Without a doubt, the Covid-19 has completely changed indoor gardening. Before the pandemic, no one ever knew the benefits of having indoor plants.
Some of the advantages include cleansing your air by absorbing toxins, boosting your mood, helps with concentration to improve creativity, and basically adding life to a sterile space.
Now, if you are a novice in indoor gardening, then you probably have lots of questions, such as: What’s the best plant to grow indoors? Do succulents need grow lights during winter? How to choose the best grow light for succulents? Which grow light brands are best for succulents?
Well, don’t worry about all these questions, because this article gives you all the answers you need.
Top 5 Best Grow Lights for Succulents
- Roleadro LED Grow Light– Best Overall
- Ankace 60W Tri Head– Most Popular
- DuroLux 2-Pack T5 Light– Most Affordable
- Relassy 15000 Lux Sun– Energy Efficient
- Hydrofarm FLT44 Fluorescent– Energy Efficient
What is a Succulent Grow Light?
Basically, a succulent grow light is the light meant to make sure your plant is having the right amount of light in your indoor grow tent.
The grow light stimulates growth, and it is different from other lights because it offers full spectrum of lighting onto the succulent.
That is, the Artificial light for succulents usually emits ultraviolet, infrared and PAR lights (or Photosynthetically Active Radiation). The full spectrum lighting due to the grow lights for succulent plants consists of the varied colors similar to the rainbow.
In layman terms, it simply means that the light offers the plant with everything it needs for photosynthesis. The succulent grow light imitates the sunlight’s natural lighting for plants. Therefore, when you use a grow lamp, you are easing the plant’s photosynthesis.
Better yet, the grow lights are effective in guaranteeing plant’s growth because they are energy efficient.
5 Best Grow Lights for Succulents
Now that you know what to look for (color temp, energy efficiency, lighting PAR etc.), it’s time to choose the exact brand that befits your succulent plant.
We recommend the following grow lights for your succulent plant. The disclaimer here is that we tested various grow light brands, and after several months of use, some brands weren’t as satisfactory as expected.
1. Roleadro LED Grow Light– Best Overall
This is our best overall choice, and it’s not only because of its best value for money, but also because it’s perfect for all growth stages – from the baby stages to the full-grown stages.
Although most folks use this light for seedling stages, it works perfectly even when the succulents are fully grown. The assumption for its early stages preference is because the Roleadro LED is really impressive in speeding up plants’ growth.
Thanks to its effective lighting spectrum and lumen of 460 to 740nm, the grow light affords the succulents with exactly what they need. Its 6500 Kelvintemperature is enough to stimulate better plant growth.
At the same time, the Roleadro contains all lighting wavelengths, thus guaranteeing lighting uniformity to synthesize the plant’s nutritional components.
The Roleadro LED stays ahead of its competitors due to its choice of material components.
The grow light panel is made of aeronautical aluminum shell, which when combined with 60-degree optical lenses and unique chip designs, the LED offers 98 percent energy efficiency. This makes the Roleadro one of the best grow lights for succulents.
Basically, the Roleadro LED is perfect for both home indoor gardening hobbyists and commercial growers. It’s recommendable to hang the lighting between 12 to 48 inches from the succulent plants.
Pros
- Provides amazing lighting spectrum that stimulates plants to synthesize nutritional components
- Roleandro LEDs offer 98% energy efficiency, thus much brighter than most LEDs
- The light panel boasts of unique design chips, which boost efficiency
- Its aeronautical aluminum material is responsible for higher lighting uniformity
- Claims by manufacturer is that you can use it for up to 50,000 hours
Cons
It’s power driver isn’t much of a great conductor. But that shouldn’t be a problem
2. Ankace 60W Tri Head–Most Popular
It’s hard to dispute why the Ankace is popular among indoor gardeners. This is because of its tri-heads whereby it illuminates the succulents from just a few inches above them.
