Shining a Spotlight on Grow Light Kits
Hydroponics is a method of cultivating plants that has been increasing steadily in popularity amongst home horticulturists over the last few years.
What Is It?
Essentially, it dispenses with soil as a medium for growing plants. Sometimes, soil is replaced by some other type of growing medium, but often, the only growing medium used is nutrient-rich water.
But, that’s not all. Every element of the growing environment, usually covered structures called grow tents, needs to be controlled. One of those elements is the lighting.
Lighting is Key
Obviously, if you’re growing plants indoors, one of the key things you will have to provide is light.
But we’re not talking about any old light. Lighting must be by means of specially designed grow lights that essentially, mimic the type of light that plants grown outdoors would receive.
But, it’s not just a matter of providing the right type of light. You can’t just switch it on and go. It has to be the right type of light, for the right amount of time. As mentioned at the start, it’s is all about controlling the growing environment and that includes controlling the lighting.
It sounds daunting, so let’s break down the components of an effective grow light system:
- light bulb – obviously. A 600w grow light is one of the most popular options;
- reflector – to maximize light retention within the grow tent, increasing lighting efficiency;
- ballast, or power source – to provide the electricity to run the light; and
- timer – to ensure that the plants receive light (and, equally important, dark) at just the right times, replicating their natural environment.
But how do you go about choosing these components?
The good news is, you don’t have to spend endless time researching each of these components individually and then end up wondering whether your chosen combination will work efficiently together.
Most companies offer grow light kits, bringing together all of these components in one bundle so you can be sure that the system you buy will be optimized for you.
Gavita lights, are one of the top brands in the field because of the company’s expertise and experience in this area and, for this reason, they can be found in many grow light kits for the home market.
So, there’s the run-down, all you need to know about grow light kits. Hopefully, you found it illuminating.
