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I thought grow lights were a gimmick until my basil went 3 weeks with no sun
I live in Seattle and my south-facing window gets maybe 4 hours of weak light in winter, so I figured any plant that needed more was just a lost cause. A friend lent me a plain white LED panel, nothing fancy, and I set it 10 inches above a sad little basil pot on a 14-hour timer. That thing put out new leaves in 6 days and stopped dropping the old ones, and my rosemary that I had written off as dead started pushing green tips. I still think the purple ones look like a dorm room cliche and half the wattage claims on the box are made up, but the basic idea works. What light schedule are you all running for herbs indoors, because 14 hours feels like a lot?
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theas947d ago
That line about your rosemary being written off as dead really hits home. I had a pot of thyme last winter that went all brown and woody and I kept meaning to toss it, and then I stuck it under a cheap shop light just to see. Two weeks later there were tiny green bits coming off the stems and I felt bad for giving up on it. Seattle winters are rough on herbs, the light is so gray and thin for months. Your 14 hours sounds about right to me, mine are on 12 and the basil is fine but slower. I would keep it where it is since the plants are telling you they like it.
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