These grow lights make it possible for your herbs and veggies to thrive year-round!
Love gardening but don't have the outdoor space to harvest your own produce? Having one of the best grow lights on hand can solve this conundrum.
Why are grow lights great? Easy: If you live in a colder climate, an indoor grow light allows you to have an indoor garden that provides herbs and veggies year-round, as opposed to only being able to grow produce a few months out of the year.
Plus, growing your own produce has several environmental perks. For one, it cuts back on carbon emissions. Greenhouse gases associated with transportation account for 29% of total U.S. emissions, according to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). However, growing your own produce decreases the demand for shipping produce long distances and decreases the number of trips you'll take to the grocery store.
Additionally, harvesting your own produce eliminates plastic packaging waste. Most produce comes wrapped in plastic or in containers—or grocery stores offer plastic bags on-hand for you to fill. But utilizing your own garden could eliminate this waste in your home.
To make your indoor garden come to life, get your hands on the best grow lights.
Grow lights are specialty lightbulbs that usually have different labels: high, low, or balanced, followed by a number. Sometimes, grow lights will say "warm color" or "cool color." That means different plants may require different color temperatures.
A warm temperature UV light is bright and white: It's perfect for flowers, fruits, or other bright-leaved plants. A cool temperature UV light, however, will have yellow tones. It may not seem as bright at first glance, but these UV rays are ideal for lush foliage and bushy plants.
If you're not sure which kind of light your plants want, you've come to the right place. We've picked out some great full-spectrum lights that will give you the best of both worlds. Here are the best grow lights to get you started.
Ready to take your herb and microgreen garden to the next level? This kit from Rise Gardens allows you to grow anything your heart desires from your kitchen counter. It's also a great option for beginners thanks to its smart technology.
What makes this option really unique is that it's WiFi-enabled and app-controlled. After choosing what you want to grow, the app will let you know exactly when you should be adding nutrients and water. It also manages the lights and tracks growth progress, cueing you in on when it's harvest time.
Because of this technology and guidance, anyone new to gardening—or anyone who doesn't have a green thumb!—will be able to grow their own food without worrying about killing the plants or wasting the food.
Each garden comes with eight seeded biodegradable pods, and you can choose from different types of microgreens, herbs, and veggies (think radishes, peppers, lettuce, eggplant, peas, and more).
If you just need a grow light for your indoor garden—not a full kit—this chic option from Bloomscape is the perfect pick. It comes in two colors and sizes depending on your needs.
This smaller, 20-watt option hangs from the ceiling, giving you a stylish way to provide lighting for your indoor garden. It also has a lifespan of 90,000 hours and 15 years of use.
The UV light in this grow light is a neutral white color, imitating natural sunlight. This lamp is small but powerful: It has 21 tiny LEDs to give your herbs the best, well-rounded UV light. It's also compact and easy to use, making it perfect for student living, apartments, or other small spaces.
These grow lights don't require any tools to assemble, and it's easy to adjust the height of the lights. However, the coolest part of this unit? It's stackable! That means you can grow a lot more herbs, microgreens, and produce without taking up more space in your home.
Another countertop option is the Harvest Elite from Aero Garden. And it's perfect for growing herbs, lettuce, and tomatoes. It's easy to use and has automatic reminders for watering. Your garden will grow in no time.