Subscribe RH Love

Light ‘em up now for better garden results


by | Dec 6, 2017 | Life & Style

By Melinda Myers

It’s time to break out the seeds and potting mix to start your garden plants indoors.  It’s a great way to keep your green thumb in shape over winter. Plus, you’ll save money, increase your variety of plants and jump start the growing season when you start seeds under LED grow lights.

Indoor growing conditions often offer limited light and that can mean tall leggy transplants with weak stems.  You can greatly increase your success by investing in quality grow lights.  Adding artificial light to your seed starting regime results in stout transplants with strong stems and deep green leaves.

Invest wisely when shopping for indoor plant lights.  Fluorescent tubes used to be the standard because they provided a wide spectrum of light needed for plant growth and flowering, were relatively inexpensive and readily available. Unfortunately, they used significant amounts of electricity and needed to be replaced every few years. Then many gardeners shifted to full spectrum fluorescent grow lights.  Many last longer than the older and larger fluorescent tubes, but new LED grow lights (gardeners.com) provide even better light intensity with much less energy.

For the full story see the December 6 issue or subscribe online.

Subscriber Love 728x90

0 Comments

Subscribe RH Love

Related News

Festive destinations for a memorable Christmas

Festive destinations for a memorable Christmas

Breckinridge, Colorado is a festive place to visit during the holidays. Courtesy photo While many people dream of being home for the holidays, there’s a special magic in traveling during the Christmas season. Whether you’re craving snow-capped mountains, tropical...

read more
Exploring America’s autumnal treasures

Exploring America’s autumnal treasures

Eureka Springs, Arkansas: A Victorian Gem in the Ozarks. Kary Bjorn Photography/Unsplash As the heat of summer fades into the crisp embrace of autumn, September offers a perfect opportunity for travel across the U.S. The month’s moderate weather, stunning fall foliage...

read more
Last-minute getaways for DFW families

Last-minute getaways for DFW families

Just a few hours away, Broken Bow, Oklahoma offers hiking, boating, fishing opportunities, along with plenty of rental cabins, making it a great option for a quick family trip. Courtesy Daniel Hubbard, Pixabay As summer draws to a close and the school year looms,...

read more
Heat exacerbates summer garden issues for Texans

Heat exacerbates summer garden issues for Texans

Mulch does double duty in a garden, preserving moisture while helping to keep weeds down. Courtesy Sam Craft/Texas A&M AgriLife Texas gardeners usually sing the same tune this time of year — the heat is oppressive, and moisture is in short supply. Some East Texas...

read more
Parks and Recreation the Texas way

Parks and Recreation the Texas way

Guadalupe Mountains Texas summers as a kid could be summed up with the three P’s: popsicles, pools and parks! Basically, if my siblings and I weren’t outside – running, splashing, laughing, enjoying every last second of freedom – then we were inside, sleeping for the...

read more
Order photos