Grow Lights For LESS Money |Cheap Alternatives to Expensive Grow Lights|
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 27 ก.ย. 2024
- Grow lights for seed starting or indoor growing have a large footprint in the gardening market. Some of these are priced astronomically!
You do not need "grow lights". Basic lights will work as good, or BETTER as long as you choose the right ones. LED lights are my favorite because they use less energy making them cheaper to run, and they don't produce heat that will burn plants. No more leggy seedlings!
Video with results from these lights:
• Cheap Grow Lights |LED...
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Here are some lights that will work that aren't marketed as "grow lights":
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Here are some lights marketed AS grow lights that won't break the bank:
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Shelving units: amzn.to/3WDYkfW
More expensive, but pretty cool!:
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Lights I use:
www.ruralking....
Get growing!
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I really appreciate when someone like yourself speaks up to keep us from getting conned. I tell my kids all the time, there are people sitting in board rooms all across the country trying to figure out ways to make more money off of less service.
I install lights that costs hundreds, if not thousands of dollars, for work then realized these lights were no different than ones I could get for way cheaper from the store. Same output, same drivers. It's the same with a lot of grow lights. Many lights use the same parts, the only difference is the sticker on the box.
Well, the diodes are different and that is what matters.
@@alinnan5603Pfffft
Back in the 90's we avoided the hydroponics stores for our grow lights and bulbs and went to electrical supplies stores and spent 1/4 of the price 😎
Now the LEDs use a tenth of the wattage and are brighter. Nearly everything we install in the electrical industry is now LED. CFLs were supposed to be the rage but those went away fast. As the installer it's more about being able to use less amperage to install more lights which means less labor but the customers get write offs for energy. savings.
@@FastGardeningMichigan As long as you're using device rating totals and keeping 20% of the string free.
Thing is, some people will put like fifty 25w devices on a 15a string and then home owner in future upgrades the bulbs beyond the fixture rating, or they want a different LED 3-way switch etc that cannot handle that many watts. Best practice is to rate each device for 75w, use can-lights, let them run conversion bulbs. Then if they ever want to run a 650w led switch, they can find one and won't burn their house down. Some LED drivers can cause interference as well.
What did you buy?
@@FastGardeningMichiganmy 1000 w HPS bulbs produce 145,000 lumens. Show me a 100 watt LED that produces that much light.
@@Donkeykongington with 100w led probably not, with 600 ezpz.
I created a small indoor window garden with my daughter, who really was just into it for the strawberrys but now we have tomatoes, lettuce, cantaloupe,and just about everything else you could possibly want in February. Now she says I have a problem with about 40 plants already producing fruit.
I let my 4 year old plant some beans from last years garden in a pot. I am going to be grabbing a couple more lights so we can try to get the beans full term. He loves planting and he's a big help in the garden
My five yo tended his own corn patch last year. This year he wants to grow pumpkins
@@KimcheePancakes i let my 4 year old plant almost every seed. He did some soil blocking yesterday. He really enjoys growing stuff and knows what everything is when it comes up so I can tell hes paying attention and interested. It's also nice to have some help! Such a great activity for kids
How did you grow a cantaloupe in a window, i really would love to know?
Keep them growing through their teen years. You might have to force them. But do it. They'll thank you one day.
Thank you for giving us advice and sharing your knowledge as an electrician. AND, saving us money. As an 86 year old widow, that is important.
I appreciate the positive feedback! Happy growing
Found these at Sam's Club for $17.98: "Honeywell 5000 Lumen 4' LED Metal Shop Light (White Finish)". 5000 lumen, 5000k, hang by a chain, and can be connected to one another. Thanks so much, saved me a TON of money! Subscribed. :)
Perfect! Thanks and good luck this season!
How did this light work for your plants.
Thanks for trying to help everyone cut costs (i.e. not get ripped off : ). You're a good man for that!
It's wild out there. I saw a setup for over 1000 bucks and it was a rolling cart with a couple led shop lights attached to it. My cheap, poorly reviewed LEDs have peformed better than I can ask for.
@@FastGardeningMichigan I am seeing so much hype and gouging in the gardening space, like for hydroponics or no dig also. It is more than just crazy, underlying it is pure greed. Keep up the fight and best to you!
It's not so easy to source LEDs in the UK to use as grow lights for seedlings - so to keep my prices down, I buy aquarium LEDs 😉 instead, which are by far cheaper 😊 & most are fixed on a flat panel /no lamp & they are dimmable too 👍
That's surprising! I thought Europe was all about ecofriendly and you can't get any better than LEDs.
Great info! I've been searching like crazy to try and figure out this grow light thing! I just want to be able to start seeds without them getting leggy before transplanting them into the garden! I always thought there must be a simpler more affordable option. You, my friend, delivered exactly what I was looking for and gained a subscriber! Keep the content coming - this space needs more common sense solutions without all the 'sponsored' hype!
With them LEDs right on top of those seedlings they grow nice and stout! I realize a lot of my content will disqualify me from endorsement deals BUT providing money saving content brings in more trusted viewers and any financial compensation I may receive doesn't come out of THEIR pocket. The industry is getting a little greedy and out of control. I was spending too much and wanted to find cheaper, easier ways to grow food without being stressed. As I do, I feel it is right to pass that info along and let everyone decide what's best for them. Thanks for watching!
try adding a fan as well, a light breeze will encourage the plant to grow stronger stem. Without knowing the exact light you are using I cant tell you how close to place them to the light.
