Grow Lights for Succulents Everything You Need to Know
Is your indoor succulent losing its color or starting to stretch towards the window? You are not the only one. Succulents are sun plants & Although succulents love the sun, , however, they cannot be fully grown in most indoor areas which lack the amount of light required. What promises to be good? In only a few weeks, a grow light on succulents can usually transform a leggy diseased-looking plant into a full green one.
Succulent cultivation in Australia can actually be a bit tricky, particularly when you happen to live in an apartment, in the shade of your house, or during our cloudy winters in Melbourne, Sydney or Hobart. Luckily, when someone has the appropriate grow light, the Australian plant enthusiasts can maintain the succulents inside their homes throughout the year.
Do You Really Need a Grow Light?
Succulents grow in bright, direct sunlight. Indoors, even on the sunniest windowsill, often isn't bright enough to meet a succulent's needs, especially in the winter, or if there is filtered light. While you can expect low light succulents like Haworthia, Gasteria, or Jade to endure indoors, many succulents will stretch, become discolored, or collapse from growth weakness due to insufficient illumination. If you noticed that your indoor succulents are starting to look pale, leggy, or simply aren't happy, a grow light could be a viable solution.
How Many Hours of Light Do Succulents Need?
Australian Seasonal Note: In winter months (June to August), natural daylight hours drop significantly, especially in southern cities like Melbourne or Adelaide. During this time, your succulents may require closer placement to the light or an extra hour or two of supplemental lighting to stay healthy.
What to Consider When Buying a Grow Light
Many succulent lovers think that any light can be used as a grow light, but that’s a common misconception. Haha... it's hard for succulents to survive under your night lamp, they really need proper, full-spectrum light to grow strong and colourful. Not all lights are suitable for plant growth, and even among grow lights, not all are created equal. When purchasing grow lights for your succulents, you should consider five factors.
1. Light Output (Lumens)
Lumens is a measure of brightness. You want a grow light that has 300 – 800 lumens per square foot to sustain healthy photosynthesis and growth. More is not always better - watch your plants and adjust as necessary.
2. Wattage and Efficiency
Wattage tells you how much electricity the light pulls but not how much light it gives. Instead, look at lumens per watt to see if the grow lights are energy efficient. The higher value is better.
3. Full Spectrum
Plants use many wavelengths of light during their growth phases. While red and blue light are the most important, full spectrum or white LED grow lights are ideal for succulents because they simulate natural sunlight without the glare of cheap red and blue only options.
4. Color Temperature (Kelvin)
Color Temperature (K) measures the "warmth" or "coolness" of light. For succulents, consider a grow light that is between 3,000 and 6,000K, which offers a good balance of red and blue wavelengths.
Types of Grow Lights for Succulents
Here’s a brief breakdown of the grow light types that are popular and ideal for succulent growth:
LED Grow Lights
• Best for: Most home growers
• Pros: Energy efficient, low heat production, long life
Fluorescent Grow Lights
• Best for: Budget minded growers or beginners
• Pros: Inexpensive and good for small indoor environments
• Cons: Not as long of a life compared to LEDs
High-Intensity Discharge (HID) Lights
• Best for: Larger or commercial growing
• Pros: Very powerful
• Cons: High-power use; heat production; expensive to run
Grow Light Placement - How Close Should it be?
In general, you want to put your grow light at least 6 to 12 inches above your succulents. When you keep closer to the plants, they will have more intense light but be careful not to burn delicate leaves. Use your best judgement and watch for plant responses. When possible, you should try to use a grow light stand or take advantage of adjustable hanging light. based on plant response, adjust your grow light , you can use a grow light stand or adjustable hanging system when possible.
How Many Hours of Light Do Succulents Need?
Begin with a 12-hour on / 12-hour off cycle. This mimics the natural daylight cycle, and allows your plants to have some time to rest in the dark. Over time, watch your succulents:
• Too little light = Stretched stems, faded color
• Too much light = Scorched leaves, bleaching
You can adjust the light duration or distance based on what your plants tell you.
Your night lamp might be great for reading, but your succulents need something stronger to shine. A good grow light brings the sun indoors. So..no window is required. Let your plants soak in the rays and watch them glow with new life.
Grow Lights & Indoor Succulent Care
Q: Can I use a regular desk lamp as a grow light?
A: No, standard bulbs don’t offer the right spectrum or intensity for plant growth.
Q: Do all succulents need grow lights?
A: Not necessarily. Some low-light succulents like Jade or Haworthia can survive near a bright window. But most need extra help indoors.
Q: Should grow lights be on 24/7?
A: No! Plants need rest. Stick to a 12- to 14-hour light cycle.