LED lights are the most energy efficient form of lighting. Most of us will have used LED lighting in the home since LED lights create a lot of light and only use a small amount of power.

New Zealanders are moving into smaller homes and Apartments so it’s common to see families producing fresh herbs and vegetables on the kitchen bench.

What plants can I grow indoors under grow lights?

Anything that grows outdoors can be grown indoors under led grow lights. The most popular plants tend to be herbs and outdoor plants that don’t grow in NZ conditions. Want tomatoes over winter? How about turmeric roots? Even avocado trees if you have the space.

Most people however will use grow lights to grow herbs like: Basil, Oregano, Parsley, Chives.

In my case I have a tomato plant with basil growing on the kitchen bench. Perfect for pizza!

Will it look strange to put a grow light in my kitchen?

If you want to grow Plants in the Kitchen with a grow light, be assured that your grow light won’t look out of place. Some LED grow lights will produce light which appears white.

You can also find LED grow lights which look the same as normal hanging lights

See some examples of LED Grow lights that you can hang in your kitchen that won’t toast your eyes:

http://192.168.1.199/wordpress/shop/quantum-led-grow-light/

http://192.168.1.199/wordpress/shop/s60-cob-led-grow-light-54w-3500k-cob/

Can I use my kitchen LED lights to grow plants?

Short answer is no. Even though regular indoor LED lights use very similar technology to LED grow lights there are some major differences between home lighting and grow lights.

• Plants need more light: plants require a minimum amount of light photons so that they can grow. LED Home  lighting is bright enough for a human to see, but won’t produce enough photons to grow plants. A 9 watt home downlight will produce enough light for 1 square meter. To grow herbs in your kitchen you will need around 100 watts for one square meter.
• Plants need a different type of light spectrum: plants need a lot of Blue and Red light. Humans need a lot of green light. Most interior lighting contains a high level of green lighting and LED grow lights are configured differently to provide a spectrum specific to plant growth.

You can now mount LED Grow lights directly into  your kitchen bench during a renovation or new build. Contact [email protected] for advice on the best LED grow light solution for your home.