You can put LEDs just a few inches above the tops of the seedlings.
th-cam.com/video/lCMKbWVEQlc/w-d-xo.html
You need blue lights for seedlings as red makes the plants stretch.If you want a light for seedlings you're better off getting some CFL strips as seedlings need very little wattage,anything more than 50watts is a waste.I haven't watched this post but you can't use any cheap light to grow anythinng as some crops require much more par than others.If you try and grow cannabis with less than 600 watts over a 4x4 area the flowers won'tt bulk up like they should.It takes much more energy to grow fruits than it does leaves.600w would destroy your leafy greens.
@@chingobling5063 As a general rule,if it doesn't burn your hand it shouldn't burn your crop.
Remember just like fluorescent lights LED lights dim over time and their usefulness to your plants ends long before the light burns out. A bummer yes but that's the way it goes. One tip is to use your older lights for shade loving plants and your new lights for your high light plants. I enjoy your channel and when ever I stop in I learn something. Thanks.
Thanks!
dude this is so helpful, i was about to spend hundreds of dollars on 8 separate aquarium lights, and now i got 3 that cover EVERYTHING
The ones I use are down to 20 bucks now.
Man, thanks a Million for the straight shootin on lights. Saved this newbie gardener a ton of grief. Subscribed.
This has been the most helpful video on lights for starting seeds. Last year I bought some cheap ones from Amazon but they were terrible because I didn’t know what to look for. I’ve only been gardening for 2 years and I have so much still to learn. When I see other people’s starts and mine NEVER look like theirs I feel disappointed and want to give up. But each year I’m learning something thanks to wonderful people such as yourself who share knowledge. TFS
These cheap LEDs are really great for starting seeds. I even grew some green beans under them and I am harvesting them now
Wow!!!! That’s incredible. Please do a video on the beans. I already put a set in my Amazon cart to purchase. Thanks again.
@@cbordes1 i was thinking about it but its pretty straightforward and the beans take up precious growing space. Its basically 5 bean plants in a 3 gallon pot. Potting soil. Watered once per week. They get 14 hours of LED light which they are pressing into because they're tall
@@FastGardeningMichigan Another question. I followed the Amazon link you posted and want to purchase the 2ft lights (6 pk) but it says it’s 30w. Is that going to be okay because the 4ft ones are 60w? I’d prefer the 2ft ones because I can put them in my mini vinyl greenhouse.
@@cbordes1 wattage isnt important. Lumens and Kelvin is what to look for. Lower watts run way cheaper and aren't as warm. I don't understand all these 300 watt grow lights. Thats $23 bucks a month to run them 16 hours a day! Imagine the 10k watt ones. Turns into growing tomatoes for $20 a pound lol
I've watched a LOT of videos on growlights and I keep coming back to your system. So that's what I'm gonna use! Thanks for the video!
These lights combined with clear lid cooking trays make it easy to germinate seeds without heat mats. I never run fans or heat mats. Saves money on energy costs.
@@FastGardeningMichigan that is awesome to hear....I am getting my lights in two days and I'm gonna build something similar. Thanks for the help!
I have both cheap and expensive grow lights, they both work great for growing plants. I also have a light meter for measuring PAR. ( Photosynthetically active radiation - light that plants can use to grow) My other more expensive lights have controls for UV and Far IR for changing growth response. Most people wont need or even consider taking advantage of this, but if your a person who wants to play with variables on plant behavior then it is not a bad option. You could play around with some IR led for extra growth performance, I have personally observed with my plants that IR does make noticeable speed increase. For my use case, growing year round that extra efficiency and lifespan is better in a grow light. If you can find a cheap light that last long and makes usable photons for growing then your fine. You may even consider buying a mix - cheap white lights then some extra IR diodes.
UV in my opinion is something to use with caution. Plants can use it to grow, but it can bleach the leaves and it can for smaller plants make them grow slower if not stunt them. People typically use the UV on plants like peppers when they start fruiting. One thing that I value in my grow lights is life span. If the bulb is cheap and then replacing it is not to much a problem unless it ends up costing more than the more expensive ones in the long run. Point is do your research. For me, I did the math on the produce and factored in how much of the lights cost + electric + supplies are in each bit of lettuce on the shelf. For my family we spend a lot on produce already at the store. Now I grow hydroponically, and the flavor and quality is a lot better than store bought so factor in how much of the store lettuce you waste and don't eat while it gets slimy in the fridge. Just find what works for you - it doesn't hurt to know if you want to use qualitative or quantitative with your grow lights.
I agree with this completely. I also have expensive and cheap grow lights. And for seedlings I really don't think it matters but when you start playing with fruiting and all that other stuff.
What kind of par reading did you get on cheap led shop lights and regular white led lights?
I just made a crude measurement but my higher ends lights produce at least 4.4 time more light for the same given input power. So while the other where like $25 for a 20watt light my higher end light at 10 watts can produce more than double the light than the cheap light at 20w. I have a PAR meter and a kilowatt meter for measuring draw for those question my crude measurement. I am also working on my own circuit boards for my own custom light that will be more efficient for my use.
@@slicktmi my cheap 20w light was 280 PAR at about a inch and my higher end light was 620 at 10w same distance +-.
@@Kinetic_CGI Did your 10w high end light cost double what the cheap 20w light cost? because that's the breakpoint. As you know, for growing applications what you're buying is PAR - not watts, lumens, or Kelvins.
Your right grow lights is more expensive,I'm happy that I've stumbled on your video that gives me a very nice idea to grow aquatic plants inside the house and not too much expensive led grow lights in the market
Solution for the height issue is a wire frame adjustable shelf set which gives more height adjustment options. Great tios and I will definitely set up my indoor nursery using this.
