Appreciation post: My old grow light versus a new full-spectrum one for my indoor herbs

The old one kept my basil alive, but the new $80 light made everything grow twice as fast and the leaves got way darker. It was the difference between surviving and actually thriving. Anyone have a good light they use for starting seedlings?

3 comments

3 Comments

wesley1814d ago

Oh wow, that's a huge difference. I've been using a cheap shop light for my seedlings and they always get so leggy. What brand is the new one you got? I'm worried about spending that much and it not being strong enough.

robinf514d ago

Actually, the brand isn't the most important thing, wesley181. It's about getting the right kind of light. Those cheap shop lights are usually just bright to our eyes but don't have the full spectrum plants need. You want something labeled for seedlings or grow lights. The strength comes from the PPFD rating, not the price tag. A mid-priced light with the right specs will beat an expensive one that's wrong for the job.

gavinwells3d ago

Yeah, that point about PPFD is key. It's the actual light energy hitting the leaves. I learned the hard way that a light can say "full spectrum" but if the PPFD is too low at seedling height, they still stretch. I use a cheap PAR meter app on my phone now to check.