Learn how to use, choose and shop for grow lights -- whether you're tending to houseplants or starting your own seeds.
Plants need water, soil and sunlight to thrive. But sometimes, your home can't provide quite enough light to keep your favorite houseplant or a tray of vegetable seedlings happy and healthy. That's where grow lights come in. "If you're noticing that your plant looks pretty healthy but has stagnant growth, it could benefit from a little bit more light," says Anna Ohler, co-owner of Bright Lane Gardens in Lake Ann, Michigan. Grow lights are a great way to ensure that light-thirsty plants and seedlings can successfully grow indoors. You can also use them to provide a little supplemental light to your plants. Here's what you need to know about choosing, using and buying grow lights to keep your indoor plants looking lush. Full-spectrum LEDs are the gold standard for grow lights. John Carlsen/CNET What are grow lights? Grow lights are light bulbs or fixtures for indoor plants that are designed to mimic the natural light plants receive from the sun when they're grown outdoors. Plants convert light into food through photosynthesis, so giving them more light means you're fueling more healthy growth. Grow lights can be as simple as old-school incandescent light bulbs, though their light is weaker and they give off a great deal of heat. Fluorescent bulbs can also be used as grow lights, but most grow lights use LEDs. They're brighter, more efficient and emit less heat than the other options. I don't recommend setting up a grow space in a bedroom, even with grow light reflectors. Unless you happen to like waking up to bright lights. John Carlsen/CNET Why use grow lights? If you love plants, but your home or apartment doesn't get much natural light, keeping indoor plants may be a challenge. There are plenty of low-light plants like pothos, spider plants and Zamioculcas (ZZ) plants that can handle lower light conditions. But if you want to grow houseplants that require more light, you'll need some help. Some plants that require lots of very bright, direct light to…