This past week I had a case of cabin fever, so I began assembling supplies to build an indoor greenhouse.

I invested in new LED grow lights and a new enclosure to help regulate the temperature and humidity.

Last year, I used fluorescent lighting and noticed large fluctuations in temperature. After reading about the different bulbs, I learned that LED bulbs produce little to no heat. Fluorescent and incandescent bulbs produce more heat, are typically less expensive, and have a shorter life expectancy than LED bulbs.

I always worry whether my seedlings are getting enough light. Plants turn light into energy (photosynthesis). Too little light results in poor stem growth and too much light will harm the leaves — either leading to the death of the plant.

I start my seedlings in a 10-inch by 20-inch tray with the light set between 2000 and 3000 lumens. The lumen rating of the bulb should be marked on the package.

I spoke with some local gardeners and found that most use artificial light when starting seedlings.

When using artificial light, seedling placement is important. If using a 48inch fluorescent light, the seedlings should be placed about 5 inches below the light. If using LED light, they should be spaced about 10 inches below. The light should be on between 12 and 18 hours a day; I set mine for 14 hours.

For me, this gives my seedlings enough light while allowing for 10 hours of rest.