This year I am starting a lot of plants in clear totes outdoors in soil blocks, so I am trying something a little different inside. I have 3 shelves where the lights will remain at the same level. Bottom for germinating and initial growth, middle for plants to 4 inches, top to finish them off. Since the potted up plants take up more room the total number of plants is dictated by how many 4 inch pots I can fit. Did some winter sowing as well but inside just tomatoes and peppers
@@FastGardeningMichigan For the winter I've been growing potatoes in a raised bed and attached trellis by the window as well as in a grow bucket. Also I've had a container fig tree that exploded in growth. Everything has been better this winter since I started a compost bin using red wiggler worms and harvest the castings for fertilizer. I mainly use shelving outdoors but am setting up a new permanent greenhouse and will be incorporating your set up using metal shelving using the lower levels for seedlings. This will ensure they get enough light and avoid too much sun in the hottest part of the day.
@@KENOMAN1969 i just found a bag of sprouted potatoes in my closet. Do they need intense light?
@@FastGardeningMichigan Yes. Try to keep them in a sunny space. If they have 2 or three sprouts and they are not very big just bury the whole thing about 4 to 6 inches in a large bucket of soil. If they are big potatoes cut them into sections with a few sprouts on each section. If you cut them let the cut section dry for a few days before planting. Make sure there is good drainage with holes in the bottom of the bucket. They will push their way up. When watering don't get the base of stems wet or they will rot. Heavy nitrogen in the soil to start then after about a month I add potassium by using bananas and occasionally add more nitrogen via worm castings. Also I mix powdered egg shells into the soil to add calcium. Bamboo supports and plant tape for the stems is a good idea as they grow up to 3 to 4 feet in height. When the top stems die off you can harvest the potatoes. Don't over water every 3 or 4 days is fine and not too much. I usually water with a bottle of spring water and have a few empty bottles with holes buried in the bucket to which I add water and banana scraps. Good luck!
For people that want to understand "grow lights", this is what matters:
*PPF* = the total amount of light the fixture produces that is available for plants. All respectable light manufacturers list the PPF for every light they make. You want at least 200 umol/sec for vegetative growth.
*Spectrum* = color of light the fixture produces. Typically listed in Kalvin temperatures, like 3000K. Anything from 4000-6000k is ideal for vegetative growth. Lights with far red and infrared (630nm+) diodes will produce an elongating effect. Avoid infrared if you want to avoid stretching.
*Wattage* = The cost to run the light and the amount of heat it will produce. Lower wattage with higher PPF is ideal. If you plan to run a light for more than a year, consider how quickly electricity costs will negate any savings on sticker price.
Absolutamente true
I have a feeling when he mentioned a 800 dollar fixture, it was probably a high end Marshydro 1200watt :P. For little seedling/starter racks CFL's and LED strips are fine, but there not gonna cut it for aggressive vegetation. He is half right on things being overpriced though, the market is flooded with chinese garbage using crap LED's (i have even seen home depot selling that garbage). But on reputable companies the price is generally justified, Good LED's are absolutely not cheap. Average cree 3w runs about 4-5 bucks per diode, and a lot of these newer systems are using pretty higher end Samsung and LG diodes. We recently picked up a few FC3000's and i would say the price was acceptable for what they are.
Many - not all, maybe not even half - people watching grow light videos are looking to grow cannabis. Anything will grow under even a regular reading lamp bulb (led), but if you're looking to grow cannabis monsters, everything matters - lumens PPFD, DLI, Spectrum, heat levels, humidity, CO2, etc.
Doesn't make this video wrong, he's showing you a vegetable garden. And you can still grow cannabis under these lights, really fucking tasty cannabis, its size and grow speed will just be limited by what it gets as input. You can still use lights like this for vegetative stages and save money in electricity and the longevity of your "grow" lights. {Edited for clarity}
and you know this how ?? your not a parrot ??
5:27 he predicted your comment.
I won't comment what's going on behind you, I try to focus on the topic, sooo I'm very thankful for this video, especially since most people tell ya like " This is a low budget video for grow lights" and then they put stuff in the description for like 800Eur , yeah in which universe is this cheap low budget?:D So you brought up some really good information, advice and links, thank you very much ♥
Thanks!
Amazing that the Real Work 120 V 6000 Lumens will work. Thank you
They're down to $20 now too
Yes sir you're right on point! I'll put my garden results up against anyone who started their seeds with a high dollar light setup. My shop lights from Sam's club grew the seedlings that fed us all last summer.
That is awesome. Didn't even think of Sam's Club
I have a grow room with 3 different kelvin rated lights, (a total of 10) timed to mimic sun's intensity through a 24 hr period, only 4 lights are actually called grow lights. Sticky icky.😊
Excellent! Plug and play (grow)! No wiring. Adjustable for plant growth! Size perfect for shelving. Very efficient and low cost set up.
Works great!
Spectrum only matters most during later stage growth. Basic lights to start things is the move
That's the truth
I laughed so hard at “it’s still January here in Michigan” 😂 great video appreciate the knowledge!
Sometimes it feels like January until July. Weather here is wild. I'm on a hill top so I have a weird microclimate. I get snow when it's sunny a mile north or south. I'm a growing zone below for that reason..just a tiny 5 dot on the map surrounded by zone 6 😂
This is really good information. I get customers asking me about grow lights and but don't want to spend the money on the set up. I can now direct them to light set up with those specifications.
There are still many doubters. Sure you can get higher yield with fancy lights, but at a higher production cost. I'm still harvesting winter tomatoes under these
Thanks dude from all us plant numpties here in Blighty. Will definitely now build my own set up using your excellent guidance. Keep it up.
Your right the led set ups are awesome. You can get those shop lights at canadian tire in Canada. Ive used the screw in led bulbs as well. U can get double socket screw ins and do an array on a power strip. I think mine ran me about $30 in 2017....still using it. Works great.
