn't mean it's incorrect. Because photons of different wavelenghts have different energies calculations can be pretty hard. That why the measures you described are there. If you don't understand yet please let me know I will try to explain better.
Full spectrum is very useful if you plan to grow an entire plant cycle in your closet. You want more than just white light for blooming in most species. But just for starting seedlings you can use literally whatever that isn't an incandescent bulb and be fine.
hi: I have air pots in which I am now doing moringa and mulberry. I am thinking that in the winter, I bring them indoors to overwinter. I can use grow light and that is cheaper than making a green house.
I'm using very cheap, led lights full spectrum and 4000k led running on a separate smart dimmer and smart switch. It pretty much can do what an expensive grow light could do. I could program it, to match what I'm growing and the stage of growth it is at. The most important parts of growing is how much lights the plants is getting. So how close or how far you place the lights is more important then the type of lights you use. Because most light will have most of the spectrum of lights anyway. I mostly stay away from the full pink led (red and blue) mainly because they don't seems to grow that well under it and the plants have a little bitter taste to it.
Does a gold water bowl work any better than a plastic one? That is the only difference between grow lights and white LEDs, particularly when the grow light costs hundreds of dollars! This message cant be said enough, when some people just dont know the difference between facts and advertisements. Houseplants arent typically grown for their fruits and vegetables, so there is no reason to worry about anything but good strong white light. My flowering plants dont seem to know any differently, either!
Of course they do, you're the person that don't seem to understand the difference in lighting, not the plants, so everything must be the same in your mind.
Do you have a video where you talk about how to regulate temperatures in your grow room? Every time I add a light, (or an air pump, for that matter) it makes the temp go up about 2 degrees. And that compounds really quickly.
I actually don’t have a video on this yet, but I should! Essentially you need to exhaust the heat from up high with an exhaust fan, and intake air from down low (cold air). The exhaust fan should be a stronger CFM(cubic feet per minute) rating than the intake in order to create a negative pressure. Ideally exchange all of the air within 10-30 mins. Calculate CF by LxWxH of your growing space, then get a fan accordingly. I use a mini split AC to cool, but that is not practical advice! I hope this helps 😊
@prettyingreen Yes that is very helpful! Thanks! The fan I have just circulates the same warm air, so it hasn't done much. I occasionally leave the door open and put the fan in the doorway to draw the warm air out. Better than nothing, but looking to improve it!
I bought 6000K White light 15000LM and also 5400LM 6500K will these be enough for an indoor veggie garden for all stages of growth? Sprout seedling vegetative, flowing and blooming? If not please recommend a product.
Years ago, I would buy hps or hd security lights and use them as grow lights. I would rewire and remove light sensor. Also I would separate ballast and keep it on the floor.
Wall mart has 4060 lumen led light bulbs buy some lamp sockets drill some holes in ply wood and you can easily get 36000 lumens in 2x2 area for way less than a real "grow light" thats half as strong
its a misconception that you shouldn't buy "grow" lights because they are expensive. But in reality you can get a grow light for about $50 that will destroy any other $50 light setup that you may end up buying. Effeiency and cost and functionality is what you're looking for. Don't make a mistake in buying $50 in shop bulbs when you can just buy a grow light and you'll end up with more plants and less lights.
Correct. What you end up typically buying with a good “Grow Light” are highly efficient onboard LEDs. For houseplants growing, we usually can get away with Shop Light LEDs which are far cheaper to buy
I hope to use lights to speed up fruit tree propagation. I have a limited power source so which have the lower wattage but still bright enough or suitable spectrum? Your comment about the campfire was funny. Thanks for the video.
What would you recommend for mostly vegetable & herb seed starting? If you have any affiliate links for the lights you recommend, I’d appreciate the share. Thanks in advance
I like it! Good news for hobbyist! I have a question - at about the 0:47 market, you talk about how your older lights are starting to "die back" - are you talking about the not-often mentioned "color shift" in LED lights?
Yes do by grow lights if its cfls your after and they come in all different spec more than stated you wont find anything over 125 watts in cfls with out the grow part but you can def do it that way i was running 3 65watt ulilitech 2700ks for flower and they worked well
When i followed it was $48 like you said but you got 8 MASSIVE $8 lights. I saw the video, but still didn’t grasp the size. I’m used to cheap it’s a small hobby Amazon lights. They took care of my plant shelf and 2 rooms. I thought I was going to spend $8 too…but got much more than my moneys worth. In a week I already notice a difference and feel like I just leveled up. I think I may see growth in the winter too!
@@prettyingreenwhich color and watt from the $8 pack you suggest to push more white in Monstera albo andasonii variegated & also good for pink princess plants? Also Thanks for sharing your knowledge, not many plant sellers do that 😂👌. You’re the Bomb!🔥☺️
It depends what kind of houseplants you're growing. Some require lots of light, and a more efficient light is worth the money. You'll save money on your electric bill FOR THE REST OF ETERNITY.
