Different types of plants need different amounts of light. Check your seed packaging or plant tags or ask at the nursery for specific suggestions. While seedlings or vegetative plants can require as much as hours of light exposure each day, flowering plants benefit from at least hours. Timers or our C by GE Smart Plug can be connected to the lights to help manage or automate these cycles.
Light intensity is only one of three key components which ensure proper growth. Soil condition along with the proper amount and frequency of watering round out the other two components. You should learn about your plant’s growth cycle to maximize growth and reduce challenges along the way. By doing so, you can select the proper model and light spectrum combination to provide sufficient lighting. We suggest regular inspections to confirm that plants are on the correct growth track.
While this is one of the most expensive options on our list, we think its worth it if you want a self-sufficient way of growing herbs and vegetables. Keep in mind that you do need to purchase special pods and plant food. However, AeroGarden does provide many different types of pods and plant food for purchase. Also, this is one of AeroGardens largest systems, so while it does hold up to nine plants, you may want to make sure you have the right amount of space for it. While we found that it doesnt make a lot of noise, the light could be a little distracting if you are in a small space trying to work or watch TV while it is on.
After researching dozens of indoor grow lights and reaching out to experts for insights, we sent several of these options to our testers around the country to test for several weeks. We also set up several in our lab to monitor over three months. At each location, we set up the light and recorded how long it took to set up, and noted any assembly that was required. Plus, we noted if the instructions were easy to follow, or were tricky and confusing. We then noted where we set up the light, how much space was required, and which plants we used it on. We noted the bulb type and wattage of each grow light, and then generally monitored the growth and health of the plant.
We love how versatile this grow light is: Thanks to a wide-opening clamp, you can attach it to almost any table, chair, desk, or countertop. It even has rubber pads on the clamp to prevent surface damage. Plus, the flexible gooseneck allows you to easily adjust the angle of the light. We found it to be extremely portable, easy to set up, and small enough to tuck away in a drawer. We think its compact size makes it ideal for households with a few small plants. You can even screw it into the wall for a more permanent yet space-saving solution, but keep in mind that you will lose the portability.