Same price. Hard to beat! Mine are still going strong
Thanks for the information. I use the same criteria of 5000k etc. I do have that last one you linked in the 2.5 foot version and it is very versatile. I came across a brand of lights that I am really doing well with for my application. (Barrina) I needed short, inexpensive ones as I have adapted some unused guinea pig cages to grow in. I do have some of those "expensive" grow lights, but those were given as gifts so I am not complaining. They are currently being used on my dwc tomato and pepper plants. Thanks again!
Thanks for watching! Seems like you have a very diverse set up. Guinea pig cages sounds interesting
I used to use fluorescent lights, led shop lights, etc. The thing that I hated about them was constantly having to move lights. Raise lights to water, to check out the seedlings, etc. I finally bit the bullet and bought actual grow lights with dimmer switches. I did some research and found some highly regarded lights that were being discontinued and snatched them up for less than $100 a piece. They stay 18-24 inches above the seedlings and you can control the light output with the dimmers. I love being able to just glance at my trays and see what's going on with them. As I get older I value keeping things easier and more convenient.
That's a benefit. I dont even use timers. I like checking to see how things are going
@@FastGardeningMichiganYes, but most of us don't watch them with that kind of dedication. A new type electronic timer these days is like $7. Very worth it.
@@slpardee10 i did get timers when I had to leave for a few days. I dont trust devices like that.. Fire hazard. But so far hasn't melted
Back in the day, i flowered cannabis plants with fluorescent. Plants were healthy. Buds weren't huge but they were dense and potent.
@@FastGardeningMichigan growing weed is a little more involved than veggies. gotta keep that light schedule on point!!
Being in Michigan as well (same frost zone even) I'm truly enjoying your channel. Great info on horticulture without spending an arm and a leg.
Thanks! Almost time to get tomatoes and peppers outside
I've used LEDs and I also have "grow" light bulbs ($6) that go into reguar fixtures (I use the clamp on work light fixtures). It works fine. It's like how so many say you have to have heat mats to start seeds. I use the heat vent in the floor. I currently have 20 artichoke starts, about 15 pepper seedlings, and just sowed my tomatoes. Light bulbs work fine!
My heat mat is just a cooking pan with a clear lid under lights. Mini greenhouse. Germinates everything!
The high-dollar, HID (High Intensity Discharge) lights are often created for, and marketed to, those growing pot. Although other plants thrive on as much light as you can give them also, and with lower-power lights the amount of light decreases so rapidly the further from the plants that you get, it renders them very ineffective for some situations.
Also, if you're growing seed-to-table indoors, perhaps in a hydroponic setup, a single, higher-powered light that can be some distance above the plants in order to cover a broader area may be desirable.
Having said all that, for what he's doing here, a lower-powered and cheap LED is the perfect choice. Especially for something he's just going to transplant.
When I use to grow other _'stuff'_ besides food many years (decades) ago, we used Metal Hallide and High Pressure Sodium bulbs, both running much hotter, (obviously) at greatly reduced efficiency (hence the heat), and lasting usually less than half the time of what LED lights do today. LED lights, at least entire panels used as "grow lights" weren't really a thing back thing, although it wouldn't be long before they exploded on the scene.
LED lights are definitely the way to go. However, just don't think you'll always get the best results with a low(er) power LED light if you're growing plants that thrive on a lot of light. Unless maybe, you buy a lot of the cheap, low-power LED lights and keep them right on top of your plants, and your plants won't be getting very tall. Even then, you'll probably be operating with a deficit.
Good points. These lights did not stop my plants from growing vertical (ran out of room!) and they also had great flowering action. I have never tried letting them fruit indoors with these lights but I may at some point. These lights also work great for plants where we prefer to harvest the leaves and don't have to worry about fruit set.
Hey I am looking to start gardening indoors and I would have to have the garden indoors the whole year since it’s very cold and windy where I live. Could you suggest any type of large overhead grow light I could use for long term like that? I want to set up in my garage.
@@whitneywiebe1725 cheap shop LEDs will work to grow leafy greens. I've had lettuce growing indoors for the past 6 weeks. In a garage you may need to worry about temperature. You still want the area to be above 60 degrees Fahrenheit. If you're looking to grow plants that set fruits you may need a set up with different color spectrums for flowering and fruiting. Although many say the cheap LEDs won't get a plant to flower, I've watched many plants do it. I never tried to let them fruit but I am currently growing green beans and will be planting cucumbers under them as an experiment. Stuff like tomatoes and peppers may need supplemental heat. I will eventually try those too, but have not tried yet.
@@FastGardeningMichigan thank you so much!! I will definitely be heating the garage with a heater of some type and may set up a couple heat lamps as well! This info definitely helps me out, thanks again!
@@whitneywiebe1725 That's the trade off, if you use lights that generate more heat you don't need to add extra heaters so either way your going to use the electricity. I like flourescents I use a mix of them and some cheap leds
Yup I got one from walmart to were you can mix the colors for around 40 bucks and it's working great so far
Update video coming tonight. Plants did great
Brother you are doing a great job. I’ve been looking for a way to help my nephew; 12, get into gardening. These lights are perfect for young people. Thanks
My 4 year old's green beans are about to set pods under these!
Thank you so much. You're an electrician so I trust your experience. I've been going out of my mind over this. I live in a small apt., and I wanted to grow a few things. Lettuce and such. But all I could find was spectrums spectrums and more spectrums, and lots and lots of money. lol. You saved me. Thank you.
More important than lights are soil fertility and proper watering. Use rain water if you can! If you haven't check out my follow up video. Compost from my chicken run and rain water produced monster plants under cheap lights
Great info brother. I myself have used both cheap brand lights and spiderfarmer lights. The difference in growth with a light made properly is astounding. Both lights were 100w but one is a brand with just letters and numbers for a name while the other is a known company. The spectrum is drastically different on the properly made one as well as light penetration. Things I wish I had known before trying to save money on the wrong products lol.
