Update: my indoor basil setup went from kitchen window to plant lights

Honestly, I used to think sticking basil on my kitchen windowsill was enough, and it kinda worked for a few weeks. But then last winter the leaves got all leggy and pale, and I realized they just weren't getting enough sun. So I grabbed a $30 LED grow light from the hardware store and set it up on a timer for 12 hours a day. Now my basil is bushy and dark green, and I even have enough to give cuttings to my neighbor. Has anyone else had better luck switching to grow lights for herbs?

3 comments

3 Comments

william_garcia1mo ago

Different take here... I actually had the opposite experience. My basil gets leggy under LEDs no matter what, but it thrives in my south-facing window with just regular afternoon sun. Maybe it's the specific light spectrum or something, but I've had better luck keeping mine on the sill and just rotating the pot every few days.

hollyl251mo ago

My 6500K full spectrum LEDs from Amazon actually fixed my leggy basil problem lol. I had it in a south window too but it kept stretching and getting all floppy no matter how much I rotated it. The key for me was having the light about 2 inches from the top leaves and running it 14 hours a day. Window light is great but it changes so much throughout the year and depends on the season and where you live. I live in the Pacific Northwest so our winter sun is basically useless for indoor plants. LEDs let me control the distance and duration way more consistently than trusting the weather.

dakotab931mo ago

2 inches is CRAZY close but it WORKS @william_garcia