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When it comes to growing plants indoors, lighting can be a costly investment if you opt for traditional grow lights. But what if I told you there’s a cheaper alternative that works just as well? In this post, I’ll share how I light my plants using affordable industrial shop lights from Amazon.
The Shop Lights Alternative
These lights are not marketed as grow lights—they’re industrial shop lights, and they cost just $8 each! I used three of these lights to illuminate a 4T space, totaling only $24. They come with power switches and can be linked together, making setup simple and efficient. While they aren’t grow lights, they are incredibly effective for plant growth, and because they aren’t specifically marketed to gardeners, they are much cheaper.
Barrina (6 Pack) LED T5 Integrated Single Fixture, 4FT, 2200lm, 6500K Super Bright White
Click Here To Check The Price On Amazon
Light Spectrum Options
These lights come in three different color temperatures: 4,000K, 5,600K, and 6,500K. The higher the Kelvin number, the cooler the light. Cooler lights (those in the blue spectrum) are great for encouraging rooting in small plants and tissue cultures, which is exactly how I use them in my setup.
Grow Lights: When to Invest
For those who prefer to stick with legit grow lights, I also recommend the Spider Farmer brand. They are dimmable, incredibly bright, and feature red LEDs often used by cannabis growers to enhance terpene production—though this isn’t necessary for houseplants. However, if you’re looking to splurge a bit, the Spider Farmer lights are an excellent option, even offering a half-size version for around $100.
Do You Really Need Grow Lights?
The truth is, you don’t need to spend hundreds of dollars on fancy grow lights. Shop lights with the right spectrum (a mix of blue, white, and red) can do the job just fine. The key is replicating sunlight with wavelengths that plants can absorb.
In the end, whether you use grow lights or shop lights, the goal is simple: emulate the sun’s spectrum as closely as possible. You don’t need perfection—just lights that plants can use for photosynthesis.
I hope this post helps you save some money and still provide your plants with the lighting they need. Thanks for reading, and happy growing!