Hydroponics and growing indoors mean using grow lights and grow light reflectors. There are different kinds of grow lights; you'll want to use some kind of grow light reflectors in order to maximize the efficiency of your grow lights.
Decisions, Decisions
There is quite a selection of grow light reflectors on the market, currently ranging in price from under $40 to over $300. Which light reflectors you'll want depends on several factors:
- Your indoor gardening supplies budget
- How much space is devoted to growing indoors
- How much light output is required for your hydroponics garden
- The amount of ventilation
That last point is an important issue. As you can imagine, unless you are using LED grow lights (discussed in more detail below), most grow lights generate a lot of heat (even fluorescents); therefore, your grow light reflectors shoud have good ventilation.
Why You Need Air-Cooled Light Reflectors
Air-cooled grow light reflectors are more expensive than those without - but the few extra dollars is definitely worth it, particularly if your hydroponics space is limited. Venting the heat created in small spaces is difficult, if not impossible without the use of awkward and unwieldy external fans.
When your grow lights are equipped with their own ventilation system, it is possible to place them closer to the plants themselves. Self-ventilated light reflectors are usually equipped with glass heat shields for this very purpose.
Even if heat is not a problem in your situation, growing indoors can be greatly facilitated when your reflectors have built-in ventilation capabilities.
About LED Grow Lights
LED grow lights are highly efficient, yet burn at much lower temperatures than incandescent or metal halide bulbs. The primary advantage is that your cooling costs with LED bulbs will be greatly reduced. The lights themselves use only 20 -30% as much energy as other types of grow lights.
What's even better about LED grow lights is their economy. Although the initial expense is higher, you'll definitely save over the long run. LED lights require no special modifications - they install into your regular light sockets - and last up to ten years.
There are three different kinds of LED lights from which to choose for different purposes; each one provides a different part of the spectrum, depending on your needs for growing indoors.
Be Careful!
If you are using anything but LED grow lights, you'll need to exercise normal caution with your grow light reflectors. While lights that are too hot can burn your plants, the reflector hood can easily burn you, and present a fire hazard as well. Being aware of this can help you to avoid injury; proper hanging, up-to-date wiring and avoiding the storage of flammable materials near grow light reflectors will keep your home safe.
Anne Harvester has a great deal of experience with indoor gardening Hydroponic gardening is the way of the future. Known to some as "soil less gardening", hydroponics are proven to grow plants 20-30% faster than their soil grown counterparts.
