Hello, I have a dark house. I decided to try some house plants that I couldn't pass up. Right now the plants are enjoying the summer outside, but I am wondering how to light them when I move them indoors. If I kept a few in each room, what would be a good option? If I opted for keeping them all in one room, is a T5HO fixture really needed or would a standard fluorescent fixture work? I have been reading a lot, and the T5HO seem to be a favorite suggestion, but I worry about the amount of heat it would generate. Thanks for any help.

T5 HO is the way to go. Very efficient, little heat. I run 21 fixtures of T5 HO in the winter time inside of my dark house. 6500K. bulbs. Keep the plants as close as possible to the lights. Ask me more. Gene

Low light green foliage plants will thrive under appropriate artificial lights, but many species that require more light will languish without strong natural light.

A combination of warm and cool white standard fluorescent bulbs work as well as any "grow lights," which often cost much more. That said, LED's are the bulbs of the future using far less energy than even fluorescent. They are also more adaptable to produce light in different portions of the spectrum. However, they are initially more expensive and you'll have to do considerable research to get the bulbs that are best for you.

My years of experience tells me that standard fluorescents are not even close to T5 HO. LEDs will be something in the future. Right now, they are too expensive and don't put out enough light, IMO. Gene

Perhaps my T5 HO fixtures are somehow different, but my 6-tube ones get really, really hot and produce so much intense light that I had to move them all 3' away from orchids. Otherwise, some of the orchids were getting sunburned. I use a combination of 4500K and 6500K in those fixtures. Regular T5 and T8 fixtures produce very little heat but the lumens produced are much less than the HO fixtures.

All light fixtures give off heat it just a relative thing. I have a 8 X 4' T5 HO fixture that can heat up the room, no doubt. In the Fall and Spring when it is warmer out, I do have a fan running in that room. But, during the Winter (in Wisconsin) I don't notice any extra heat at all. Gene