Graham Jaehnig/Daily Mining Gazette These Roma tomato plants, while in a south-facing window, also rely on LED grow lights.

The Old Farmer’s Almanac predicted a warmer and dryer April for the Upper Peninsula. People who have been gardening for years already know that March and April are the ideal times for starting long-season crops like broccoli, tomatoes, peppers indoors and keeping under grow lights.

According to The Sill, a plant company primarily operating online, grow lights are artificial light sources intended to mimic natural sunlights. They are available in various types, including fluorescent, LED, and high-intensity discharge (HID) lights. The Sill says each type offers different benefits and light spectrums tailored to different stages of plant growth.

While selecting a type of grow light for houseplants is important, for most Copper Country residents starting vegetable plants, a simple fluorescent shop light is perfectly suitable for starting and nurturing seedlings before moving them outside.

PBS Utah says there are two main types of grow lights: fluorescent and LED. To be effective growing plants, these lights need to mimic the color temperature of the sun, which is about 6500 Kelvin (noted as “6500K” on light bulb packaging).

“While fluorescent lights are more energy efficient than incandescent lights, they can’t hold a candle (pun intended) to LED,” homestead gardening and sustainability blog Zero Waste Homestead reports. A study found that LEDs are 44% more energy efficient than fluorescent lights, which means they can help you save on your energy bill… and make your home more eco-friendly.”

Alex Smith, of Alex Grows Food, a ceiling light bulb emits light almost equally in all directions, while grow lights are intentionally directional and often shaped to emit light entirely downward onto the plants.

To effectively use indoor grow lights, position them 6-12 inches above plants, ensuring they receive at least 10-12 hours of light per day, mimicking natural daylight says the Dossier blog.

In the Copper Country, which is in the USDA Hardiness zone 5, mid-March to mid April is the ideal time for starting outdoor plants inside for the plants to be big enough and healthy to move outdoors around the middle of May, after the last frost date in Zone 5, which is May 15.