The Amazon LED light does seem to be doing a good job on those potted plants.

==>>> if you believe in fairies.. and dont think the pic was photoshopped .. lol ... i mean really ... arent those sunflowers.. lol ... the shortest SFs in the history of the earth .. and then some .. lol ..

anyway.. i used a setup similar to zens .... and the lights were adjustable to keep the lights just a few inches from the leaf surface ... light intensity sufficient for the plants benefit is the key ... making the whole room purple is not ...

ken

ps: note how properly it appears he has it wired ... gotta be careful with electric and water ... and metal shelves ...

@ Ken you have a point about the sunflowers. Its like those mcdonalds big mac pics, What I get at the resturant is no where near that pic ha

The one I am thinking about getting is the barrina one in this video. I have the same shelf he uses in the video and can use the chains to lower and raise as the plants grow(he explains that in the video). The barrina wires are daisy chained so would just require one plug outlet. If you have 8 lights but only want to use 4 you just unplug from the 4th lamp. I dont have the chains he has but have wire chains for hanging baskets that I belive will work too.Heres the video and a pic of the barrina lights.

I like @zen_man's set up. I have a crazy set up and need to improve mine so I will follow the comments. I don't think I could ever have those purple lights. They would make my head hurt. lol! I use florescent bulbs because that is what is in my utility room in the basement. I would love to get more light. I try to winter sow but some things just need more time in warmth to get started here in the midwest. I would like to start more seeds inside.

Putting plants near a window or under fluorescent shop lights in the basement has worked for me in the past. I don't have a basement anymore but one winter I did put a "shelf" above the shower at my current house and left a shop light on for 8 hrs per day, about 2 feet above the plants. All of the plants I put up there not only stayed alive, but stayed looking pretty good. (Old house with high ceilings.) If one is saving annuals that are really just perennials that can't stay alive if outside over a cold winter, it doesn't make financial sense to start spending more $ than the plants cost on expensive lighting *if* inexpensive lighting will do. Or spending any $ to run any kind of lights if just being by a window for free will do. I'm not saying any of these things are right or wrong, just crunch the numbers to make sure your plan makes sense.

You don't need a crazy expensive set-up or bulbs. Regular fluorescent bulbs work just fine -- a mix of cool and warm white fluorescents is best. I grew under those on a jimmy-rigged cart for close to 20 years and always had beautiful seedlings. When you set something up, make sure the height of the lights is adjustable -- I used chain and S-hooks.

I had wanted a fancy-dancy light cart for so, so long (like, the entire 20 years I had growing on a jimmy-rigged system LOL!), and when I finished grad school, DH got this beauty for me:

(the light is purposely lower on the one side -- the beauty of adjustable to get the light down where you need it)

Its like those mcdonalds big mac pics, What I get at the resturant is no where near that pic ha

==>>>

EXACTLY ...lol .. just he other day.. i drove thru Mickey ds... and saw the poster.. and said.. crikey... if i could get one that looked like that i would actually get in the line to order one .... lol.. i just drove around the line and right out the back exit ...

the usual is cheese half off one side... and melted to the box .... the lettuce half off the other ...

anyway .. great minds... lol

ken