Everything You Need to Know About Grow Lights | Architectural Digest

Despite appearances, cacti and succulents do not want light 24/7. Liam Heeks, store manager at Tula House—known for its arid room full of desert plants—warns that some cacti can develop brown spots from grow light overuse. “I like to give my succulents and cacti a routine of 12 hours on, 12 hours off, and you can always use a timer to help with this,” he explains. “For growing a succulent such as a Haworthia, aloe, or Gasteria, I may keep them a little off to the side, so they are not getting such intense light throughout the day.”

Plants that flower require dark time, as do propagated cuttings, whether in soil or water. The latter shouldn’t be placed too close to a powerful grow light, as the cuttings need diffused bright light while establishing their root systems, according to Jarema. In fact, Christopher reveals that the best method for cycling light and dark periods is to “have your grow light schedule match the rising and setting of the sun, as darkness is actually very important for your green gurls’ growth cycle.”

“During the day, sunlight helps these kweens produce energy through photosynthesis,” they continue. “At night, our green gurls break this energy down for growth and flowering in a process called respiration.” So, plan on giving most of your houseplants at least eight hours of darkness per day.

The brands the experts swear by

Christopher and Jaclyn swear by Soltech Solutions grow lights. “I’ve found these lights to be very effective and chic when it comes to fitting in with my decor,” Christopher says. Jaclyn notes how easy they are to use and set up as well. Most experts like that the Soltech light color isn’t a violet hue like other grow lights can be.

Jarema and Danuelle prefer General Electric LED bulbs. “I appreciate that you can screw them into any normal lamp in your home,” Jarema says. “And they are not expensive! In my studio, I have them in dome shades hanging from a beam over an industrial wire shelving unit.” Danuelle appreciates that the bulbs can be found at most local hardware stores, adding that “they’re perfect if you’re not into bulky lighting because they can fit in lamps, which keeps your decor on point.”

Meanwhile at Tula House, the team stocks Rousseau pendant lights. “I like this light, and other similar pendant lights such as Soltech solutions, because of the type of light they give off and its simple design,” Liam says. “It’s a softer light that is not so invasive to your space.”

GE Grow Light LED Light Bulb

Rosseau Pendant Grow Light