Houseplants in a dim room benefit from a grow light, and a white one keeps the room from looking purple.
If your lamp takes a BR30 bulb, start with the GE Grow Light BR30 2-pack. GE describes a BR30 LED floodlight bulb with light “without purple or reddish lighting”.
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The four lights, by situation:
| Your plants and space | A calm choice |
|---|---|
| Your lamp takes a BR30 bulb | GE Grow Light BR30, 2-pack |
| One plant in a dim spot | SANSI Pot Clip-On Plant Light |
| A shelf, or a bigger plant lit from two sides | SANSI 20W Clip-On Gooseneck Plant Light |
| A row of herbs, for example under a kitchen cabinet | Mosthink LED Plant Grow Light Strip |
GE Grow Light BR30, 2-pack
Your lamp takes a BR30 bulb and you want to try a plant light first
GE Grow Light BR30 LED Bulb, Balanced Spectrum, 2-Pack
BR30 LED bulb
9 watts, low heat, up to 25,000 hours
See the price and reviews on Amazon
GE says the bulb gives light “without purple or reddish lighting” and lists a natural light temperature.
It uses 9 watts and gives off little heat.
GE lists a PPF of 16 micromoles per second (PPF is the amount of light a bulb makes that plants can use).
GE says the bulb is for leafy greens and herbs, and for kitchen, bathroom and bedroom rooms. Check that your lamp takes a BR30 bulb before you order.
SANSI Pot Clip-On Plant Light
One plant sits in a dim spot and you want the light right at the pot
SANSI Pot Clip-On Plant Light, 5W, 4000K, Timer
Gooseneck clamps onto the pot
Built-in timer: 3, 6 or 12 hours
See the price and reviews on Amazon
SANSI lists a 5 watt light with a flexible gooseneck that clamps onto the pot.
SANSI describes its 4000K light as natural light.
The built-in timer offers 3, 6 or 12 hours on, and 12 hours sits at the low end of the range Iowa State recommends below.
SANSI also lists 4 dimming levels and a 5V input, so it can run from a power bank or a laptop. It is ETL listed (a safety certification mark).
SANSI 20W Clip-On Gooseneck Plant Light
A shelf, or a bigger plant you want to light from two sides
SANSI 20W 2-Head Clip-On Gooseneck LED Plant Light
Two gooseneck heads, 20 watts
Replaceable 25,000-hour bulbs
See the price and reviews on Amazon
SANSI lists 20 watts and a full spectrum from 400 to 780 nm (the range SANSI calls full spectrum), on two clip-on gooseneck heads.
You can aim one head at the front of a plant and the other at its far side.
The bulbs are replaceable, so a failed bulb does not mean a new lamp. SANSI lists 25,000-hour bulbs, and the light is ETL listed.
This one has no built-in timer, so plug it into an outlet timer.
Mosthink LED Plant Grow Light Strip
Herbs or small plants sit in a row, for example under a kitchen cabinet
Mosthink LED Plant Grow Light Strip with Timer
Full spectrum 380 to 800 nm
Timer and 4 brightness levels
See the price and reviews on Amazon
Mosthink lists the strip for a plant shelf.
Mosthink lists screws or double-sided tape for mounting and a 78-inch cord.
The timer turns the light off after 2, 4 or 8 hours and back on at the same time the next day.
Its longest setting is shorter than the 12 to 14 hours Iowa State suggests for most plants. For a longer day, an outlet timer can switch the strip instead; check that it comes back on when the power returns.
How to choose
- A lamp that takes a BR30 bulb: the GE bulb.
- One pot: the small SANSI clip-on.
- A shelf or a bigger plant: the 20 watt SANSI with two heads.
- A row of herbs: the Mosthink strip.
For a living space, pick white or natural light so the room does not look pink or purple.
For ordinary shop lights, Iowa State recommends full-spectrum (daylight) bulbs, or one cool white and one warm white fluorescent tube.
Iowa State University Extension is the university’s public gardening advice service. All four lights above are described by their makers as natural light or full-spectrum.
Iowa State advises putting every grow light on a timer.
When a window is enough
Sometimes it is, though Iowa State says nearly all indoor plants benefit from extra light in winter.
If the plant shows none of the low-light signs below, the window is likely enough.
University of Maryland Extension is the state university’s free public gardening advice service. It suggests moving a plant closer to its light source first, or adding artificial light.
If a plant is struggling, the common reasons houseplants die are worth ruling out too.
Iowa State lists the signs a plant needs more light: excessive stretching, spindly growth, leaf drop, yellowing foliage and absent flowers.
How far and how long
Iowa State says LED lights can be 12 to 24 inches from the plant in most cases. For most species it says 12 to 14 hours a day is a good length of time.
Start within that range and adjust from how the plant responds.
Maryland’s guide adds that plants need some darkness, so do not run a light for more than 16 hours.
Watch the plant for several weeks before changing anything.
If you buy one light for the dim room
If your lamp takes a BR30 bulb, the GE bulb needs no new fixture.
The dark months are also a good time for keeping the calm of gardening going indoors.
If your window already gives a plant good light, what full sun means in hours puts a number on it. Full sun means six hours or more of direct sun.
Set the timer for 12 to 14 hours.