1:02 red led are included. it takes less energy to produce red. This mean higher Efficiency. That is greater PPFD per watt used. When plants Perceive red or blue wavelengths as a proportion of their total photon intake the plant reacts different phsyical characteristics. Red at a specific threshold causes shade avoidance. That is to say stem elongation occurs making the plant seem lanky and stretched out. Blue causes the opposite. The plant become more compact and dense. You can use a lower ratio of blue to red photons. About 4% blue is enough to send the plant signals it doesnt need to avoid shade. For actual detailed information on plant photon physiology consume some content by Professor Bruce Bugbee. Founder of Apoogee Instruments For more on the market of leds, Efficiency or efficacy, structure and performance, consume some content by Shane Torpey. Founder of Migro Lights.
Hello :) i want to buy these, but i want to know if these will be suitable for succulents? Also, would warm white emit enough UV for them or does it have to be the colors stared in the video? Loved this! Thank you!
Thanks again for your Informations. I try with a 6500k Bulb with 18w. It works soooo well. I don't try it with 400k, it was a experiment. For comparison i used sansi 36w. The plants on the side with sansi have more natural light from the window, and the sansi bulb works for 9 hours. Two days before my sansi not work anymore. Today i see a new leaf on my monstera variegata. They have less holes than last month, from four holes to 2 holes. Other side with the normal led light with 6500 Kelvin, i had a thai constellation withouth any other light. This led works for 17 hours. The Thai have 11 splits. Last month it has 9 splits. I am curious how much it have in January. Or if it have holes. Other Plants with this led light get white variegations again, no more yellow. That is great. Now i must test the other side with normal led too. Because i don't want to buy sansi again for the next time. I want to make my tests first. I have a really white monstera variegata 95% white. How it works with this light and other plants. If it works well, without any negative sides, i wouldn't buy the 4000k led. If it not work for me. I buy it too and make my tests with that too. Oh with my 6500k LED it works well for my anthuriums and philodendrons really good. I think i can say after one month it is a success. And i pay the same price for 18h, as for 9h with sansi. Sansi is soo good. But it works one year than it not work. That was my second time. Now i give it to my nephew to check it. I think, mostly sansi bulbs works again, it is problem inside of the bulb. It is the contact inside that not works well. Who knows.
I love the Barrina 18w ones i linked through here on Amazon! If you want a SUPER efficient, fancy “grow light”, buy a Spider Farmer I linked in the description 😄
yeah this isa classic con, if you know your lights u can save hundreds of dollars. Even before the mass production of LEDs ordinary QH will produce all the necessary wavelengths for PS for indoor plants. Of course same for much cheaper leds as long as they emit the right wavelengths/enough energy.
I would like to bring in my potted chili plants in the fall. What would be the best type of bulb to use to keep them producing chilis thru the winter months?
You can buy a stone piont or utilitech led grow light at lowes great price is low buy two of the little round ones cost 30 dollars each online is cheaper or you can buy the hundred something dollar light at lowes or home depot large round one if you have more money.
The blue-ish spectrum to start seedlings / clones. The more red-ish spectrum to bloom. But you'll need the larger lights from spider farmer or similar to bloom. The Barrina are good for vegetative growth
Good morning! This is just the video I was looking for, what K would you recommend for tomatoes and chillis? Living in the uk ours have to be started indoors then put in the greenhouse in spring: thank you
yeah... don't need grow lights for house plants... grow lights are for high light requirements of fruiting outdoor plants. That's why they put out so much light
@@brandyburgess8267 The TLDR is that bright white(4k) is enough to grow indoors without sun. Red helps/is needed for growth as well. Plants aren't super needy with light if they get within the 4k-6500k range. (check the box of the light you buy) As long as whatever light setup you make is enough to illuminate your plants evenly and consistently you don't have to be super picky about if it's from the garden center or a dollar store bulb on an extension cord.
So is it not more energy efficient to supply UV light only (what grow light produce ) rather than the entire spectrum of light that a white florescent gives off ? seems like you'll have less growth for the energy required ? genuinely interested in your feed back as about to bye some lights
How would you recommend hanging these if I want to make them height-adjustable? I was thinking zip ties, then chain, but I'm not sure if they would melt the zip tie if it's wrapped around the light.
What on earth? Why? do you sell them? Thanks for the light tip. Was looking at those LED replacement bulbs for old fixture I would have to rewire $60 for a 4 pack
I have read that full spectrum (6500k, is my current understanding) is best for all stages of growing. I would like to get the simplest version of lights. Has anyone successfully grown veggies/fruits from seed to harvest with 6500k??
Vegetable gardener here so my use is just for starting seeds and growing out transplants on my work benches in the garage. Off season they become general work lights above my work bench. I prefer the 6500k and have used them for years; they work for growing plants and good lighting for working on stuff.
I understood it this way as well and we will see as i have it all set up now and one the 6500K I got 22W come with 6 by hykolity 2200LM super bright white I'm hoping it works out well ,, tomatoes, cucumbers, basically going to try it for all my seeds that i got , both flowers and my victory type garden I'm trying to get going here Kratky for most of it
im looking to replace ceiling lamp at an area at my home which is poorly lit, what kelvin you recommend will be best for natural light for me, but also good for plants?
For me im more interested in finding the shelving that fits these long lights. I keep seeing them set up but when i go look to buy a metal shelf none are the correct size to fit the length of the lights. Any ideas? Any help would be greatful ive been looking desperate to get my seeds stared for 2 months now.