Those spiderfarmer lights look pretty cool. They have videos to back them us as well which is good.
The shop lights don’t have the full spectrum for growing.
@@anekinoo7 They do, but it's limited. White LED has a little bit across each spectrum. If one were to wish to grow fruiting plants from seed to maturity the growth may be slowed down. I was able to have prolific flowering with these lights but never had plants in long enough to fruit. I'd always pop the flowers off. However, shop lights with the right K and Lumens can grow leafy vegetables full term indoors.
But Spider farmer is a cheap brand grow light 😂😂😂 chilled Growcraft Leds for the win
@WastedWages82 I haven't tried them yet but I have seen a few of the people I watch grow with them and they seem like great lights !
So many great CHEAP lighting options have shown up in the comments. Take some time to read through them to hear everyone's experience. Great to see fellow gardeners helping eachother out!
Exactly! I pretty much read through all the reviews on vids I watch as there can be a lot more info to gleam.
@@markwright4412 they can go to menards or walmart too and get better options than a grow store that's trying to sell the same lights but calls them grow lights and marks up the price. Many of the amazon options are multi packs as well.
@@FastGardeningMichigan your links were bogus not saving anyone money. Sorry
@@markwright4412 then drive to walmart or harbor freight and buy lights around around the same price. Or maybe you don't even grow plants or you have better options you'd like to share with everyone?
I bought my shop lights, some with LEDs and with the specs you recommend for about $18 at Walmart a year or two ago. They do well for me.
I agree brother I just learned that this year my walmart shop lights actually work just as good
I am going to experiment with the high output LEDs like 15,000 plus lumen. We light up construction sites with them. They wouldn't be good to set up right on top of plants, but hung overhead could produce great results
@@FastGardeningMichigan yea I thought about using those I use em for working on the flight line at night I also wanted to use those I think halogen lights . those things super bright a d get nice and warm
@@FastGardeningMichigan I also line everything with foil paper to reflect light and lock in heat
@@urbanharvestdfw I've considered that. Last year I started plants in my living room so it sas nice and warm. They're in the basement now in the low 60s by an east facing window. Going to bump them over so the white wall reflects some light back. Temps dont seem to bother the plants but haven't started peppers and tomatoes yet
Great video, This is what real people need to hear because the gardening genre is full of items marketed to them they do not need, especially when it comes to seed starting. I've used really cheap lights that are close to $7 each and run at 20watts for 2200lm at 5000k. It's all you need and is even better when doing 4'x10' areas because you can spread your lights out more and have them overlap light onto the plants instead of intensity from one source that doesnt spread wide. It helps to have a light meter to check the brightness of your lights when setting up, they cost about $30 but make sure that there isnt waste in wattage when you are building out a larger system.
I find that hanging my lights on PVC is great, because I can then run rope inside the PVC and it gives me a way to change the level of the lights as I need it, since you have to keep raising them all the time as your plants grow.
I see ads for 800 dollar towers to grow food indoors. That's expensive lettuce! There is a huge market for gardening related products and some are just unnecessary
Which brand of lights do you have that are 20 watts and 500K?
Totally agreed on this. And if you really feel the need for red or blue light to add, you can compliment it with an led strip, which won't put off as much light, but will add the spectrum you're after. Honestly I don't really see a reason to min/max when the 5000K does great.
Seems like 5K is the sweet spot
But hes totally wrong soooo
@@shine9680im betting you’re not going to say why
Expensive grow lights are awesome especially when they have advanced features like simulating clouds to increase efficiency without losing vigour.
Im an electrician and leds rock. But nothing beats the sun. We put all kinds of stuff in the windowsill, and move em outside when they are big enough. We started a lemon tree, rosemary, tomatoes, chilie peppers and even an aloe vera plant
I have no windows that get any sun at all or else I'd utilize it.
Another great, informative video - as always!
Thanks!
Couple things.
This is best for starting plants, and plants that require full sun should get outside when it's time, so this isn't an all year thing.
Next would be minimizing other light sources from hitting the seedlings because it could cause them to lean towards the other light source.
THANKS for the tip!
It works all year but plants are made to be outside. I have dwarf varieties growing now doing great, but it's a lot of work. I'm more of an outside grower where I can plant them and walk away 😂.
@@FastGardeningMichigan Yeah I tried to be specific when saying "plants that require full sun", and it's not that you can't grow them inside, it's about having to run lights for more than 12 hrs./day to give those plants the amount of light they need.
I'm not being contradictory as much as being practical.
Peace dude.
@@johndoh5182 I'm on the same page. When you run lights that long you're growing very expensive food that requires more care. Most of us have a long enough season outside to grow what we need. If you put together the time and monetary obligations growing inside isn't exactly efficient.
A 7500k florescent light tube is the ticket to veg all plants the best. They give off true sun spectrum. But this guy is 100% correct about cheap lights can do better 😉
Fluorescent just draws more amps meaning a higher electric bill. Ill do a future video on the calculations and how they add up. Also, not overloading a circuit is important. When i see people talk about 1000 watt lights it sounds like a fire waiting to happen if the wire size is wrong.
Just found this guy for the first time. Subscribed. I like it.
Thanks!
I use cheap shop lights for growing houseplants in Michigan . Nothing fancy here! Great video!❤
❤❤❤😊😊😊🎉🎉🎉 BEST VIDEO 📸📷 EVER!!! BEEN SEARCHING AND THIS POPPED Up 😄 🙏🙏👍, U R THE BEST SIR!
Thanks!
First time watching your video. Very nice! Right to the point and no stupid 20sec intro. Keep up the good work, thanks for not wasting my time. I just subscribed!
