

And, when you’re not using it for starting seeds you can move it into a basement, spare room, or garage and use it for storage. They’re affordable, easy to assemble, and commonly stocked at big box and hardware stores.

You have to make sure the length of the lights matches the width of the shelves.įor simplicity’s sake, I definitely recommend purchasing some kind of wire shelving system for your seed starting rack. The shelves are 4′ wide, and this is very important because lights come in different lengths. I have lights hanging from four of the five shelves (except for the bottom one which is close to the floor). I use a 5-shelf stainless steel wire rack for my seed starting operation. Things to Think About As You Shop For Lightsīefore you even embark on the process of purchasing grow lights for seed starting, you need to think about what your whole system is going to look like.īy “whole system” I mean the rack, lights, and supplies you’re going to use for starting seeds. Plus, it’s the overhead light source that really makes a difference, instead of just light from the side. This is not good! You want short, sturdy and stout seedlings, not tall and stretched out plants.Įven if you put your plants in front of a sunny, south-facing window it won’t provide the hours (the sun sets earlier in late winter/early spring) or intensity (light in front of a window isn’t nearly as strong as the sunlight outside in the garden) of light they need. Vegetable, herb and flower s eedlings require a lot of bright light and when they don’t get it they can get long and leggy. If you’re reading this post, I assume you’re already in agreement that you absolutely must have overhead lights to successfully grow healthy seedlings at home.

Why You Need Grow Lights for Seed Starting So, I dove in for you, spent time researching, wrote this article, and even purchased some of the grow lights I share in this below. And many more options and companies means it’s become difficult to navigate the myriad of choices and decide which set up is right for you. The grow light landscape has changed dramatically over the last 15 years when I first set up my system.
BEST GROW LIGHTS FOR SEEDLINGS UPGRADE
Confused and overwhelmed by all of the options for grow lights for seed starting? Yeah, me too! I’ve bee nursing along my old fluorescent light set up for the last few years and decided it was time to upgrade when one of my ballasts gave up the ghost.
