Indoor Lighting Systems

Choosing a lighting system depends on the grow space you have available, the type of plants you intend to grow and if you will be growing them indoors to maturity.  Grow lights are available as fluorescent, compact fluorescent, Metal Halide (MH) and High Pressure Sodium (HPS) systems.  The amount of light that a specific bulb produces is measured in lumens.

Fluorescent lighting is primarily used to start seedlings and for low-intensity plants like orchids, violets and traditional houseplants.  Recently, high output fluorescent lighting has gained popularity because they produce a higher lumen output, operate cooler, save energy and cost less to operate.

Metal Halide (MH) lamps produce a blue-violet spectrum light, valuable to leafy vegetative growth.

High Pressure Sodium (HPS) lamps produce a red-orange spectrum of light that promotes flowering and fruiting and are best used during the bloom phase of the growth cycle.