The best thing about the Ankace grow light is its gooseneck feature, which allows you to redirect the light in all directions. This provides the kind of flexibility that grow light panels like Roleadro LED don’t have; although the panels are just as effective because they illuminate uniformly.
The Ankace comes with five (5) lighting modes such that you can change the brightness or dimness as required by the plants. Better yet, you can change the lighting modes by timing them based on three, six, or twelve hour intervals.
The Ankace 60W Tri-Head is also effective in optimally diverting targeted wavelengths that are perfect for succulent plants. This is attributed to the 24 red and 12 blue color LED chips, thus enhancing the plants’ growthin all stages.
While the blue beads synthesize chlorophyll for more energy, the red beads stimulate photosynthesis for better germination.
As an icing on the cake, the Ankace comes with a USB connector, which allows you to use it anywhere – e.g. on your balcony or in the office.
Pros
- Several customizable features to change brightness and lighting color (3 switcheswith 5 dimmable modes)
- The gooseneck is flexible enough to redirect the lighting in all directions
- The Ankace has a light spectrum of up to 660nm
- Optimally diverts wavelengths thus enhancing plant grow in all stages
- Comes with a USB connector for easier usage in all circumstances, such as in the balcony
- Its Lumen is 300lm and can last up to 50,000 hours
Cons
The gooseneck seems a bit weak, but that’s noticeable after several months of use
3. DuroLux 2-Pack T5–Most Affordable
If you are looking for something that’s not gonna break your bank, then the DuroLink t5 fluorescent grow light bulbs are exactly what you need. But, as expected, it comes with the downside of not having the full spectrum that the like of Ankace and Roleadro offer.
Still, if you are the small-scale indoor gardening hobbyist, and you just want a few succulent plants to decorate your home, then the super affordable DuroLux is a great option. It comes in a pack of two, which means it’s like paying for one.
Also, you have to know that the DuroLux is a fluorescent and not an LED. Which means that you’ll have to worry about its longevity. While LEDs last more than 50,000 hours, the fluorescents have an average lifespan of only 5,000 hours.
But, for the money you spend on DuroLux, it’s a great grow light to start with, especially if you are still getting a hang of grow tents and indoor gardening as a whole.
The best thing about DuroLux grow lights is the simplicity of it. There isn’t much of a setup instruction, because everything is straightforward. It’s like installing your everyday fluorescent bulbs at home.
In terms of effectiveness towards plants’ growth, the DuroLux is equally comparable to other grow lights. For instance, the fluorescent offers 6500K of temperature and 2500 lumen, which isn’t bad for a white lighting for succulents.
Pros
- It meets UL/UCL standards, which means the product has passed the test of functioning safely when exposed to humidity, water, and dust
- The DuroLux has been designed to accommodate more than 15 similar fixtures all at once
- Very pocket friendly
Cons
It is a bit noisy when running, but it won’t wake up the baby!
4. Relassy 15000Lux Sun-Like LED–Really Powerful
The LED is comparable to the Ankace because of its gooseneck features and the flexibility to adjust the lighting in all directions. However, the Relassy is a completely different and high yield led grow light because it has unique features that emulate sunlight capability.
That is, the grow light yields illuminations with similar properties as the sunlight.
Its chips distribution is different from other LED lightingwhereby the mini bulbs come in varied colors of yellow, which have a spectrum closer to sunlight.
Unlike Ankace, the Relassy 15000Lux doesn’t have many colors (blue or pink or purple). Rather, the simple yellow-like colors are enough to have positive impact on the plants. This guarantees uniformity on the succulent plants.
Better yet, this color temp feature is advantageous to the plants because it minimizes the risks of discoloration. This also prevents you from skim cancer. Other than that, Relassy only needs 20 watts of power, which means you’ll be saving a lot on electricity bill.
