Anyone else’s house beginning to look a little green?

Long before the sun really makes an appearance, I am ready to get started on my garden. I spend all winter planning my new garden. I search all my favorite seed catalogs deciding what I will plant the next year…which means I need to start my own seeds. I used to buy most of my starts at the stores, but I found two problems with doing that.

The cost. I knew starts cost more than seeds, but I didn’t do the math. I figured spending about a hundred dollars on a grow light was expensive.

Then the next day I would blithely spend nearly that much on starts. Something about the young, green plants made me disregard the price.

That is until this year.

Prices have tripled in my area! I used to be able to buy a six pack of veggie starts for under $5. Now each plant is $5!

The second problem was that I wanted to try different varieties than I could find in stores. I discovered the hard way that you cannot save seed from just about any broccoli you might buy at stores. This is because they are what is called a sterile hybrid.

I grew the most beautiful broccoli one year, and decided to let a few go to seed. After waiting all year I discovered every single seed pod was empty…and that is how I learned that I couldn’t save seed from just about every brassica I had bought. I would have to continue to buy starts every year; unless I bought Heirloom varieties and grew them my self.

This is when I decided to buy a grow light, some seed, pots, and soil…and start my own!

Only one problem…What type of grow light?

There are two types. Traditional fluorescent grow lights, and LED grow lights. Over the last two years using both, this is what I have found.

T5 Fluorescent Grow Lights:

1. Cheaper (Here’s a highly rated Fluorescent Grow Light on Amazon that currently has a $30 off coupon)

2. Many quality manufactures

T5 LED Grow Lights:

1. They use half the electricity which can quickly turn any savings on the price of the light its self, into zero. No one likes opening their electric bill and seeing it’s gone up…a lot.

2. They last longer. No more half dead bulbs. Fluorescent lights sometimes start to flicker and dim long before they go out which doesn’t help your plants get the light they need.

3. They emit less heat. Having tiny little starts constantly drying out really can stunt a plants growth and productivity. LED lights burn cool and emit wayyy less heat, and reduce the moisture loss.

My favorite LED Grow Light is all you will need to grow all your starts! This local to me company (Seattle, Wa) makes a high quality product that will last you for years and years. Here’s what they say about it.

GIVE YOUR GARDEN A BOOST - Boosts healthy growth rates for house plants, microgreens, leafy greens, vegetables, flowers, fruits, tropical plants, tissue culture, seeds, starts and more. This high efficacy (2.28 µmol/J) T5 LED Grow Light creates tighter internodal spacing and fuller, heartier plants. The light also develops stronger roots and makes new leaf and budding sites.

• 🌱 GROWER FRIENDLY FEATURES - Powder coated steel frame and ultra reflective surface create a high performing grow light system. Extra low heat output is safe for plants and growers. Features easy to use dual on-off switches for veg and flower/fruit stages. Daisy-chainable up to 4 units on 120V for a clean installation. Saves more than 50% energy usage vs. equivalent fluorescent systems making them suitable for use in commercial vertical farms or home grow racking systems.

• 🌱 BYPASS THE HASSLE - Comes with (8) Active Grow Ballast Bypass T5 High Output 4FT LED Grow Lamps. Ballast-free design means longer lifetimes and no buzzing, flickering or high replacement costs. Note: This fixture is for use with Active Grow T5 HO Ballast Bypass 4FT LED lamps only. Fluorescent lamps may not be used with this fixture as it does not contain ballasts. Only one side of the fixture's lamp holders are wired. Insert the lamp end marked with L N into the fixture’s wired lamp holders.

• 🌱 BETTER THAN GROWING OUTDOORS - By mimicking natural sunlight conditions with a comfortably high CRI of 95, the original Sun White Spectrum is perfect for all stages of plant growth. Under this spectrum it is easier to detect pests and deficiencies before they spread. This spectrum also includes far-red wavelengths that can't be seen but that further boost photosynthesis rates via what's called the Emerson Enhancement Effect.

• 🌱 LONG LIFE AND FULL WARRANTY - Lamps feature an extra-long 30,000 hour lifetime and fixtures feature a 3-year warranty. Active Grow is locally based in Seattle, WA providing same day response and friendly support.

So if you are thinking of getting grow lights I hope this helps you decide which is best for you. Either way the investment will end up opening up a whole new world of growing possibilities!

PS…One other thing you will need beside a light, is a fan. Outside, the movement of the wind helps young seedlings develop strong stems; helping them from becoming lanky. A small fan helps mimic this wind movement. Any fan will do. Find one that fits your space. This Fan clips to things and makes moving it around easy.

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