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Grow lighting is not new; it’s been used for many years by plant growers to enhance and even supersede light from the sun. What is new however is LED grow lighting, which has sparked some pretty sharp debates about its effectiveness. This article briefly reviews what these new lights bring to the table and why there is much about them.

There are two main reasons why LEDs started being used for grow lights. First, LEDs are the most efficient form of lighting available. They convert most of the energy they consume into light and thus give off very little heat. By comparison, traditional HID (high intensity discharge) grow lights produce considerably more heat than light.

Second, unlike regular incandescent type lights which spread light across a wide band of the spectrum, LEDs can be manufactured to emit light only at defined wavelengths. The advantage being that plants in fact only absorb light from two specific parts of the spectrum. So LED lights don’t waste expensive electricity by generating unwanted heat and unusable light.

These combined attributes – low electricity consumption plus accurate targeting of key parts of the spectrum – account for the great interest in LED lights. The promise of improved light delivery and reduced operating costs was bound to attract attention.

Another associated advantage of running with practically no heat output is that LED lights can be positioned much closer to plants without risk of burning. The reason for doing this is to take advantage of the inverse square rule of light. Put simply, halving the distance from the light source quadruples the amount of light delivered.

With HID grow lights the blue component requires a metal halide bulb while the red needs a high pressure sodium one. It is necessary to physically switch between these two, and also to replace bulbs on a regular basis (about annually). LED systems simply allow the balance between blue and red to be varied; they also last a great deal longer (like about 10 years).

So what’s the problem then? Well, there really isn’t one where the technology is concerned. High quality modern LED lights can match or outperform conventional HID units while bringing a whole host of other benefits as noted above. What is a problem is that quite a bit of what gets sold as LED grow lights is low quality and outdated.

People need to have realistic expectations. An LED UFO grow light using 90 separate 1w LEDs will perform as well as a 400w HID, but people get seduced by apparently cheaper alternatives. So they’ll be tempted by a unit with 225 LEDs and total consumption of 14 watts. That means each LED delivers only 0.06 watts of power which is way too low to ever work for grow lighting. Inevitably then the poor reviews arrive and the reputation of all LED grow lights suffers as a consequence.

For much more on this subject I recommend these additional articles that explore further into modern LED grow lights and indoor growing.

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If you live in an apartment or a small home with no room for a garden outside, the good news is that you can grow your garden indoors quite easily. Most people who have never gardened before might believe that starting an indoor garden is too difficult. But with some thought and planning, you’ll find that it’s quite simple, and very rewarding. Following are a number of tips that will help you grow a healthy indoor garden.

When you choose to grow an indoor garden, there are certain supplies you will need. Depending on if your home is an apartment or a rented house, space can be limited. If you don’t have enough window sills, consider hanging containers. There are also plant stands that you can purchase in a variety of sizes dependent on the space you have. They can come in single, multi-shelf and tiered. Decide on where you want to grow your indoor garden in your home before determining how many plant stands you might need to buy.

Some small spaces or even houses don’t have enough natural light. If you want your indoor house plants to thrive, they will always need a light source. With the right amount of light, your plants can double in growth in no time. Don’t forget that your indoor plants can get light even at night. These lights are available in a spectrum of sizes. You can choose from ceiling lights, hanging from a stand, free standing or even a clip on which you can add to the side of a table or desk. If you have a busy schedule, consider getting a timer for your lights so that your indoor plants get the right amount of light needed.

If you are planting something like orchids, then meters are a must have. This is a tester for temperature, moisture, light and nutrient content. There are also meters for regular soil gardening outdoors as well. If anything plant related needs to be measured, chances are you will always be able to find a device for it. This will ensure that your indoor plants are balanced with everything that they need.

Once you start growing your indoor garden, fertilizer is a necessary component to your garden. Most people think that if the garden is not in the ground, fertilizer is not needed. When you grow an indoor garden, the soil is stripped of its nutrients during the growth process. With organic gardening becoming quite popular, an organic fertilizer may be ideal for your indoor garden. If you don’t find it too difficult, compost and worm castings can be a good supplement for your indoor garden to ensure the nutrients are being met.

Serious indoor gardeners might be interested in hydroponic gardening as a way to grow year round flowers and vegetables for their home. One of the easiest ways you can do this is by using a hydroponic grow box. This type of structure will provide everything your plants need to thrive.

