Before high intensity discharge light came along, indoor growers depended mainly on
fluorescent lights for best results. They are inexpensive, reasonably energy efficient, and most emit a wide enough spectrum of light for plant growth. There is a wide range of fluorescent
bulbs or "tubes" available, and are categorized by wattage, length, and colour of spectrum
range. Indoor growers should look for the type specifically made for plants such
as the vita-Lite* or Ultralume 5000*.
The fixtures for these lamps are usually complete with lamp holders, reflector, and built-in ballast. Since the introduction of H.I.D. lights, fluorescent now are mainly used for propagation and early vegetative growth. The 20 watt,24 INCH, and 40 watt, 48 inch, are the most common.
The more intense and energy efficient H.I.D.'s are now the choice for maturing
high-light plants and vegetables indoors.
