Succulents prefer color temperatures between 3000K to 6000K. Neither sunlight nor artificial light is better than the other. Using those specific wavelengths lets you do some cool stuff. Try to position your grow light 6.0" to 12.0" from your plants. So a good scenario to start with is a 12/12 light cycle. Most succulents prefer bright, indirect light. We have purchased and tried many grow lights – from Amazon’s best value, to Amazon’s editor’s choice, and Amazon’s popular choice – before finally discovering what we consider the best LED grow light on Amazon for succulents and indoor plants alike. It’s called by a couple of names, but I usually call it sun-stress because it’s a more accurate description of the process. While some types of succulents have somewhat exacting care requirements, most are easy to grow because they evolved with special water-storage tissues that allow them to survive in environments that are too dry for most other plants. Read on to explore the pros and cons of the most popular types of grow lights. Most of the fluorescent bulbs you use are probably in the form of a long tube. These elegant succulents are commonly found along walkways and decorative planters. You'll also find specific product recommendations for the lights and gadgets that transformed our house and office plants. You’d have to go out of your way to replicate UV light, and intense light is generally not a feature of artificial lights. Sublime Succulents may collect a share of sales or other compensation from the links on this page. Plants have evolved and adapted to the natural light found in their habitat. how to treat Fungus Gnats infestations now! With a hood, you can double or even triple the distance at which you set your lights. White LED grow lights provide red and blue light for succulents and the rest of the spectrum for you. Windows already block or diffract a significant amount of light and any accumulated grime can really cut down on the light getting through. If your succulent happens to be dormant in winter, that’s awesome. Succulents like the dry humidity and warm conditions found in most homes, and while they like direct light, they can adapt to lower light. There are situations where one outshines (get it?) Aloe vera is one of the most popular species of aloe genus. Farina is that powdery white substance on leaves that smudges when you touch it. Your succulent will probably look like a gangly, pubescent 13-year-old. Artificial lights are also pretty great for propagating since they aren’t too intense. In regard to east and west windows, you should prioritize placing plants in windows facing east. They grow their stem/trunk/branches toward light very rapidly. Light Sources Sunlight colour temperature of about 6000°K is the best type of light that you can give your succulent plants for healthy growth, good leaf colour and flowering. Succulents are pretty resistant to sunburn, more so than other plants, but they can still get burnt. Mirrors are surprisingly effective at bouncing light around and magnifying the effect of natural light. Indoor succulents looking a little lackluster? A plant’s tolerance for light intensity is what determines whether it is a full-sun, partial-sun, partial-shade, or shade plant. Observe your plants regularly and watch for signs of Too Little Light and Too Much Light. It’s usually not an issue, but you should try to water at the base of the plant just in case. And, certainly, succulents and cacti can and do survive with less light. It’s possible to get the same pretty colors with artificial light, but generally more difficult. Our eyes are not very objective when it comes to measuring brightness, so it's important to read a grow light's specifications before purchase. Incandescent light bulbs are great… if you’re still living in the 1950s. If you’d like more info on grow lights, we have a guide specific to them here. The solution is to give them as much daylight as possible during the day. That stuff is actually a sort of natural sunscreen that protects from intense light, so you should probably avoid getting too handsy. To grow sun-loving succulents indoors, supplemental light is recommended. Why not more light? Jumping into the world of grow lights (also called grow lamps) can seem daunting, but it’s not really that complicated. That light temperature is about the same as the light the sun gives off. Occasionally, sunburn will appear as small brown spots (especially if water drops were left on the leaves). The 6500K daylight temperature is mostly blue light. Wattage will only tell you how much electricity the lamp uses and does not describe the amount or quality of light produced. Most succulents and cacti can take a full day of intense sun… assuming they’re acclimated. Researchers at Michigan State University have discovered that blue light tends to suppress growth and plants grown solely in blue light tend to be shorter with thicker and darker colored leaves. Sunburn isn’t too hard to avoid, though it can be tedious. This beheading method works best on rosette-type succulents but can be applied broadly to most groups. It has more hours of daylight than any other direction. Sunlight is amazing because it’s right there and it’s free! LEDs are low-intensity lights and are therefore more energy-efficient and less hot. succulent garden plant. Plant Succulents in the Right Soil. Indoor light fixtures can be in the wrong wavelengths and are often too dim and far away to be useful. So they lengthen some cells, shorten others, and bend and twist their way towards the light source. Even with the perfect airflow and soak/dry watering schedule, pests can happen. However, blue light is beneficial in regulating