Pros
- Light spectrum of 380 to 800nm and a Lumen of about 1300
- Lifespan of 50,000 hours
- Offers the experience similar to that of sunlight
- Provides an impressive lighting uniformity thussynthesizing natural components of the plants
Cons
Its clamp feature isn’t as functional as expected
5. Hydrofarm FLT44 Fluorescent–Most Powerful
Now, if you are looking for something powerful and more on the commercial side of things, the Hydrofarm is what you need. It is exactly a commercial-based fluorescent grow light, but it offers the power you if you’ve got more succulent plants to grow.
It delivers lumens up to 20,000lm and is made of four (4) full spectrums of 6500K T5 tubes. The grow light is made of powdered coating with a steel housing, which makes it suitable to use in buildings usually experiencing earth tremors.
This means the Hydrofarm FLT44 is a heavy grow light system. Luckily, it is flexible since it offers three different hanging ways – overhead, vertical and horizontal. The lighting panel is also Daisy chainable, meaning that it runs up to three (3)fixtures from a single outlet.
The lighting it offers is enough to provide plants with the energy required for a speedy growth. And since the Hydrofarm is a fluorescent, you don’t have to dig deeper into wallet to spend on buying it.
Pros
- Allows you to choose different hanging configurations
- High lighting output with more than 20,000 lumens
- The Hydrofarm consist of 4 fluorescent 6400K tubes
- It is a heavy-duty grow light hence perfect if you have several succulent plants
- Heavy and turbid hence can withstand earth tremors
Cons
It is a fluorescent thus you’ll have to incur power usage
How to Choose the Grow Light for Succulents?
First off, you need your succulents to be short and plump, and NEVER tall, because this makes them weak and flimsy. So, to make sure of this, your grow lighting choice needs to be perfect.
There are a number of factors to help you pick the right grow lights for your plant. Each of the following factors affects the plant’s growth and development.
Light Output
Before settling on a specific lighting bulb for your succulent, it’s important to determine the light output or the lumen. You need to ask yourself: How much lighting effect does the bulb has on the succulent plant? What wattage is appropriate for the succulent?
It is advisable to go with a grow light that emits at least 2000 lumens per square foot. And regarding wattage, it’s best to pick a grow light with 30 to 45 watts.
As you can notice, succulents still need bright lights even though they are famous for their capability to tolerate shade. With the right LED light, you are guaranteed to have healthy and well-grown succulents.
Energy Efficiency
Although you have the required wattage and lumens for a succulent grow light, it’s still important to ascertain the efficiency of the LED bulbs. That is, you may have picked the right grow light (with 30 watts and 2000 lumens), but is it efficient?
The efficiency is determined by how much of LED’s electric energy gets converted into light energy. This also regulates how much heat it produces. So, how do you know a grow light’s energy efficiency? This is measured in percentage, and different brands have diverse efficiencies.
Therefore, be keen on how energy efficient the bulb is, which basically means choosing LED lighting that generates more brightness whilst using minimal energy. The heat emission should also be at minimum.
Amount of Usable LED Light (PAR)
Now that you have the required lumen, wattage and energy efficiency (in percentage), the third factor is the amount of LED bulbs used. This is a no brainer, because the more the number of succulents you are growing, the more LED you’ll need.
However, you need to calculate the amount of usable light required by the succulents you’re growing. This lighting usage is referred as the PAR (or photosynthetically active radiation), which is the solar radiation used during photosynthesis.
The PAR is determined by the LED lumens and the spectral lighting temperatures. It’s whereby different colors have different lighting emissions, from the red spectral color to blue light. It’s not fair to encumber you with the process of calculating PAR. Instead, all you need to know is to pick LED grow lights based on an incredible and effective PAR emission.
No. of Hours of Exposure
Succulents, just like every other plant, need a balanced exposure to the LED lights. It shouldn’t too much not too little. The recommended number of hours is 12 to 14 hours a day.
However, the exact number of hours is affected by the type of LED grow lights you’ve picked. Some brands have strong heat emissions than others. And since succulents don’t do really well in too much heat, if the bulbs have less efficiency, then it’s best to limit the number of hours you expose the plants.
Also, with time, the grow lights tend to lose their effectiveness, and so you should limit the exposure as the LED bulbs get older.
