Browse plant-care and gardening guides published under Mike Rastus-Josiah’s byline. If you find information that needs correction or clarification, please contact Swipe Garden.
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 2 min read
For ordinary seed-starting fluorescent or low-output LED bars, extension guidance commonly puts the lamp only a few inches above the seedling tops. University of Minnesota suggests...
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 2 min read
Yes. Fluorescent shop lights can grow seedlings and supplement indoor foliage when their tubes are close enough and their output covers the crop. Modern LEDs are...
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 2 min read
T5 and T8 describe fluorescent tube diameters, not an automatic ranking of grow-light quality. T5 tubes are five-eighths of an inch in diameter and T8 tubes...
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 2 min read
Sunlight is a highly effective light source for plants, and grow lights are useful where natural light is insufficient, inconsistent or difficult to control. A well-designed...
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 2 min read
A grow light is designed and specified for plant lighting, while an ordinary lamp is intended for people. Both can emit light plants use; the important...
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 4 min read
Compare grow light types for a $100 budget, including coverage, wattage, fixture size, manufacturer specifications and model compatibility.
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 4 min read
Choose lighting for orchids by genus, intensity and growing area, and compare compact lamps with overhead LED panels.
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 4 min read
Compare LED panels, adjustable lamps and clip-on lights for cacti, with guidance on high-light needs, coverage and safe placement.
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 4 min read
Choose a grow light for a fiddle-leaf fig by canopy size, lamp placement, daylight and practical bulb versus panel trade-offs.
· By Mike Rastus-Josiah · 4 min read
Compare LED bulbs, adjustable lamps and panels for Monstera, with practical tips on brightness, leaf coverage and timers.