Thanks!
I use brand name LED light bulb (Brand name to reduce the chance of new or "new" tech that catch fire). I pop off the plastic round dome on the light bulb since that plastic eat up some photons.
This light is perfect for getting started.
I appreciate your honesty! Thank you, new sub
Thanks! I know the grow light industry is pretty big but LED shop lights work great. I've never had plants inside long enough to fruit, but even with the shop lights I got prolific flowering which according to some needs a different light spectrum. White LED provides a vast spectrum, just in smaller doses. May be an experiment I do to see if I can grow fruiting plants full term with just these.
White LED's work just fine. You can get 4 foot lights for about $30. I have several that are 4000K. Walmart has shop lights with clear covers, which would be preferable to frosted. Frosted soaks up half the light emitted by the LED's. You have to get them at the store. No mail order.
Many don't realize what our eyes see as white actually contains many colors. My update video shows the results. I am a strong believer that lights are not the most important part of growing
@@FastGardeningMichigan Recent research has found that green light penetrates through upper leaves to lower leaves. Red + Blue is old science.
Thanks for the video! That looks like a great product, although shipping will probably eat into the value (i.e. a $25 light, and $20 for shipping...for those of us who don't live near a Rural King). I was wondering two things. First, although I see you don't use a timer, I wonder if they'd work with a timer (i.e. they don't "reset" requiring the chain to be pulled again)? Second, what is that modular rack you have. That looks like it might be reasonably price, even if a bit small for the lights. Although I see a lot of people do a DIY PVC set up to hang their lights.
They work with a timer. As long as the pull chain is in the ON position any external switching device will control them. 20$ to ship?? I didn't see that. Good thing I left some other options in the description. Not many rural kings around..
@@FastGardeningMichigan I don't actually know the shipping, but I'm pretty sure it'll be at least $10 these days. I'll check some of the other options as well. Being from CA, I've never even heard of Rural King before.
@@ikiruyamamoto1050 probably isn't cheap! 8.25 is the minimum to ship a package nowadays unless you're a big business
Thanks Man! I almost spent a fortune on Grow Lights ! 🤯
Awesome! Gotta save wherever we can
As a person that started out using less than ideal lights, then moved to cfls then to hid....I have a pretty good idea of the range of quality of lighting available. The new LED lights with added far red and UltraViolet in the Spectrum are far superior to anything I have used in the past. My only advice would be to go with an American company, you will pay a little bit more money but the money won't go to China. Instead it will go to your corporate overlords here in America so somehow that's better.
Any recommendations for American made lights?
@@FastGardeningMichigan Horticulture Lighting Group!!
@@devilslettucehorticultural5292 HLG are made in China!! I can give you their number if you want. They'll sell direct to public.
@@devilslettucehorticultural5292 And ridiculously overpriced and behind in technology already. The LM301H boards are all made in China. Like the Japanese parts I sell on ebay I state they are 'Assembled in Australia'. Thats what HLG do!
hard to FIND american companies/products. :/ i always look and *everything* is china. back when i was a kid there was a "made in america" craze. and i think we need to get back to that. but gov't has to support us moving jobs back in instead of letting companies outsource tf outta everything. ((tho maybe it's partly just amazon that has all the china stuff? who knows.))
this is so true. the GrowLight tax is insane. If you check the diodes the Brands use you will find the exact same one in "standart LED" for a fraction of the price :) For example i bouth a wet room led for 19€ with the exact same 32 osram mixed diodes Mars hydro uses in their VG40(for 89€)
I see this as an electrician. I'll install $1000 lights and I could find the same thing at the hardware store for 20 bucks. The internals are what matters and many companies use the same parts.
I just bought 20 dollar lights from lowes and got midway through veg with tomatoes got a bigger light to get large yields
great info, especially for seed starting, lights like those are great. Lots of LEDs and low power with low heat output is the way to go for sure.
A lot of the grow light LEDs use higher wattage which is unnecessary. Just burns hotter and costs more money for the same kelvin and lumens output
You can use one and a quarter PVC piping to increase the height of the shelves for the lights and plants
Right. This is shelving my wife bought. My top rack gives me 3 feet with the lights tied to my basement ceiling. I will be growing shorter varieties this winter. Growing indeterminate tomatoes and Sativas is not the ideal varieties. Those same tomatoes that set fruit indoors are 16 feet tall outside right now 😂.
Chiming in from experience - when I started growing in Colorado back in 2010, I bought the cheapest shop ballast and flouro tubes i could find at Ace Hardware. Cold spectrum tubes for veg, specifically. At the time, LED - at least in the market I was exposed to - was INSANELY expensive. NEVER HAD A SINGLE ISSUE WITH COLD FLOURO. get a chain to hang it with and adjust height accordingly. I cut off my "veg" area with mylar that I hung from the ceiling. Whole thing cost me very little compared to what the industry had to offer.
Now LEDs are the standard for almost all lighting and very cheap. We do LED upgrades instead of retrofitting and even with labor costs works out cheaper
i know it's amazing how far the LED has come!
Type A plug and play, Type B are direct wired ( no ballast) any 4 tube shop light, I use the 6500K Type B and have been using for 5 years, this year added a 6 tube, hi-bay lite, better lites, reflectors, in the cooler garage, I add a chicken brooder heat lamp.
Got a 20 pack, Type B for $6.50 per bulb.
Changed out all my 4' fluorescent fixtures.
Love the Daylight spectrum of the 6500K
If the plants need to stay in longer, re late spring, I've put a strip of Red Christmas wrapping paper on one side of stand, the reflected red gives a better blossom set I found.
