HYDROPONIC LIGHTS
Which One Is Best?

Hydroponic lights...

          
Talk about confusing! Just open any hydroponics catalogue and you'll quickly get lost in all the different hoods, bulbs, ballasts and timers offered. In keeping with our "mission" we'll make this whole lighting thing simple for you, too.

First we'll explain how the different hydroponic lights work and when to use them. Then at the end we offer our pick for a simple, inexpensive all-purpose lighting system! How simple is that?


                           


Out of doors, a vegetable garden needs at least 4-6 hours of direct sun; plus 10 more hours of bright light. So for your inside hydroponics garden, you will need to duplicate this. Plan on 14-16 hours of bright artificial light, followed by 8-10 hours of darkness. Plants need dark down time, just like you, in order to metabolize and rest.

Put your hydroponic lights on a timer for the proper routine. Then set it and forget it!
 

4 PARTS TO THE LIGHTING SYSTEM

We recommend that you buy the hood, ballast and bulb together, so they are all compatible. You must match the ballast to the lamp and bulb wattage; you can't use any old ballast you might find lying around in the garage. And you can't switch to a different bulb wattage later, either. The lamps & ballast are made to be used for only one wattage of bulb.

Modern HID lighting has 4 components:
 

1. Reflector Hood- The least efficient is the parabolic or cone shaped. Best coverage with the Wing or 4-sided rectangular hood.
    
2. Remote Ballast- (The power box) Get it up off the floor, so it won't get wet. You must match the ballast to the bulb wattage. Do not buy a grow light with the ballast inside the lamp assembly. Too hot and heavy!
    
3. Bulb- 400-600 watt are the most popular. Conversion lamps allow you to use both bulb types (HPS & MH) for all types of plants. More on this in  HID lighting.
    
4. Timer- Heavy duty grounded (3-prong-plug). Get the manual (pin) type with 2 plug-ins. This way you can do 2 lamps at once. Don't get an electronic timer, you won't need it and it breaks down easily.

Good news: The complete light system we recommend below comes with a great timer!


                           

 

K.I.S.S. (Keep It Simple, Simon) After much surfing and comparison, we found a company that puts out a complete conversion light setup at a super price! See photo below. This highly recommend kit, for a typical 4' X 4' garden, includes:     *400 watt HPS conversion lamp/with hood     *Remote ballast     *400 watt HPS bulb     *400 watt MH conversion bulb (slimline)     *2-plug grounded timer     All this for under $200! You can't beat that for a combo light.     Get it here: HID Combo MH & HPS Lit Kit

                 



We have tested and use these kits and they work just great!
Disadvantage: The hood is a little flimsy and tedious to put together. If you've got the bucks, then upgrade to a more expensive hood. But for the price, we're very happy with this light kit. The ballast and cords are heavy duty.
 

Now for a bit of essential education...


WHICH LIGHTS WORK BEST FOR YOUR PLANTS?

GOOD: T5 High output fluorescents
BETTER: HID (High Intensity Discharge)
BEST: the Sun
OTHER:LED grow-light panels. A caution before you buy...

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