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Aside from the lighting, the care and conditions were the same.
The Spruce
It does come with instructions, but we found the fixture was intuitive enough to set up without them.
Remember that this setup is only for seedlings or very small plants.
The timer is automatically set to 10 hours.
PHOTO: Amazon
Just tap the light to change the lighting modes or to turn it off and on.
We loved how simple this light was to set up, with no assembly required.
We found it very easy to clip onto our bookshelf where we were starting our seedlings.
We planted spinach, tomato, and basil seeds under the LBW LED Grow Light and monitored their growth.PHOTO: The Spruce
A combination of all three delivers the most positive growth results.
Weve rotated houseplants under the light and continued to grow the tomato seedlings.
Thebest color light for plant growthcan depend on the bang out of plant and the plant stage.
It also tilts so we could angle for the best coverage.
The light is very easy to set up right out of the box.
We just needed to use the instructions for the different light and timer tweaks located on the cord.
We didnt find the light distracting at all and found it to be a welcoming nightlight.
We wish the instructions indicated which options were best for different plants, which would be helpful for beginners.
We received a new one promptly, and it has been working great for months since.
This comes in handy if you have a large number of plants and space.
We recommend hanging it up higher to accommodate plants as they grow.
Wherever you decide to place it, it shouldnt take up too much time.
PHOTO: Amazon
Hanging it up in our basement took less than 10 minutes.
Although it has a control panel with dimmer parameters, it doesnt have a timer.
Plus, it helped keep ourlemon treehealthy during the winter months.
It tooks us only five minutes to set up the iGrowtek 2ft Grow Light.PHOTO: The Spruce
However, a lack of detailed instructions was a common complaint with many of the grow lights we tested.
It’s also easy to adjust as your plants grow.
We love that it provides ample lighting for many of our plants at once.
We even brought ourMeyer lemon treein during the winter months, and it’s fruiting and doing well.
We also tested the larger version7 x 4 inches with 4,000 lumens, 40 wattsand were just as impressed.
Both are extremely powerful and provide a nice amount of natural-looking light.
Installing the larger light took us only 10 minutes.
However, depending on your experience hanging fixtures and where you are installing it, it may take longer.
Other than that, it has no other features; you simply plug it in.
It also recommends using the light 18 hours a day.
This bulb does not come with a timer, but we were able to use one of our own.
When we brought a coleus indoors to overwinter, it did quite well.
We also grew cilantro and a cucumber seedling.
However, you canbuy it in packs of two,so you’ll always have a replacement handy.
So we recommend placing this lightbulb in an area where the noise isn’t disturbing.
We like theHXLMS Rattan Hanging Lampwhich is both adjustable and dimmable.
The lighting is bright, but you’re able to change the controls by tapping on the bulb.
Placing it under a shelf will also help keep the lighting from spilling into the room.
PHOTO: Amazon
you’re able to also rotate the bulb to direct the lighting towards your plants.
We do want to note a few hiccups we had during the installation.
double-check the wall or shelf is smooth, since it may not strongly stick to textured surfaces.
We liked the adjustable lights on the AeroGarden Trio Grow Light to accommodate plants as they grow.PHOTO: The Spruce
Once we installedremovable Command Strips, we never had any other issues.
It’s perfect for houseplants or herbs and has three adjustable lamp heads.
But we loved everything else about this set, and think it’s great for a larger space.
We tested 16 grow lights during the first round and 8 new models during the second round.
Each grow light was evaluated on setup, effectiveness, design, brightness, and value.
Effectiveness: During our first round of testing, we set up three pots for each grow light.
We set them up in an otherwise dark room away from natural light.
For our latest round of testing, we focused on basil plants only, instead of three different varieties.
This is very similar to the first time we ran this test, despite the different time of year.
(In the last test, grow-light plants grew 81 percent taller.)
Ourbest overallpick covers several plants and can easily be moved or stored.
It can also be expanded with multiple lights onto the same control panel.
PHOTO: Amazon
Typically, hanging lights are larger, while desktop lights are smaller and easy to move around.
If you want a complete system, considerindoor herb gardenswith a planter, self-watering feature, and built-in light.
The standard placement recommendation for incandescent grow lights is at least 24 inches from plants.
The Leoter 4 Head Grow Light with Timer was easy to clip onto a bookshelf above our plants.PHOTO: The Spruce
Indoor garden systems with extendable lights help ensure that plants do not burn while they grow.
Different plants require different intensities of light, however.
They also offer ideal light spectrum ranges.
Incandescent bulbs are the least expensive option, but theyre also the least energy efficient.
They produce fairly high heat, which is not ideal for growing conditions.
How much wattage do you need?
Wattage is a useful tool to determine the correct fixture for your plants.
However, they need the right amount of sunlight and darkness to thrive.
After some experimenting, you should be able to peg the optimal duration for your specific plant variety.
Most of the grow lights on the list feature built-in timers.
For example, we were able to use an external timer for ourbest light bulbpick.
Why Trust The Spruce?
PHOTO: The Spruce
Jenica Currieis a senior editor for The Spruce and has been with the team since 2020.
Ganandran, G S B, et al.
2020;10(11):1663. doi:10.3390/agronomy10111663
Our basil seedlings thrived under the grow light after just a few weeks of testing.The Spruce
The UEHICT Plant Grow Light fits perfectly over one plant and can adjust as it grows.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: The Spruce
We tested an older version of the grow light (seen here) in our basement with equal results.The Spruce
The Mars Hydro TS series is a great for larger spaces, but can work under a bookshelf if needed.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: The Spruce
The Glowruim Grow Light is 5 feet tall, so it can cover taller plants or go above a plant stand.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: The Spruce
The small version of the Soltech Solutions Grow Light (shown here) was easy to install and adjust above plants.The Spruce
Our tomato seedling grew the quickest under the Soltech Solutions Aspect Large Grow Light.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: Amazon
We tested the GE BR30 LED Grow Light Bulb in several of our existing light fixtures.PHOTO: The Spruce
PHOTO: Amazon
We mounted the Soltech Grove LED Grow Light on our wall with removable strips to keep it secure.PHOTO: The Spruce
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We set up a grow light bulb to provide extra light to houseplants, which we could easily adjust once they grew tall.The Spruce
