Plant Grow Lighting FAQs
Find answers to common indoor plant
grow light questions below or click Grow Lights Grow
Lights to go directly to our professional quality Grow
Light product offerings.
Q
What
do I need to get started?
A Grow Light consists of a lamp, a socket
assembly, a ballast, and a reflector. Choose Metal Halide Grow Lights
Metal
Halide Grow Lights, HPS
Grow Lights, Dual MH/HPS Grow Lights or a Fluorescent
Grow Lights system depending on your needs. You can purchase a
fully assembled grow light system or purchase components to build a custom grow
light. You may aslo want to consider a Grow
Light Lift and a Light
Mover to make your set up more efficient.
Q
When should I use a Metal Halide Plant Grow Light?
Metal Halide
provides a balanced light spectrum closest to natural light. Metal Halide light
is excellent for rapid foliage growth and plants can be grown from start to
finish using metal halide plant grow lights. Choose metal halide as a primary
light source if little or no natural sunlight is available. Click here to shop
Metal
Halide Grow Lights.
Q
What is the difference between Universal Metal Halide
Lamps and Super Horizontal Metal Halide Lamps?
Super Metal Halide Grow Light Bulbs
provide 12% more light output than Standard Metal Halide Lamps, but must be
installed in a horizontal position only. Click here to shop Super
Metal Halide Grow Light Bulbs
Q
When should I use HPS Plant Grow Lights?
HPS, High Pressure Sodium, Grow Lights are 10-15% more
energy efficient than Metal Halide but HPS does not have a balanced spectrum.
HPS emits an orange/yellow light similar to the sun's spectrum in the mid day.
HPS is best used as supplemental light and is particularly good at promoting
flower growth. Click here to shop HPS
Grow Lights
Q
What is the difference between Standard and Enhanced Performance
HPS Light Bulbs?
Standard HPS Light Bulbs lacks blue spectrum light. This
may result in leggy plants. Enhanced Performance HPS Grow Light Bulbs
have a wider blue spectrum, which makes a significant difference in plant growth.
Click here to shop Enhanced
Performance HPS Grow Light Bulbs
Q
When should I use a Fluorescent and LED Grow Lights?
Fluorescent Grow Lights
and LED Grow Lights are very energy efficient and run cool.
They are best for growing seedlings or providing supplemental light. Click here
to shop Fluorescent
Grow Lights and LED
Grow Lights
Q
What
wattage Grow Light should I use?
Optimal wattage depends on several factors including the
size of the growing area and the type of plants. Plants that require more light
(i.e. tomatoes), need a higher wattage system.
| Area
Size |
Recommended
Wattage |
| 2' x 2' |
250W & under |
| 4' x 4' |
400W & 600W |
| 8' x 8' |
1000W |
Q
How high above the tops of my plants should I
hang my grow lights?
Hang your grow light high enough so your plants don't
burn but low enough to maximize light exposure. To increase light coverage for
a larger area, raise the light. For plants requiring very intense light, keep
the lights as close to the plants as possible. Use a Light
Hanger to make it easy to adjust the heights of your grow light.
Use a Light
Mover to increase the area of light coverage
| Lamp Type |
Lumens (light
output) |
Sq. Ft |
Area |
Mounting Height
(from top of plants) |
| HPS
70W |
7,600 |
2 |
1' x 1' |
1.5' - 2' |
| HPS
100W |
9,500 |
2 |
1' x 1' |
1.5' - 2' |
| MH
100W |
9,000 |
2 |
1' x 1' |
1.5' - 2' |
| HPS
150W |
16,000 |
1 - 4 |
1' x 1'
2' x 2' |
1.5' - 2' |
| MH
175W |
13,000 |
4 -9 |
2' x 2'
3' x 3' |
1.5' - 2' |
| HPS
250W |
28,500 |
4 -9 |
2' x 2'
3' x 3'
|
1.5' - 2' |
| MH
250W |
22,000 |
4 - 9 |
2' x 2'
3' x 3' |
1.5' - 2' |
| MH
400W |
36,000 |
16 - 36 |
4' x 4'
6' x 6' |
2' - 3' |
| HPS
400W |
50,000 |
16 - 36 |
4' x 4'
6' x 6' |
2' - 3' |
| HPS
1000W |
140,000 |
36 - 100 |
6' x 6'
10' x 10 |
3' - 5' |
| MH
1000W |
110,000 |
36 - 100 |
6' x 6'
10' x 10' |
3' - 5' |
Q
How long should I run my Grow Light?
Most plants grow well with up to 12 hours of light a day.
Long day plants may require up to 16 hours. Adjust the run length according
to how your plants react. Click here to shop professional quality grow light
Timers
Q
How often should I replace my Grow Light Bulb?
Replace Grow Light Bulbs before they
burn out. HPS lamps should be replaced every 2 to 2 1/2 years. Metal Halide
should be replaced at least once every year. After one year (12-14 hours a day)
of use, MH lamps put out around 65% to 70% of the initial lumen output. After
1 year most HPS lamps still give about 85% to 90% of the initial light output.
Note: It is impossible to see with the naked eye if a lamp is dimmer or
has lost a good percent of its initial life. Click here to shop Grow
Light Bulbs
Q
Should I use specialty light bulbs and do they
work?
If you can afford them, you should use them. Specialty
grow lamps like the Eye Lighting Hortilux
and the SunMaster Warm
Deluxe are engineered for plant growth. Hortilux lamps offer up
to 25% bluer light than a standard HPS. This boosts green vegetative growth,
and builds stronger stems. Warm Deluxe lamps offer up to 25% more red spectrum
than standard MH lamps. This helps with flowering and fruiting in plants. Both
lamps provide more lumens than standard HID lamps. Click here to shop
Enhanced Performance HPS Grow Light Bulbs or Super
Metal Halide Grow Light Bulbs
Q
What Grow Light Reflector should I buy?
Horizontal Grow Light Reflectors are
the most common reflectors used for plant lighting. They do an excellent job
concentrating the light in a downward direction, giving your plants intense
light coverage. Note: Glass is optional on most horizontal hoods, and is
required on MH systems for UL listing. Click here to shop Grow
Light Reflectors
TIMES