Can Regular Fluorescent Lights Be Used to Grow Plants?
Overview Plants require ultraviolet light in order to grow. When you grow plants outside, they get sufficient light from the sun, but indoor plants benefit from supplemental ultraviolet light–even if you place them near windows. Regular fluorescent lights emit low levels of ultraviolet light and can be used for small indoor growing setups. For larger setups, use high intensity discharge bulbs. Regular Fluorescent Lights If you only plan to grow a few small plants, use regular fluorescent bulbs to supply light. These bulbs cost less than high intensity discharge bulbs, but don’t emit as much light. Fluorescent lights come in both four foot long tubes and small compact sizes. The compact bulbs actually emit approximately twice as much light as the larger tubes, and are not significantly more expensive. In most cases they should be used. Only consider tubes if you need to spread the light more evenly over a large area. Regular fluorescent lights come in three different types, each of whi