I do not like the "smart bulbs" that work with the ballast. Lights I upgrade at work are usually replaced with flat panel LEDs. We've done the ballast bypass as well but labor wise costs more. That's just my electrician input lol. Good set up
@@FastGardeningMichigan as a retired electrician, 5 minutes, done. Ballast gone, enough wire, use the push in connectors, cost more than nuts, but easier.
I don't like the switchable Kelvin bulbs, costly, shorter life.
I think you've got the right idea. plants evolved to use the sun so of course they'll want lights with a spectrum like the sun. And all that matters is how many photons the light is putting off. 6000 lumens for 25 bucks is tough to beat
3 more bucks and you get a 3 year warranty!
In flower you're going to need something bigger. I use a Honeywell to veg. You're correct about veg lighting but if anyone wants big flowers you're going to need at LEAST 800 ppfd. Preferably 1000-1500
been using cfl shop lights for years. they work great for my uses. i also run a real growlight led in my flower room. heavy fruiting plants need lots of light that clf and led shop lights just dont cut it for.. im into indoor growing over a decade so ive come from the HM and HPS days. old growers know lol
We used to use CFLs for temp lighting on construction sites but now we just use the LED hibays
30 years ago I used cool and warm white fluorescent worked great ,start to finish.
Nice you just hit on something. Giving the viewer just a taste but asking them to subscribe to see the rest That’s genius
20 Barrina LED shop lights cost $200 and cost $0.20/day to run. They work great too!
Barrina and Spider Farmer are marketed grow lights I can support. Reasonably priced and they don't try to oversell like some of these insane high dollar ones do
Also thanks to weed growers, there's a plethora of cheap tents that reflect the light back onto your plants, but you'll probably want a vent fan. I'm waiting for my 48 x 48 x 80 to arrive.
My set up was near a window that received a few hours of light. It's east facing but large trees block all my south light. Thats why I moved my set up over to a white wall to reflect light back. It's helped tremendously. Some use the cheap survival blankets as well
Nice “ lettuce” grow I too prefer a nice “,Romaine”
Thanks for the info bro
Great video and information I agree with a lot of this I bought a grow tent to grow my bonsai/flytraps the scam is it came with a 100 wtt light which is great for seedlings but need about 200-400 more watts for successful growth but I just bought a 450 wtt foldable bar light for like less then 200
450 watt may overload a circuit. Mine are 50 watts. The newer lights are all low wattage, whether it be grow lights, commercial, or medical grade. Technology has come a long way
You can get 5 meters of dimmable adhesive LED strip lights for very cheap and just make simple frames out of wood and string.
I’ve started my peppers for years with an old fluorescent shop light. They give off enough heat to spare the heat mats, and being they only run a month or so, and not 24/7, the bulbs aren’t an issue. You’re absolutely correct, there’s no need for the “grow lights” and their price, especially if you’re only using them a month or two a year for starting the plants.
A little shelf like you have, and one light, and I get plenty of peppers and tomatoes started, enough to give quite a few away.
My neighbor farmer bought one of those $200 led square lights, barely 2’ square for his, and believe it or not, the cheap daylight fluorescents actually out perform his. I tried to tell him, but they HAD to get a “grow light”…..
The maim argument against the cheap lights was they didn't allow plants to flower or fruit. I proved they did in a later video and now the argument is yield. I think people need to realize lights are only part of the process. Soil and nutrients are probably more important. I am using chicken compost and rain water so I can grow peppers and tomatoes transplant size in 26 days vs. 6-8 weeks. After I let some get 3 feet tall it was time to go outside BUT they did have plenty of fruits on them. I use lights for warmth as well, no heat mats. Cooking trays with clear lids help keep in warmth and humidity for germination. Thanks for the comment!
@@FastGardeningMichigan
I have no clue as far as fruiting goes, as I only use them for starting.
I will say this, I had to adjust my timing and wait almost a month later because my peppers were coming in 5 days or less, and they got big before it was okay to put them outside. It became quite the hassle, but I’ve found mid march here in Alabama is about right.
I also use chicken compost in the final planting, but have been using happy frog for seedlings for a few years now with good results, and while it’s not necessarily cheap, a bag can grow hundreds of seeds and the plants seem to handle transplanting better.
Thanks for the reply, now I might have to try and keep a couple under the lights just to see what they’ll produce out of curiosity.
Thanks for the reply.
@@FastGardeningMichigan
Btw, I’ve found that press and seal plastic wrap works pretty well in a pinch for humidity.
Novice, first timer here I started my seedlings indoor today using a clear plastic egg carton (1 1/2 doz) I bought my 100 watt LED light bulb at dollar tree lol for $1.25. Tomatoes and cukes. 😊
I like shop lights because they're long and can cover rows of plants. Never tried regular bulbs. Let me know how it does!
Thank you very much for doing this video. It explains the lighting procedure for plants very in detailed any help me out greatly.
Concise, to the point and taken from experience. This video for the win. 😊
The flack is still coming in! Didnt think this was so controversial but some people are still hung up on the "scientific studies" the sellers of the fancy lights perform.
Just what I was looking for. I really appreciate your video. Thanks from Minnesota!
Thanks!
Okay -- two videos watched. Had to subscribe! Amazing info ty, love the straight to the point.
Thanks!
T5s will grow anything you want up to and including any FLOWER as well. Will never let you down, use it for the whole life cycle
I Usef some cheap LED shop lights from a local box store and they didn’t last (some died after only 2 years as dry shop lights). I paid extra ($125 each) lights and they have been going strong for 8 years (hanging 5” above my salt water aquariums getting splashed by salt water constantly). I just relate this experience to say that cost has to be in the context of how long they last and how much abuse they will be subjected to.
That drain pipe on the wall you should wrap in bark to make it look like a log to put the fish on
I've got the bark to do it now. Good idea. I can't even finish the pallet wall after these years 😂
Every light you recommend is out of stock. Great info! Thank you.
