Selecting the Right Grow Light – Do you need a grow light?

Using grow lights throughout the winter can help keep your succulents looking their finest. Find out what you require!

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I’ve gotten a number of e-mails lately inquiring about utilizing grow lights with succulents. It turns out I have actually been looking into this very thing for my indoor succulents. I have actually discovered a lot of information however had a difficult time identifying what all of it methods and what I require.

My goal with this post is to address the concerns of do I require grow lights? and what grow lights should I purchase? as simply as possible.

Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ Jade, Portulacaria afra Elephant Bush.

Do succulents need grow lights inside throughout the winter?

The short response is, not necessarily– but it can be a great idea. If you have a window that gets intense light all the time your succulents will likely endure simply fine over the winter. The days do get much shorter so they won’t get as much light as they did in the summertime.

, if succulents don’t get enough light they start to extend out and lose their bright colors and compact shape.. They are still alive, and otherwise healthy, they ‘d similar to more light. Often the much shorter days in the winter season will trigger succulents to extend.

A grow light can be an excellent method to keep your succulents colorful and compact. I have actually had succulents inside your home for several winters without a grow light and they’ve been okay.

I have actually decided though that I want to prevent my succulents from extending this year so I decided to invest in some grow lights.

Crassula perforata String of Buttons, Haworthia variety, Crassula ovata ‘Gollum’ Jade,.

How long should I leave grow lights on in the winter?

Succulents have growing and dormant durations, much like other plants. Winter season is often the dormant season for many succulents, and therefore need less light, but indoors they will still usually take as much as they can get.

When growing inside your home unless you require it with modifications in temperature and light, succulents won’t go through a true dormancy.

All succulents require darkness every day to maintain a healthy growing cycle, however require a minimum of 6 hours of sunshine a day to stay flourishing. When using grow lights for my indoor succulents, I’ll leave them on for about 12-14 hours, simulating the natural daylight plus a couple of hours.

This post. can help you understand which of your plants will need less or more water based on the time of year.

What grow lights should I buy?

There is a lot of information about what kind of grow lights to utilize, just how much light you need, what color the light need to be, how far must the light be, etc. I had a tough time figuring out what whatever indicated and how to know what it implied for me.

Based upon some practical posts. here. here. and. here along with input from succulent growing buddies, here is what I have actually figured out

• What kind of light: Fluorescent–. CFLs. or. T5. /. T8. bulbs.
• What color of light: Daylight spectrum– ideally a color temp of 6500K.
• How far away should the light be: 6-12 \u2033 (only if using fluorescent).
• How numerous lights: depends on the variety of plants …

These ideas are based upon two objectives: efficient and affordable. There are other more pricey options, some of which are more efficient and some are less. The fluorescent lights are easy to discover and do a fantastic task.

I think the most confusing 2 questions I faced were what color of light and how many lights (or how much light). There’s a lot of talk about red light and blue light.

For a terrific resource on grow lights, make certain to examine out. Legendary Grow Lights . He has a substantial amount of details readily available and discusses grow lights very well.

The quantity of light you’ll require is a little more difficult. Generally, it’s a great idea to get as much as you can. Having light shining directly above all your plants is ideal if you are in a little area that may not be possible.. The concept would be if you have plants in a 1 foot by 4 foot space, you’ll desire to utilize a light that takes up about 1 foot by 4 feet.

I opted to get a hanging light component that holds 4 T8 bulbs, 4 feet in length that are 32 watts each. This area also gets some natural daylight and has a mirror behind it that assists to supply more light. I’ve been guaranteed by fellow succulent enthusiasts that it will do the trick.

Since I desired to set them up right away, I bought my lights locally. Purchasing online can be a less expensive choice if you have time to wait. Here is something similar. to what I purchased. T5 bulbs are more efficient than T8, however I discovered that they weren’t readily available locally. The T8s will still do the job.

If you are growing in a smaller space, the CFL lights are going to be a much better alternative than the long tubes. These are the spiral shaped bulbs that fit in a normal lighting fixture. Here are some good deals I discovered for the. bulbs. and a. reflector. ( component) that you can get on Amazon.

Grow lights are a great way to supplement the natural light your succulents are currently getting, particularly in the winter. Getting enough light for succulents inside your home is among the biggest difficulties. Luckily grow lights (as long as you choose fluorescent) are pretty inexpensive and can make a huge difference for your succulents!

Again, for a fantastic resource on grow lights, be sure to check out. Legendary Grow Lights. .