T5 fluorescent tube lights range from one bulb fixtures with or without reflectors to 8 bulb 40000 lumen rigs that can grow a lot of plants. All these bulb fixtures are meant for plant growth because they can be bought with two types of bulbs that are 6500K for growing and 3000K for bloom. All these features give growers almost endless possibilities for growing different kind of plants with different sized bulbs (2 feet and 4 feet) and different configurations. Some of the most common T5 grow light usages are:
Aquarium lighting – T5 grow bulbs are perfect for aquariums as a lighting option and also for aquarium owners who want to grow algae’s and other underwater plants that require more light than a typical room get’s. T5 lights have small profile and they are long so they give off good amount of light and the light is very even. The heat is also not an issue as these fluorescent tubes are very efficient giving up to 100 lumen per watt of electricity. Aquarium users will love the low profile of the lights as they can easily fit below the lid not requiring a lot of space
Jumpstarting summer crops – T5 lights are good for jump starting seedlings in the winter months to get the most growth out of them in the summer. These efficient fluorescent lights are long and you can fit quite a lot of seedling below one bulb. This jumpstarting process can happen only for some days before the first true leaves are showing or it can also go on for a longer period if you want to transplant your intended plants already quite matured. Just be careful if you let your seedling stay below a jumpstart rig as larger plants will require a lot more light and a single bulbs will not be efficient for that purpose so your plants can suffer light deprivation and will be stretched out and weak.
Producing spices and teas all year – You can also create a grow cabinet in your house where you can grow plants like dills, spring onions, celery, basil, thyme, peppermint, coriander, etc. T5 lights are very efficient so you won’t have large electricity bills but they are powerful enough to grow all these plants from seed to full maturity. This grow cabinet can be small with just one or two bulbs for growing just some plants and it can also be huge with 8 bulb fixtures for growing a lot of your favorite plants.
Supplemental lighting – Fluorescent tube lights can also be good as a supplemental lighting for large scale grow operations that use HID lamps or just supplying more light and helping our natural light source to grow your plants. The best thing about these lights as a supplemental lighting is that they are available in all those different configurations and most of those configurations also have pre-built options for hanging the lights horizontally, overhead or vertically. These hanging options give growers options to put their T5 fixtures on the grow room / greenhouse walls or ceilings and even between plants to give them more intense light. As a supplemental light fluorescent tubes are also good because they give off even spread giving you a large illumination area and thus giving out light evenly for all your plants.
Photoperiod extension – T5 tubes can also be used for extending the natural light cycle each day to keep photoperiod plants in the vegetative growth stage longer to get more growth and ultimately more yield. This option is usually used by green house owners that put T5 fixtures overhead or on the sides and turn them on when the sun sets and turn them off again when the sun rises or when the needed light cycle length is met. This method can be good for winter months when plants are grown in heated greenhouses and don’t get as much light as they need. That way they can start flowering even when the summer is not started yet. Keeping them in their vegetative stage is crucial and T5 grow lights can easily do that.
House plant lights in the winter months – Another great usage for fluorescent grow light bulbs is that they can be used for your houseplants. In the winter months usually household plants grow very slowly and look pale and weak and T5 lights can supply additional right spectrum light to keep them growing strong. Even a 2 bulb 2 feet fixture is enough to give some of your indoor plants additional light with almost no additional cost for you. These T5 grow lights can also give a good boost for your room light because they give off good color rendering index that means that they produce even spectrum light and you won’t see objects in different colors like it is for example with low pressure sodium lights.
