How to Grow Cactus with Grow Lights

Not all of us are good at growing vegetables or indoor plants with grow lights. It is very easy to kill a plant if you do not provide enough water or light intensity. The cactus is the easiest indoor plant to grow because it does not require much water.

However, most people don't know that it trades its water requirements for intense light. Cacti are one of the few plants that require very high light intensity yet store large volumes of water.

If you want to grow cacti indoors, you need grow lights that emit upwards of 2,000 lumens per square foot. Read on for a detailed step-by-step guide to growing cacti with grow lights.

Step 1: Prepare Everything You Will Need

Among some of the things you will need to grow cacti indoors with grow lights include:

• Heavy aluminum foil or mirror

• Fluorescent grow light

• Containers with drain holes

• Cool-white fluorescent grow light bulbs

• 24-hour timer

• Flat reflective surface

• Houseplant fertilizer

Note that having everything ready will save you considerable time and energy in your installation process.

Step 2: Install Grow Lights

Start by installing grow lights. Whether you opt for LED lighting or fluorescent tubes, you need lights with a 30W per square foot starting point. Technically, cactus is a desert plant that requires a light intensity of around 10,000 lumens per square foot.

Although most grow lights cannot match the sun’s light intensity, they compensate with long hours of lighting. Grow lights such as Angel Hallo Three Rings Full Spectrum Grow Light and QUX Plant Growth Lamp Series(AT Version) are some of the best options to try out.

Step 3: Set Up Aluminum Reflective Surfaces

You need to harness as much light as possible. Use heavy aluminum foil or mirrors to provide a reflective surface. Set the lights on a flat surface and position them directly above the plants. It is recommended to adjust the height of the lights to a height of about 5 inches or more above the tallest plant.

Alternatively, you can use grow lights such as 5.3-inch Angel Halo Light Plant Grow Light with Timer or Strip Light Herb Garden Height Adjustable QUX Factory Grow Light. They are designed with adjustable bars that raise or lower the grow lights.

Step 4: Set Your Grow Light Timer

Timers are critical for the maintenance of indoor plants. Get a grow light like Angel Halo G2 Single Ring Full Spectrum LED Grow Light. It comes with a 24-hour timer that allows you to switch on and off your grow light based on the light requirement of your cactus.

Set it to 18 hours if there is little light in the room and 12-14 if the plant is exposed to medium levels of natural light. Even so, based on the high light requirements required by cactus plants, you should not have any problems allocating less light intensity.

Step 5: Check the Soil Moisture

Although cactus does not require much water, it is recommended to water them generously several times a week. What’s more, mix the soil with houseplant plant fertilizer and check the moisture content of the soil with your finger. If the soil does not stick on your finger, it requires more water.

Balance the fertilizer ratio to 10:10:10 or a one-quarter yearly ratio. Do this at the beginning of April, mid-may, and end of June. Your cactus should have enough fertilizer to maintain it throughout the year.

Step 6: Maintenance

Like any other indoor plant, cactus requires regular maintenance to keep it in top-notch condition. Fortunately, cacti and succulent plants do not require much care and maintenance. Ensure you follow all the steps as required for optimum results.

Most importantly, ensure you provide your plants with the required high light intensity white grow bulbs. There is quite a range of high-intensity grow light bulbs from Quxplantlight.com that guarantees exceptional results.

Get Your Ideal Cacti Grow Light Today!

At QUX, we understand the high light requirements of growing cacti and aim to ensure we provide you with the ideal grow light. All our products are of the highest quality and are quite easy to install. It will probably take you several minutes to set up.

Contact us for the best cacti grow lights, and let us ensure your success at growing cacti indoors is inevitable.