and encouraging flower growth in some species of plants, especially at higher intensities. As far as I know, “etiolation” is “whitening”, “paling”, not “elongation”, “legginess”, it is the “process of whitening a plant by depriving it of sunlight”. This beautiful Aloe cultivar has … These lights are smaller and more compact than their larger-numbered brethren. (Lower 48 States). Keep up the fabulous work! ... HPS lamps alone would not be a good choice for growing most succulents. Even though they need bright light to be happy, too much of a good … Buuut, there’s good news too! only red and blue light can be slightly more efficient, but full spectrum, white lights support healthy plant growth without the annoying purple light. This is one of the coolest parts about succulents – some change colors in the sun! The sun rises in the east and the strongest sunlight is in the first half of the day. The blue light promotes the development of chlorophyll and results in strong, healthy leaves, roots and stems. It’s a defensive measure to mitigate the impact of the harsh solar energy. There are a few different kinds of lights, and they come in a few shapes. It has 40 PCS High-efficiency LED chips: 22 … We’re dealing with succulents and cacti; a hardy group beloved for easy propagation. You can pour 1 cup of water on a plant or add 1 tablespoon of perlite to a soil mix, but it’s not like you can give a plant 7 lbs. It measures the color of the light using the scientific unit of heat measurement – kelvin (K). Want to contribute to the site? Grow Light for Indoor Plants Clip Lamps IR & UV Red and Blue Spectrum for Plant Succulents, Cactus, Micro Greens, Seedlings - 60W Three Head 60 LED, 5W Dimmable Levels - 3 Switch Modes and Sun Timing 4.6 out of 5 stars 512 It is pretty close, but there’s a reason. It’s a particularly interesting comparison, too. Light-Emitting Diodes (LEDs) There are many benefits to using an LED grow light for succulents. While some succulents can tolerate low, indoor light That’s obvious, right? And “farina”, that powdery white substance on the echeveria plant leaves that smudges when you touch it, comes from the Latin word “far” – “meal” or “flour”. These fantastic devices capture all that light that would have otherwise radiated out and been wasted and redirect it at your plants. You just need a reaaaalllly powerful LED, which are kinda hard to find. Using those specific wavelengths lets you do some cool stuff. Why not 24 hours-a-day light? Direct Sunlight Indoor Succulents. While the light is listed for hydroponics, it works well for succulents as it doesn’t heat the bulb and risk scorching your plants The fixture can be installed anywhere with ease, it is very convenient and lightweight, even suitable for smaller spaces They easily double or triple the space in your best real estate. Yoyomax Indoor Grow Lights. For an imaginative person, LEDs can open a lot of doors! Red light, for example, is an important trigger in the flowering process for many plants. As a bonus, the other half will probably start to regrow some new rosettes – even if you didn’t leave any leaves on it! the other, but they’re both valuable tools for any succulent grower. With that in mind, your indoor succulent plant should preferably be exposed to 12-14 hours of grow light daily. However, the lighting needs of succulents and cacti are a little more nuanced than just placing them on a windowsill. 8 square feet is enough room to accommodate a generous collection of plants. It gets long and skinny with sparse leaves and a bare stem when etiolated. Select a grow light that provides It works well hanging above a shelf, though all of the plants under it should have similar light needs. Don’t worry – this will not cause your succulents to bloom out of season. They’ll still need light inside, of course, otherwise, they run the risk of etiolation or even death. It makes it easy to adjust the duration of "daylight" throughout the year and keeps your plants on a regular photoperiod, even when you're away. Good job! Usually, the plant slows or stops the production of leaves during the etiolation process. But we’re not interested in those. Succulents especially need the dark. We love the adaptability of this little bulb and how inconspicuously it works in the home. If your plants are directly beneath the light, that means most of that wonderful light energy is being wasted. Leave the light on for 12 to 14 hours per day for plants that are exposed to low- or medium-level natural light during the day. In grow lights, the visual temperature tends to range from 2200K - 7500K. Some species will scorch if suddenly exposed to direct sunlight; the leaves will turn brown or white as the plant bleaches out and the soft tissues are destroyed. For plants to grow without sunlight as they do outside, the light of the LED lamps must be adjusted depending on the phase of plant development: In the growth phase, blue light tones should dominate, while in the flowering phase a red light spectrum is required. Keep that glass clean, too! These are the bulbs you encounter most often in your daily life. Hoods and reflectors dramatically increase the light your plant receives, so be careful about burning them. brighter panel available with twice as many LED pieces for $90. Botanical Name: Aloe barbadensis. Is it possible to blush succulents with LED lights or is it definitely CFL lights that will do the trick? If you want to keep a lot of succulents indoors, this is a high quality and affordable option. For our purposes that means they’re even more energy-efficient since you can choose to use just red and blue LEDs (the primary wavelengths of light that photosynthesis occurs at).