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Step 1
Determine the amount of sunlight needed for the plants that you have in your garden before you purchase any indoor lighting. This is necessary because various plants require specific amounts of sunlight, whether artificial or natural, and certain distances from said light. Once you have this information, you are able to settle on the best type of lighting for your needs.
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Step 2
Keeping the room temperature at a regulated level allows your plants to grow at a better pace. This is accomplished by purchasing and installing lighting that is designed with this purpose in mind. Some of these lights range from lamps for various purposes, able to be set at different heat levels for certain amounts of time, to overhead fluorescent lights that are both energy efficient and conducive to plant growth.
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Step 3
Opt for lights that have pre-set timers available, because plants need periods of darkness just as much as they need sunlight. The darkness is for the bulbs and seeds to grow, and the timer ensures the right amount of darkness.
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Step 4
Consider purchasing warm white and cool white fluorescent tubes for an additional positive effect on your garden. The names of these lights do not reflect their heating capacity, but rather the type of light that they emit, which will be either red or blue.
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Step 5
Follow the most basic but helpful rule of thumb: The ideal amount of lighting to provide for your indoor garden is 20 watts per square foot of plants. This requires specific length fluorescent tubes if you have chosen to use them for your artificial sunlight needs.
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Step 6
Choose the plants you will include in your indoor garden based on how closely their lighting needs match up. Keep your choice of plants within the same heat and light range requirements so that you won't have to obtain and maintain more than one lighting system.
