According to Garden.org, American households are more likely than ever to grow their own food, with about 42 million households now participating in this DIY hobby. People today have become more and more interested in the “farm to plate” movement.

Not surprisingly, though, many people attempting to grow a home garden will come up against a roadblock: access to the sunlight plants need to grow tends to be limited, especially after the summer months. Many people who have gardens at home tend to carry that over to their office environment as well. The benefits of being around plants in the office show why!

Artificial light can be a great resource for gardeners who are serious about growing food and plants indoors. Here are three things you should keep in mind.

• Wavelength Matters

If you ever tried to set up an artificial light experiment as a child, one reason the plants may not have grown as much is the issue of wavelength. Blue wavelength is important for foliage growth, while red wavelength encourages flowering. Fluorescent lights lean towards blue wavelengths, so it’s a good idea to aim for “full-spectrum” bulbs. Incandescent lights lean toward red wavelengths, so another idea is to use both fluorescent and incandescent light to encourage full growth. Many home gardening companies sell horticultural grow lights, which will take care of properly managing wavelength spectrums for you.

• Use a Light Timer

One advantage the sun has over artificial lighting is that it naturally “turns off” when it sets. Not surprisingly, different types of plants require different amounts of light—some even require different amounts of light depending on their stage of development. For the most part, though, you should plan on allowing plants to have at least eight hours of darkness a day. An inexpensive timer is ideal for this both for the sake of consistently and to ensure your plants aren’t left accidentally plunged in darkness for an entire day.

• For Placement, Mimic Sunlight

While side lamps are often the easiest light source to attain, they tend to encourage uneven development. Hanging lights that distribute light directly over your plants will expose the leaves of the plants to maximum light, while encouraging straight, healthy growth patterns. It is not necessary to mimic the distance of the sun, though. Since lights have a low heat signature, they can be placed fairly close to plants—24 inches for incandescent bulbs, and six to 12 inches for LEDs and fluorescents is a good rule of thumb.

Are you planning to grow plants indoors? Doing so can allow you to grow delicious vegetables—or simply beautiful flowers—on a year-round basis. Contact the lighting experts at Evergreen Tropical Interiors for more information on setting up your garden and maintaining a healthy and efficient garden for your home or office!