Light Color Temperature
Temperature is normally measured in Kelvin (K), and so is color temp. This explains how much of warmth or coolness the LEDs are.
As expected, the temperature is different from one color to another. For instance, a blue light is an indication of cool LEDs while yellow color is “warm” and red color shows that the growth light is hot.
In most cases, the grow lights usually come as either blue or yellow, which help stimulate diverse responses. Now, what is the right color temperature lights for succulents? Most succulents do well in temperatures between 3500 Kelvin and 6000 Kelvin.
Therefore, for best indoors succulent growth, it’s best you select a cooler light bulb with a color temperature of 6500 Kelvin. At the same time, if you are looking to stimulate flowering, warmer lighting at 3000 Kelvin is recommended.
Why Use Succulents for Indoor Gardening?
As a newbie, or perhaps even an experienced indoor gardener, you’re probably wondering why, amongst all indoor plants options, should you go with succulents.
Well, there are several benefits of growing succulents indoors. These include:
- They grow in any climate, which means you won’t have to worry so much about the conditions required for the grow tent.
- Despite its ability to survive on limited water, succulents are also great at brightening your home. The plant doesn’t simply add green to your living room, but it also blooms in season, thus splashing your home with color.
- Research by NASA on indoor gardening found that plants like succulents tend to remove VOCs (volatile organic compounds) from the air. This means that succulents convert the contaminants to food, which purifies the air in your house.
- If you always have a hard time focusing on something, then a succulent in your house can help improve your concentration. This is backed by CDC research on indoor gardening, whereby children with ADHD have it easier to focus when there is an indoor plant like succulents in the home.
Which Are the Best Succulent Plants to Grow Indoors?
Well, you need to know that succulents come in different varieties. And if you are looking to start your indoor gardening with succulents, here are a few options (with Amazon links to buy).
- Christmas kalanchoe (Kalanchoe blossfeldiana)
- Jade Plant (Crassula Ovata)
- Crown of thorns (Euphorbia milii)
- Medicine Plant (Aloe Vera)
- Christmas cactus (Schlumbergera Buckleyi)
- Zebra Cactus (Haworthia fasciata)
FAQs (Frequently Asked Questions)
Do indoor succulents need grow lights during the winter?
Of course, yes. As a matter of fact, succulent plants love sunlight more than shadows. And that’s why you need a grow light for your succulents during all seasons of the year. It’s best to maintain uniformity throughout the year.
How many hours of exposure is best for succulent plants?
This depends on the type of grow light you’ve picked. From the aforementioned best five (5) grow lights, you’ll find some that are LEDs while others that are fluorescents and HPS.
The LED usually have better intensity than both HPS and Fluorescent; therefore, you’ll more exposure using HPS and fluorescent. Basically, LED’s exposure is usually about 12 hours a day for succulent plants. So that means you’ll need more time with HPS or fluorescent.
You should also note that exposure depends on the distance you’ve placed between the plants and the lighting source.
What are the different types of Artificial light for succulents?
As explained earlier, grow lights are either LEDs, HPS or fluorescents. Each comes with unique features and impact on plants. Nonetheless, it is all about the type of plant you are growing. The succulent plants are okay if either of theLEDs or fluorescents are used.
What is the best color temperature for succulent plants?
If you want to a full lighting spectrum for your succulent plants, it’s best to go with a grow light that offers 6500K in color temperature.
Note that different colors have different effects on plants, hence it’s recommendable to go with LED grow lights featuring different colors.
For instance, a great LED should have both the red and blue colors. While the blue beads synthesize chlorophyll for more energy, the red beads stimulate photosynthesis for better germination.
Final Thoughts
With the five best grow light for succulents to choose from, we hope you find what’s right for your succulent plants. You just need to find what’s right for you.
Although pricing is a factor to consider, it’s advisable to look at other factors like wattage usage, lighting output, color temperature, light spectrum, and energy efficiency. Nonetheless, good luck with your indoor gardening.
