11 Super Popular Types of Indoor Growing Lights

Hello, fellow gardeners! Allow me to take you back in time to your first school lessons about artificial light. Don’t worry; we’re going to do this together. At the beginning of this indoor light post I’d like to mention that the topic is too big to be discussed in a single post and that I’ll do my best to spare some time for an additional in-depth analysis.

So, after we went through indoor watering, growing items, indoor temperature and best plants for indoor growing, I’m going to do a little countdown that will give you an opportunity to learn more about the 11 super popular types of indoor growing lights. Ready? Let’s go!

Diagram of Indoor Lighting Conditions

11. High Intensity Discharge (HID) Lights basically include the most popular types of indoor grow lights. Several types of HID lights include metal halide, high pressure sodium, dual arc and mercury vapor. I prefer HID lights because they are powerful and proven to provide high yields.   

10. Metal Halide Bulbs provide light in the blue and violet parts of the light spectrum and they help creating stronger roots and better resistance against diseases. As far as I managed to find out, these parts of the spectrum are similar to the outdoor light during the springtime of the year.   

9. High Pressure Sodium Lights emit more energy in the yellow and red parts of the spectrum thus promoting blooming and fruiting. My organic tomatoes (only the indoor varieties though) found out that this is a supplement to natural daylight, for which they are very fond of HPS lights.

8. Dual Arc is a substitute term for a combination of MH and HPS lights, and it allows the plants to get both red and blue lights of the spectrum at the same time. When I use dual arc I’m sure that the entire cycle of the plant, from vegetative stage to flowering, will be covered with a single bulb.   

7. Mercury Vapor is the type of lights that were once used as streetlights. I’ve never used them and as far as I know they produce a poor lighting so I’m definitely not giving my vote to them.

6. Conversion Bulbs were invented to permit working with either a MH or HPS ballast. I haven’t had the pleasure of using CBs but I’ve noticed that most gardeners believe that there are no noticeable differences from using a MH or a HPS lights all the way through the growing period. Most gardeners also think that CBs are a waste of money. 

5. Switchable Ballasts mean that either a MH bulb or an HPS bulb of the same voltage can be used whereby you change only the bulb and press the switch. I’ve tried this and have to tell you that it’s awesome since I was first able to follow the propagating and growing phase, and after switching to HPS, I had a chance to witness the fruiting or flowering stage.

4. Light Emitting Diodes is an expression that not a single living person uses anymore. But everyone knows about the LED lights, right? I’ve tried them once and didn’t like them very much, but that’s just my experience. LED lights don’t emit as much heat as MH/HPS lights do and therefore must be used in a proper number and at an appropriate distance from the plants.   

3. Fluorescent Lights are cooler and more energy effective. I use them a lot when I grow flowering plants indoors. They are my number one option for growing seedlings, year-round crops and houseplants from the scratch to adult plants.

2. Tube-style Fluorescent Lights are a subtype of fluorescent grow lights and are usually used for growing vegetables and herbs indoors. According to my experience, my indoor garden would hardly exist without the help of fluorescent light types.     

1. Compact Fluorescent Lights or CFLs are the second popular type of fluorescent lights and they were originally designed as pre-heat lamps. They are mostly used for plants that prefer partial shade and thrive without too much light. I haven’t had much experience with CFLs.

While you’re there you can as well check out my blog page for some more useful information about indoor and outdoor gardening. Enjoy your reading!