When you grow an indoor plant, it can sometimes be challenging to provide them with enough light, either due to lack of window space or seasonal changes. Though no light is better than sunlight, a good desktop grow light can provide enough boost that the plants would typically get from the sun.

With so many different grow lights in the market, it can be tricky to find the right one for your houseplant. So how to buy the best desktop grow lamp for indoor plants?

Understand the Light Spectrum

Any light waves, visible and invisible, fall somewhere on the light spectrum, and the different wavelengths are measured in nanometers. When it comes to growing indoor plants, the desktop grow light you plan to use must emit waves that fall on the 400nm to 700nm spectrum.

The light waves falling under this category of intensity are also known as Photosynthetically Active Radiation (PAR), which refers to the plants’ wavelengths during photosynthesis. So while choosing a desktop grow lamp, be mindful of the light spectrum.

Choose the Right Type of Artificial Light

The plants that you grow indoors can thrive only with the help of the proper lighting. When plants grow outdoors, the sunlight offers the right balance to help them blossom. However, artificial lighting usually does not have the same spectrum of light waves in it.

Plants use different wavelengths for particular biological functions:

  • 580 to 700nm, the orange-red wavelength is similar to the sun’s light during the start of the fall. It acts as a signal for the plants to start flowering.
  • 400 to 490nm produce blue light, which supports growth during the vegetative stage of the plants.

Find a desktop grow light emitting the correct type of artificial light to support the plant’s growth. Besides, make sure to place your indoor plant next to a window during the daytime.

Check the Intensity of the Desktop Grow Light

To grow healthy seedlings and improve the harvest yield from the indoor plant, you have to buy a desktop grow lamp providing the right light intensity.

When it comes to intensity, the positioning of the light plays an important role. If you place it too close to the cover, you will be putting the plants at risk due to intense light waves. On the contrary, setting it too far can deprive them of light, reducing their capacity to carry out photosynthesis.

Purchase a desktop grow lamp with an adjustable neck design and a good clamp to move it around and place it at the proper distance from the plant for it to receive the optimal intensity of light.

Power Consumption of the Grow Light

The desktop grow lamp requires power to operate the bulb and ballast. The lights come in LED setups or different watts, ranging from 50- watt to 2000- watt HPS bulbs. You can also buy multiple desk lights to boost up the power range to meet your harvest needs.

Compared to the metal halide and HPS bulbs, LEDs consume lesser watts. Based on your budget, choose the right desktop grow lamp for your houseplant.

With these pointers in mind, no matter the type of plant, the amount of space you have, or the budget, you can effortlessly find the best desktop grow lamp for your houseplant.