Indoor lights make sense as the gloom of winter closes in

I know, of course, that I must be dreaming. Most of you, despite the rationality of having lights (and lots of them) when living in Alaska, simply think it is too much of a bother. Such a shame, I say. The sight of a collection of blooming African violets in the middle of the winter, the feeling you get from seeing lovely orchids of the kind that only your neighbors vacationing in Hawaii will enjoy, the fragrance of an Osmanthus plant in December -- all are the kinds of things that should not be missed because you live in Alaska.

The loyal reader is familiar with my earliest pitches over 30 years ago, pointing out that a simple two-bulb fluorescent shop fixture with common bulbs was acceptable.

Things have come full circle, I suppose. Now there are LED grow lights, a combination of lots and lots of small red and blue LED lamps arrayed to induce plants to flower and to grow bigger. Inspired by NASA, they do emit that odd pinkish hue of the early days of grow lights, but in a very concentrated area (which must be the reason why my pepper plant had more peppers than I have ever seen on a potted pepper plant, and one that was two years old at that).

Anyhow, these LED lights produce no heat. They last for years and years without diminishing in power and come in fixtures as small as a square foot. Some systems allow you to string panels together and work them off the same electrical switch or timer. They come in different wattages, which is great depending on what you are nurturing under them -- so pay attention to what you are buying.

My light came by mail order from Sunshine Systems. I like the panel so much that I let them use my words as endorsement on their website (sunshine-systems.com). I notice now they have spots for individual plants that screw into a normal light socket. Just what that living room Ficus needs during those short- daylight days.

There are several other web companies selling LED. I have seen some locally. This is the future, folks, despite the color of the light. If it works for NASA and my two-year-old pepper plant, it is going to work for Alaska.

Finally, instead of defaulting to a simple shop fixture this year, or even the thin, little T-5t fluorescent lamps (as cool as they are), how about taking a look at what the professionals use? Prices for metal halide and high-pressure sodium systems have come way down in recent years. And, buying them is no longer just in the range of high-earning drug dealers!

There are several different kinds to look at: metal halide (MH) bulbs, high-pressure sodium (HPS) bulbs and, now, combo bulbs. Sounds confusing, but the Web explains all. Check out homeharvest.com/lightingmain.htm for examples of what is available. Sure, lots are way too expensive, but there are lots of pretty reasonable light systems that are "plug and play," which means you don't have to use transformers. These are perfect for your entire collection of plants and might even cure a severe case of seasonal effective disorder (SAD) at the same time. You don't have to buy online. There are local sources for these lights, including some large national chain stores.

You need lights. This year, get some. Do it now.

Jeff Lowenfels is a member of the Garden Writers Hall of Fame. You can reach him at teamingwithmicrobes.com or by calling 274-5297 during "The Garden Party" radio show from 10 a.m. to noon Saturdays on KBYR AM-700.