Lighting for indoor gardening and seed starting

[Weedygarden]

I looked and haven't found the post or thread about good or better or best lighting for growing seedlings and vegetables indoors. Maybe a thread doesn't exist?

During the pandemic, 2020, I put up a sturdy metal wire type shelf with LED shop lights that put off 5000 lumens of light. It has been great!

I need another shelf and more lights. I have plants that do not have lights on them, just sunlight, and what a difference those shop lights have made. It is huge. I ordered some grow lights a few weeks ago and am still waiting for them to arrive. I know the lighting is different and somehow better, so I will use them to augment the shop lights.

I went to Home Depot to shop for my additional shelf and lights yesterday and left empty handed. The shelf that I purchased three years ago for around $50 is now $100 there, but I don't think that I purchased mine there. I couldn't find the kind of lights that I wanted and everything was ridiculously expensive, lights above $50 each. I did a search for the same lights online and found the same ones at WM for $19. I remember that when I purchased the previous lights, they were marked $19, but rang up for $12. That was kind of backwards for how it usually works at WM. I should have gone back and purchased more at that time. I am going to go to WM today and see what I can find.

Any recommendations for good lights?

 

[Wingnut]

I just checked the Walmart website for an inexpensive grow light to start seedlings, and they have a ton of different lights, many (if not all) of them looking like Chinese junk. However, I'm gonna need some sort of light for starting seedlings, and I reckon as long as it's a "full spectrum light" it should do the job. I am NOT looking for an indoor growing setup costing hundreds of dollars, just something quick & easy to get this season's seedlings started... later, maybe I'll invest more cash in an indoor growing setup, but it's not in the cards right now, I still have some serious home rehab work to do and I also have some materials to buy. At this time, I just want a simple freestanding lamp with multiple grow lights on it, no hanging lamps of any sort, I have enough work to do as it is. I saw one freestanding lamp which had four flexible arms (like tentacles) with lights on each arm, and that looked like it might work for what I have in mind, since I can bend each arm down into position over a tray of seedlings. I think it ran about $30, which is reasonable provided the lights actually work. Honestly, there were so many different types of grow lights at that website, I had to take a break from looking at 'em... I'll go back and see if I can narrow down my search. Everything is complicated nowadays, lol...

P.S. This lamp I buy will be placed in the 'War Room' so I can keep the cats from knocking over the lamp.

 

[Weedygarden]

I am NOT looking for an indoor growing setup costing hundreds of dollars, just something quick & easy to get this season's seedlings started... later, maybe I'll invest more cash in an indoor growing setup

I'm with you. I'm not investing $100's to start, but I do try to add and improve every year. I watch for things at yard sales, Craigslist, Facebook Marketplace, Nextdoor Neighbor and do some alley shopping.

I found my shelf and a couple lights, reused plastic pots from previous years. Here and there I add a light or two, more pots, etc. In a few years you can have quite the grow set up.

I am now really in need of an additional shelf, but have only found one for $100. I'm still shopping for that second one.