Grow Guide: Use T5 lights to keep Your Indoors Garden Happy

The following is a guest blog post by Benjamin Thornton of T5Fixtures.
The key to a successful indoor garden is proper lighting, because without it your
attempts to grow plants indoors will most likely be unsuccessful. That is why you
should think about investing in T5 grow lights, which are one of the most efficient
grow lights on the market and are perfect for indoor gardening.
First, let’s learn about T5 grow lights.T5 grow lights are lights that come in tube
shape and are 5/8th of an inch in diameter, hence the letter T and the number 5 in
T5 fixtures. The tube shape of these lights makes them efficient, because they can
cover large areas with bright and uniform light, but their diameter ensures that
although they still emit very powerful light, their watt consumption is low, which
makes them cost efficient.
T5 grow lights come in multiple configurations. This allows you to choose how long
your fixture will be and how many bulbs it will hold. You will also have to choose
which type and color temperature bulbs you will use with your fixture. You can
determine the length and bulb count configurations by looking at the size of your
indoor garden, because you always want to accommodate the lights to the size of
your garden, not the other way around.
Get one to four bulb configurations in 2- or 4-foot length if your garden is small to
medium or four to 12 bulbs configurations in either length, if you have a bigger
indoor garden. Just remember that it is better to have a smaller garden and bigger
lights, which helps ensure that all of the plants get the same amount of light. All of
these variables will determine how successful your indoor garden will be.
As for the bulbs themselves, I recommend getting bulbs that are labeled HO,
because that stands for High Output, meaning that the bulbs will have a high lumen
output while still maintaining a low watt consumption. In terms of bulb color,
temperature is very simple. The 6,500 Kelvin bulbs or ones close to this color
temperature cater towards plants that are in their vegetative stages of growth,
because the light they emit closely resembles the light seen during the daylight
hours. But bulbs with color temperature around 3,000 Kelvins are better for plants
that are already blooming, as the emitted light is much warmer.
Now that you know what T5 grow lights are and have chosen the ones that are best
suited for your indoor garden, you can start using them to grow beautiful and
healthy houseplants. When using T5 lights you need to be aware of four main things:
1. The height at which the lights are hung. It is crucial to hang the T5 lights at
the right height, because if they are too close to the plant canopies, the grow
lights can do some serious damage to your plants. The optimal height at
which T5 fixtures are usually hung is 6 to 8 inches above plant canopies. At
this height, the T5 lights can provide the widest coverage while still providing
powerful light to the plants.

2. The light cycle. This refers to the number of hours per day the grow lights are
turned on and the plants are lit up and how many hours the plants spend in
the dark. A general rule of thumb is that the more light plants get, the faster
they grow, but keep in mind that there also are shade loving plants that
might require less light.
3. The temperature in the room. Anyone who has been in any type of photo
studio knows it can get hot in there, because the large studio lights illuminate
and heat up a space. This also happens in the indoor lighted garden. Closely
monitor the temperature of your grow space, especially if it is very small,
because a temperature of 85 degrees or higher can harm houseplants. If the
temperature rises too high, ventilate the room in some way, such as opening
a window, which allows the plants to cool off and breathe.
4. Watering. How much water your plants require depends on the temperature
of the room and how quickly the plants grow. That’s why it’s critical to check
the soil for water readiness. Water when the top one to two inches of soil has
dried out.