Discover the best indoor grow lights for you and your herbs.
Are you planning on starting herb seeds indoors? Are you hoping to grow a lush, year-round kitchen herb garden? Or, do you want to grow enough herb starts to sell at your local farmers market?
No matter the situation, I have you covered in this post.
I have tried a few grow lights over the years and am happy to share the ones that I think could work best for you. This post will outline four different options to help you find the best grow lights for your personal herb gardening journey.
I am also happy to report that none of these options will not cost you an arm and a leg either. You will have so much more success growing herbs indoors when you get the proper grow light setup. So, let’s get into it.
Best Light for Growing Herbs Indoors:
The best grow light for you, will depend on how and why you are growing herbs indoors. You will want to consider the space you have, how long the herbs will be under the lights, and the aesthetic that you want.
Here is a quick summary of the best indoor grow lights for different herb growing scenarios:
Best grow light for small spaces: GE LED Grow Light
Best under counter grow light for year-round herbs: Kullsinss LED Grow Lights
Best grow light for the beginner herb gardener: Jiffy Indoor Grow Light Fixture
Budget friendly light to grow a ton of herbs at once: Shop Light Grow Light Setup
Now let’s look at each one in a little more detail. Feel free to scroll through, or click the links above to jump to the option that interests you most.
1. GE LED Grow Light
These GE Grow Lights are great if you just want to add a bulb to an existing fixture. It is like a secret grow light for your kitchen herb garden.
I did this with the pendant lights over my sink to give my windowsill herb garden an extra boost in the darker winter months. This way I did not need to take the time to set up anything different, it was just as simple as changing out a light bulb.
If you don’t have an existing light fixture you could also buy a clip on lamp, or other table top lamp that directs light down to your herbs.
Key Features:
- light is white – so no crazy purple grow light in your kitchen
- space saving
- balanced light spectrum to support plant growth
- Energy efficient LED that is built to last for years
- A19 regular light bulb size that will fit any normal fixture
- non dimmable light
- shatter resistant bulb
Overall, I think these bulbs would work great if you are short on space and growing one pot of fresh herbs in your kitchen.
2. Kullsinss LED Grow LIghts
These Kullsinss LED Grow Lights are super compact but put out a lot of light. They would be great to mount underneath a cabinet or use in a project like this upcycled picture frame wall herb garden (pictured below).
These lights are also very easy to install under wire shelving units with the included zip ties.
They are best used for someone who is looking to keep a kitchen herb garden year-round with a small amount of space, and a frugal mindset.
Key Features:
- Built in timer that is completely silent
- Adjustable light brightness and colour
- Full spectrum light allows you to grow any herb long term, or start herbs from seed
- Very affordable
- Easy to install with multiple mounting options (screws, zip ties, and double-sided tape included)
- LED light is very efficient
- You can order sets with multiple light bars if you have more area to cover
Overall, I think these are fantastic grow lights. With the built in timer and adjustable lighting you can literally set it and forget it and know that your herbs will receive all the light they need.
3. Jiffy Indoor Grow LIght Fixture
You see these Jiffy Grow Lights at many hardware stores in the spring time. They are perfect for someone new to herb gardening that is looking to start a few herbs from seed and then transplant outside.
I used this type of light for the first four years of my gardening journey. I was able to start all my herbs, flowers, and entire patio vegetable garden.
As I expanded my garden it made more sense to switch to a different type of lighting as I had more plants than a 1020 tray could accommodate.
Key Features:
- fits perfectly over one 1020 tray of seedlings
- includes stand and a 24 inch t5 bulb
- great for starting herb seeds indoors
- 11 inch clearance is perfect for seedlings and young plants (not high enough for mature plants unless you raise it up)
- one bulb lasted me about 4 years
This grow light is not as strong as some others out there, so you may want to take steps to maximize the light. For example, you could drape some tin foil over the top, raise your seedlings up closer to the light, or leave the lights on a bit longer.
Overall, this light is perfect for the beginner herb gardener who is looking to start a few herb seedlings indoors and them move them outside when the weather is warm enough.
4. Shop LIght Grow Light Setup
Using shop lights to start seeds indoors has been a tried and true method for many, many years. Before any fancy grow light systems came about, this is the way our grandparents would have done it.
To set this system up you will need some simple fluorescent shop lights with T8 or T12 bulbs depending on your fixture. It is important to buy one warm and one cool bulb for each ballast.
You will also want to get some chain and s hooks to you can suspend the light above your plants.
This is the best system for starting a large amount of seedlings to later transplant outside. I have been using these the last few years to start my all my herbs, flowers, and veggies. They are the most affordable option if you are not concerned about how they look or the space they take up.
You will want to keep your lights about 2 – 3 inches above your seedlings so they do not get leggy. I just hang them on chains from a shelving unit and then I can adjust up and down as needed.
Key Features:
- very affordable
- purchase 1 ballast, and 2 bulbs to get started
- can grow a ton of seedlings in one shelving unit
- light height is easily adjusted with a chain to match plant growth
- great for healthy herb starts
Overall, this may not be the prettiest option, but it sure is functional and budget friendly. I would highly recommend these lights to anyone looking to start a large amount of herbs for a low cost.
This would not be the best option if you are looking to grow a year round indoor herb garden as the lights are not that intense.
Conclusion
I hope this has helped to provide some clarity and take out some of the overwhelm when shopping around for the best indoor grow lights when it comes to herbs.
What works for you, may not work well for someone else. You want to choose a grow light set up that fits with the space you have, and the herbs you are growing.
Comment below if you have tried any of these lights, or if there is a different one that worked out really well for you.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Q.1 What Height Should Grow Lights be for Herbs?
The height of your grow light will depend on its strength, and the age of your herb plants.
If you are using a lower strength light to germinate herb seedlings then you will want to keep the light about 2 – 3 inches above the plants at all times. If your light is stronger, then you can keep it higher up.
You can also keep your light higher above your herbs if you are growing more mature herb plants verses seedlings as they will not need as intense light.
Q.2 What Color Grow Light is Best for Herbs?
The most important color of light for your herbs is a mix of blue and red, or violet light. These light wavelengths are optimal for plant energy production, and chlorophyl development, which leads to faster growing and tastier leaves.
You will not need to go as heavy on the red light as this is more so used for promoting healthy buds and flowers on plants. Most herbs we grow indoors are for their leaves, or won’t be flowering until they are transplanted outside.
Q.3 How Long to leave Grow lights on for herbs?
You should leave your grow lights on for about 12-16 hours per day for your herbs. You will know they are not getting enough light if your plants become leggy, or growth is very slow. The flavor could also be affected because light helps them produce their essential oils.
Since grow lights are no where near as strong as the sun you don’t really need to worry about them getting too much light, but believe it or not, plants also need sleep. So make sure to give them a dark period as well.
If your grow lights are not as high quality, then you will want to lean towards the 16 hour mark. Another factor to consider is the type of herb. Some herbs tend to grow better in shadier areas and will then not need as much light.
Leave a Reply