Software
Houzz Logo Print
hidde_strikwerda

What grow lights to use for what plants

7 years ago

Hello Everyone,


I am looking to start growing some small plants or herbs under/in the table seen in the added pictures.


I was wondering whether you guys have advice concerning the type of light I could use. Led strips will be easy to stick under the table, but I have heard that they might not produce sufficient light for the plants to grow. What other type of lighting could I use that is still easy to install under the table.


Next I was wondering what plants or herbs would be suitable for being planted there. Ideally the plants/herbs would stay quite low since there is only a finite amount of space under the table.


Looking forward to hearing your ideas,

Hidde Strikwerda




Comments (7)

  • 7 years ago
    last modified: 7 years ago

    I kind of doubt there's enough space there. How tall is the space?

    Consider:

    The height of the pot

    +

    The height of the plant itself

    +

    The distance between the top of the plant and the light (most grow lights won't work well when placed directly against the plant, so you need some space there)

    +

    The vertical space the light itself will take up

    +

    The vertical space any sort of hangers for the light will take up

    = ??

    Growing plants indoors takes more vertical space than you might think..

    Also, how on Earth is that plant on the table getting enough light to survive? Is it a fake plant??

  • 7 years ago

    Hi, I have to say it's too small and close, how do you set your light?

    Here is a small light for small plants wich don't need much light

    https://www.ebay.com/itm/Plant-Grow-Light-Dual-Head-LED-Lights-3-Mode-Timer-360-Degree-Flexible-Gooseneck/382588263450



  • PRO
    7 years ago

    I would say it completely depends on the plant you want to grow in such a small unit. That burden is on you, but i can help with what light you should use. Since you do have such limited height, using LED strips will not only provide all the spectrum your plants will need but they are also very thin. Stick them at the top of the table and decoratively place and or hide the wires for a professional appearance.



  • 7 years ago

    I would suggest with these LED lights, you grow Oregano, Sweet Basil and maybe one or two other types of basil, and Cilantro and/or Italian Parsley and Bay if you can find it. These are highly aromatic and along with Garlic and Onions are your basic Italian seasonings. With the possible exception of Bay, I believe they are all super-nutrient foods.


    Bay is a problem, it wants to grow deep and tall, but will tolerate a shallow but wide root base and you can prune the plant so that it will grow short and wide and bushy rather than tall and wispy.


    All the others have shallow roots and a bushy affect naturally, so they will work well with a 2.5 inch layer of soil. Of course you don't want garlic and onions in there because they stink and will be too tall and too deep. With these plants, you should be able to grow well using an organic potting soil if it is extremely high quality like Black Gold and fertilized often with a top quality organic fertilizer for non-flowering, non-fruiting plants--in other other words, a high nitrogen fertilizer would work well--I would use Espoma Garden Tone. However, since you are going to be eating these, you want to get a full spectrum of minerals and vitamins from them as well as those that make plants grow, so I would recommend you also buy some Sea-90 off of the internet and fertilize with that every 90 days as well.


    Then just keep the plants trimmed two inches away from the lights and enjoy your wonderful smelling plants that will produce wonderful italian food for you that is wonderfully healthy too. You might also try making some Pesto with it from time to time, just pick one of the many recipes on the internet, use all the stuff you are growing and some parmesan cheese and garlic, toss it in a blender and throw it in spaghetti sauce or put it on garlic bread. Even if you have tried pesto before and think you don't like it, which is impossible, you'll kill or die for it once you've tried it fresh from your own little garden with maxed out nutrition from the Sea-90.


    You see, our farmland is completely depleted of the vitamins and minerals that once sustained our bodies and all farmers put back in it is the 3 that make plants grow. Meanwhile, there are up to 90, most in trace amounts that help our bodies perform at their highest function. Your mouth can roughly taste a measure of nutrition in food and the more nutrition a food has and the wider the spectrum of nutrition it has, the better the food will taste to you. Food grown organically, watered with water that has no chlorine in it, fertilized with a full spectrum of vitamins and minerals will contain up to four to ten times the nutrition than the equivalent foods bought at the store or farmers market, even if it says that it is organically grown.


    You could also try Sage, Rosemary, Thyme, and mint. There are thousands of mints. You could do a study of mint teas alone, and mint is impossible to kill and needs to be isolated and boxed in so it doesn't take over your garden, so it is perfect for something like this, again mint smells wonderful. If you ever have a stuffy nose, you can pinch a mint leaf and hold it to your nose and it will usually clear it right up as you breath in the mint.

  • 7 years ago

    One thing I forgot to mention is air flow. You will get mildew if you do not have a consistent air flow over the surface of the soil. It only needs to be very slight. So look on line for the lowest volume, quietest fan you can find--maybe a small desk fan that will oscillate back and forth on the plants. You just need the slightest air movement.


    And about those lights, you want as many as you can fit in there. Modern LED lights are so energy efficient that it will hardly cost you anything to light them.


    Don't make the mistake of lighting them 24-7. Plants need a rest period every day in order to grow well. So, get a timer from an internet place that specializes in grow lights and give them an 8-hour rest period at night as well. 16 hours of strong light is ideal for plants, that mimics optimal daylight conditions.

  • 7 years ago

    This thread is almost six months old, and the question was satisfactorily answered for the OP two days after it was started. You will probably get more of the discussion you're seeking in a more recent, and active, thread.

Sponsored
Daniel Home
Average rating: 4.8 out of 5 stars20 Reviews
Premier Interior Design Team Transforming Spaces in Franklin Co, Ohio