Grow Light Vs. Fluorescent Light

Fluorescent bulbs make good grow lights.

When purchasing a grow light for your indoor plants, consider fluorescent bulbs. These bulbs provide the right color of light yet remain cool to the touch--two main advantages over other bulbs.

Types

The main types of grow lights used are incandescent, halogen, fluorescent, metal halide (sometimes called High-Intensity Discharge, or HID) and LED. Incandescent, halogen and fluorescent are the most inexpensive grow lamps.

Spectrum

All lights emit colors along the light spectrum, with red and blue being the best light for plants and green being the worst. Fluorescent grow lights emit primarily red and blue light; natural or daylight fluorescent bulbs mimic natural light closely.

Fluorescent

Fluorescent lights come in four main types: industrial, full spectrum, daylight, plant growth and special purpose. The Orchid House webpage recommends daylight and plant growth fluorescent bulbs for grow lights.

Tip

Fluorescent bulbs experience "cathode decay" where they emit less light over time. For optimal performance, change fluorescent bulbs every six months to avoid loss of light.

Cost

While fluorescent systems are pricey to start, replacement bulbs are cheap, especially when compared with the cost of maintaining a metal halide or LED system. In order to begin a fluorescent grow light system, you will need to purchase a light fixture specially designed for fluorescent bulbs.

Benefits

Fluorescent grow lights are energy efficient sources of light. They emit approximately three times as much light per energy used as incandescent bulbs.

References

• Gardeners.com: Gardening Under Lights
• The Orchid House: Indoor Plant Lighting