Those sellers must have made new listings. People have been recommending walmart and harbor freight as well.
I'm using cheap t5 led grow lights with 5000k, they work for me, leafy greens and now my first two marijuana plants.
Great to hear!
The big grow lights are for growing pot. They are much higher intensity because they're trying to force bigger flower yield. That's how it was explained to me
There are a few claiming that they grow it under shop lights and some grow tomatoes to ripeness. I can attest to flowering but that's as far as I take the warm weather plants that go outside. They can probably do a lot more than we know but noone is really trying.
I buy c.o.b. led chips from ebay for 10 bucks for 10....i run them 12v with a power supply from desktop computer...fault protection built in. Works crazy good and it is almost free
Interesting!
I definitely feel you. When I first started quality lights were difficult to come by. You have to search for the right thing. Very informative video.
Weeding through the cheap shop LEDs to find the ones with the right lumens and kelvin ratings seems to be the toughest part. Especially because when grow light is added to the search prices jump.
Great stuff I'm looking and the grow light thing is crazy. I just need to to starts and grow leafy greens watercress, lettuces and the like.
Cheap LED light 1 to 2 inches off the tops of the sprouts is all you need for starts! I am also growing green beans indoors with the same lights.
Nice to see a fellow Michigander . I'm a subscriber now .
Thanks!
Nice thing about LEDs is they're also programmable, which can lend itself to automation.
There are lighting control systems that can operate them but they're really expensive. I prefer relays and timers myself when I am doing control work
Best looking drain pipe I've ever seen!
The white drain pipe didn't match the pallet walls 😂
0:15 we talking about some different horticulture you and I my friend i have 14 difffent fruit trees all in 10-30 gallon containers in my backyard but my you know what could indeed go for some lights NOBODY on TH-cam has made a video about outdoor grow lights for “herbs”
The sun works wonders for herbs
you americans are lucky, its so easy to find things on amazon for this stuff
in australia.. it seems so difficult & everything is just promoted for seedlings :\
I want to grow broccoli, spinach and lettuce indoors
Hardware stores will have LED shop lights in this range. They aren't promoted for plant growth.
These work great for growing mushrooms as well
Good video, great information, thank you for sharing
The lights in the background over your intro kind of reminded me of those metal halide 1000 w lights they used to use
Those are just retrofit can leds!
I’m so glad I finally came across a video like this. I always felt as though the “color spectrum” was bullshit. I bought random flood lights from Home Depot and they worked so well and I saved a hell of a lot of money. I used them for flowering too and the results were exactly what I was hoping for
I think some grow lights really play to the human eye to make colors visible for us to see but our eyes cant see all the colors light is putting off until it's filtered through a prism to break them down. They make lights that offer higher levels of certain spectrums but what's someone going to do, spend hundred to grow a couple dollars worth of tomatoes? Especially when most growing inside will grow outside as well and have more tomatoes than they can eat.
Hahaha man you don’t grow, else you would know. This entire video is wrong!
I have kept corals in fluorescent lights so these LED shop light can handle tiny little seedlings just fine.
I've bought 3 Spider Farmer LED panel lights. 2 burned up faster than the Maxisun, Growsun a Viparspecter of the same style. SpiderFarmer boasts the best of the best driver and diodes but died faster than any of the other LEDs I've ever owned
Good info for others to know! Thanks
I am 66 and back in the day people laughed at me for using cool/warm white flourescents. Gotta be Metal Halide or HPS they said. Very expensive and VERY hot. Vindication is sweet.
Most of the folks recommending the "grow lights" are also the ones selling them. Marketing at it's finest
@@FastGardeningMichigan Yes, like Miracle Gro sells crappy potting soil cause their main business is fertilizer. Go figure.
Appreciate the video and the time and energy you invested making it! 👏🎖️Thank you sir from Northern MI! 🙂👍
Thanks for watching! Good luck this year up north
@@FastGardeningMichigan thanks! May fortune smile upon you in your endeavors this year also! 🙂✌️
I've grown peppers indoors using LED shop lights. Complete from seed to fruit. I grew them for a time with a cheap LED spotlight from Walmart. I then grew them for a time with a cheap LED shop light from Walmart. I then grew them with cheap 4ft LED lights off Amazon. The peppers didn't care which light was used from what I could tell. I even ran the lights 24/7 and the peppers didn't care. The whole grow was an experiment and I learned that it seems plants do just fine with decently bright shop lights. The range of actual wattage for my experiment was roughly 40-50 watts total for three pepper plants. The spot lights were two 23 watt LED spotlights. The Walmart shop light I can't remember for sure but was somewhere around 40 watts. The Amazon shop light was also somewhere around 40 watts. Oh I also grew the peppers for a time with a 4ft florescent shop light, one daylight bulb and one warm white bulb. The peppers reacted the same to it as the others.
My conclusions, use whatever and if the plants seem to do fine, then it's good. If they struggle, add more watts. The peppers probably would have done better with double the lights, but I was being cheap and testing.
Great, thorough explanation. I have cannabis ready and tomatoes turning ripe. My basement is 55 degrees so not the best for warm weather plants but still it worked.
@@FastGardeningMichigan yeah summer plants get a little fussy when it's "cold". I tried growing some cucumbers in a mountain town in California one year and it just got too cold every night and the cucumber plants never grew higher than about a foot and never set fruit. They looked otherwise fine but the cold was too cold I guess. I do sometimes miss that comfortable climate in the summer. Where I am now it's hot and humid for most of the year.
@@MmmHuggles we get temps going from 80s to 20s here in the same week 😂. Seems like we all gotta deal with less an ideal conditions at some point in our seasons