Hey everyone! I'm about to start my first seed planting venture and I'm feeling a bit lost with all the options for grow lights out there. What have you all used, and what would you recommend? Ideally, I'd like something that includes lights and a method to switch them on and off easily. I'm looking for a holder as well. Any advice would be greatly appreciated!
4 Answers
I started with some really basic $30 lamps from Amazon and have grown 30 plants without any issues. They’re pretty doable, especially if you're using a timer to manage light cycles. Honestly, you don’t need to spend a lot to start. My setup is just in my office, and it’s been great!
I read that professional grow lights are designed to offer specific spectrums for plants, which is cool, but for starting seeds, any decent LED light should work just fine. I built a simple wooden holder and used ceiling spotlights on it. The whole setup is super cheap and it’s been doing the trick. Just make sure you pay attention to the wattage and coverage area!
Shop lights are definitely the way to go! I got two packs of 3ft lights from Costco for about $25 each, and paired them with a wire rolling shelf for $50. Most of them come with hardware to hang them up easily. I used s-hooks to attach them to the shelf which works perfectly!
Honestly, if you're just starting seedlings for later planting, you don't need to go crazy with fancy grow lights. I've been using Walmart shop lights that were around $25, and they work great! Just make sure they’re around 5000 lumens at least. If you can find ones that are linkable and have a smart plug for easy on/off, that’s a bonus! Don't forget you need to keep the lights just a couple of inches above your seedlings, so think about how you can adjust their height as they grow.