When the summer comes, people drive out in droves to the local farm to pick their own fruit and vegetables, but with a little bit of know-how, you can actually grow your own indoor vegetable garden. It doesn’t matter how much room you have available, you can always fit in a few plants here and there. Here are a few tips on getting started on growing fresh produce inside.

If you don’t have many windows in your home where you will have enough room to start your indoor garden, consider making a growing area for your plants with fluorescent lights and bulbs that coincide with the plants you’re growing. If it’s wintertime, you will definitely need to have your own makeshift sunlight with the sunlight hours being less in the winter compared to the summer. Make sure to do your research and find out what plants need direct sunlight or light. If you can find plants that grow quite well with a normal amount of light and water, that will be less work for you.

Herbs are probably the easiest plants to grow indoors because they do very well indoors. For beginners, a basil plant is your best bet. Once the basil grows, you can use it for pasta dishes, salads and more. Besides basil, mint also grows well. You can use it for iced beverages, desserts and more. These herbs are versatile and you can find many recipes on the internet for them.

There are many choices when it comes to vegetables that can be grown indoors. Garlic is very easily grown by planting a couple of cloves in the pot with the tip up. In only a week’s time, you’ll already see green shoots, which can be used in salads, soups, and meat dishes. Green onions can also be grown in a similar manner in a short amount of time if you prefer to grow these. Other vegetables you can try your hand at are spinach, butter head lettuce, arugula and parsley, which all grow well indoors. You can visit your local garden center to find specific vegetable seeds that are meant to grow in pots, like dwarf carrots and radishes.

Gardening indoors can be very environmentally friendly. Choose organic growing medium and fertilizer for your new indoor garden, and think about being environmentally responsible with regard to the pots as well. Recycling old containers for your indoor garden is great for the environment. Consider using four liter ice cream pails, big coffee canisters, unused plant containers that you can get from friends or neighbors and more. Use your imagination and have fun with it.

If you’re serious about indoor gardening, you might want to consider hydroponic gardening using water instead of soil. Click here for some helpful advice on homemade hydroponics nutrients or find out about an indoor grow tent.

It’s important that you realize exactly what you are seeking when purchasing indoor bonsai trees. In order for a bonsai to thrive in the location that you plan to situate it, you must learn a couple of things to commence with. Components of the art of bonsai raising comprise maintenance, width, height and shaping, which might be rather too much to take in when you don’t realize what to do.

Here are a few illustrations of the things you need to be alert for prior to going out to get your very first bonsai tree. Continue Reading »

Hydroponics is a method of raising plants without using soil. Normally, hydroponic gardening involves the use of water as a growth medium. Of course, there are more technologically precise explanations. But the ordinary gardener doesn’t really need more knowledge than that.

Many folks might question how hydroponics is feasible. It is generally believed that plants require earth. It offers sustenance, physical support, energy and water. These are all required in order for the plant to thrive. But these building blocks are also available from additional sources. Continue Reading »

Even though bonsai trees look so simple and effortless, they actually take a great deal of looking after. Bonsai gardening is an art form that was developed many hundreds of years ago. It originated in Asia and made its way around the world.

Beginners in the art of bonsai gardening need to learn a lot before they can produce successful bonsai trees.It takes a lot of patience to cultivate a bonsai tree. Continue Reading »

Growing bonsai is an art that needs total commitment. These fascinating mini trees require much attention, and won’t last long if they are neglected. There are a few things you should be aware of before you begin growing your first bonsai. You have to keep in mind that you are dealing with a living, growing tree that needs proper care. Continue Reading »

If you want to grow the best plants possible in your hydroponic garden, you need to start with the right nutrients. Nitrogen, phosphorus and potassium are three of the most important hydroponic nutrients. But there are at least a dozen others. Magnesium, iron, calcium and several others are also essential for the healthy growth of hydroponic plants. Continue Reading »

If you’re serious about hydroponics, you should consider investing in a greenhouse. Many people start off with some sort of homemade hydroponics setup in their basement or spare room. However, it’s a lot easier to manage all the conditions necessary for a thriving garden if it’s located in a greenhouse. It’s a lot easier to manage lighting conditions, air movement and temperature. Continue Reading »

It doesn’t matter if you are a novice or a professional gardener, there are many gardening tips out there for you to get the gardening help you need. Good gardening tips can be so helpul to any gardener. Of all the many gardening tips you may find, these specific tips will prove to be useful to you. Continue Reading »