Bringing the Outside Inside with Hydroponics and Grow Lights

You can if you bring the outdoors inside by using hydroponics for your ground and grow lights for your sunshine. However, be sure to choose the correct light spectrum for the best results.

You should seriously consider your choice of grow lights when growing indoors and the particular needs of the type of plants you grow. The natural environment of the plant influences the type of grow lights you need. Vegetables grow in full sunlight and require different grow lights than a foliage plant that naturally grows in the shade.

Your choices for grow lights are Radiant, Metal Halide, High Pressure Sodium and Sodium Agro. Radiant grow lights give off intense light that is spread out consistently. Metal Halide lights give off a blue light that is good for leafy vegetables. High Pressure Sodium grow lights work best for flowers and fruit. Sodium Agro grow lights give off the same spectrum of color as the High Pressure Sodium but with more blue and less infrared.

Incandescent lights are very hot and do not work well for hydroponics. Fluorescent lights can be used with seedling or any growing where cool light is required and can be kept close to the plants.

The wattage of grow lights you need depends on the size of the area in which you are growing.