How to Grow Plants Hydroponically With Grow Lights
- 1). Set your hydroponic garden in a spot where it will receive as much natural light as possible every day. Natural light is the best light for growing and will encourage the fastest growth in your plants.
- 2). Use artificial grow lights to give your plants their required lighting on cloudy days, or to extend the length of light on short days. Keep in mind that most fruit and vegetable plants require at least six hours of full light per day. Use indoor lamps and blue grow bulbs or cool white fluorescent bulbs when the plants are growing, to encourage vegetative growth. Use one 20- to 40-watt bulb per square foot of plant growth, with the lamp set 3 to 4 feet from the plants.
- 3). Switch to red grow bulbs or warm white florescent bulbs when the plants reach maturity. This color bulb encourages flowering and fruit or vegetable production.