Using Fluorescent Grow Lights in Hydroponics

Any indoor gardener, especially one using a hydroponic system can reap great benefits from adding fluorescent grow lights to his or her setup. Fluorescent lights are far cheaper than their incandescent sodium based predecessors, and while some still swear by the old standby, the newer lamps really do just as well without nearly the cost, heat output, or bulky equipment.

Now, don’t go setting up your hydroponic system under your fluorescent kitchen lights and expect it to grow things well. You can’t use just any bulb for good growth and propagation, but you can use any old fixture. Many of these can be found at incredibly low prices at your local hardware or big box store.

You will however need to select the correct bulbs for your system. The most common fluorescent grow light is the high-density discharge lamp. These lights are not hard to use and are quite good at the job. These bulbs are good for both indoor and outdoor applications. High-density discharge lamps, or HID lamps produce more light than incandescent bulbs while creating very little waste heat, which may damage or even burn your plants. This means you can get the lights very close to your plants without causing any damage.

For those on a tighter budget and looking only to test the waters, you can get by with a standard ‘cool’ or ‘blue’ fluorescent bulb, as bulbs which veer more toward the blue end of the spectrum tend to give growing plants more of what they need than a standard bulb. Always try to look for bulbs labeled ‘high output’ or ‘plus’ as they will emit more light and be more efficient at growing your plants. Bear in mind however that these lights will often produce much smaller yields on fruiting plants than their higher end specialized cousins.

You can also use the newer compact fluorescent bulbs with a reflector to great effect. The reflector lets you capture more of the light from the bulb while the super efficient design saves you energy and space. Because fluorescent bulbs will not burn plants, you can have the lights as close as an inch away from the tops of your plants with no trouble at all.

A good idea is to put your lighting system, whatever you decide to use, on a timer so you don’t have to remember to turn it on and off during the day. This will ensure your plants are getting exactly the right amount of ‘sunlight’ they need.

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