What grow light bulb you choose to purchase depends on your level of commitment to indoor gardening. If you are only looking to grow a few starter plants to save money on planting in the spring, you probably don’t want to sink a whole lot of money into the operation, and are better off with simple HPS grow lights or other fluorescent growing lighting system. If you plan a more extensive indoor garden to extend the growing season and enjoy fresh vegetables in the winter, a more considerable investment in LED technologies might be better. Since LED lights cost 10 to 20 times higher than more traditional fluorescent lights, you have to wonder if you are really serious enough to continue using them for several seasons in order to make the investment worth it.

The benefits of LED lights compared to HPS bulbs are considerable. LED lights operate much more efficiently, using as little as 90 watts to create the same power of light of a 400 watt HPS bulb. You can provide light to a 12-foot area of plants with the same power it takes to run a small appliance. A 1.5 foot area of starters can be sustained with a 14-watt lamp. Using hardly any wattage, you can supply a continual supply of light to however many plants you choose. The effect on the environment is unnoticeable. It’s green technology with a minimal carbon footprint.

Plus, LED lights last 10 to 20 times longer than HPS lights. Fluorescent bulbs need to be replaced every year or so, while LED bulbs virtually last a lifetime. If your indoor growing needs span for more than a season or two, the extra investment in LED lights would pay for itself after a few years.

But perhaps your indoor growing plans are simple. A few starts every season is hardly worth spending $50 to $500 on an LED light. It would be cheaper to buy greenhouse starters in the first place. For most simple growing plans, HPS bulbs will work just fine, and much more economically too.

Choosing which grow light to buy is a matter of putting your money where your mouth is. Growing your own food can be worth the investment, but only if you are planning to grow indoors for a number of seasons. Fresh vegetables throughout the year is easy to get used to, and much more affordable than the corner grocery store.