LIGHTS! ACTION!

I do not use light stands. They are expensive and not very flexible. The only valid use for a light stand, IMHO, is decorative, growing plants in an apartment living room, for example.

Florescent lights have to sit very close to the plants, only an inch or two above them. I use regular Canada Tire shop light fixtures (4 feet long) set up on a table using bricks. I buy the light fixtures with the square ends, attach a regular plug to the wires and put in two cool florescent tubes. I set each square end on a couple of bricks laid sideways. I plug the light into a light bar so that I can turn them on and off with a switch. I like to buy light bars with long cords so that they reach my sparse electrical outlets. I can set up four lights on one long table and plug all into a single light bar. Later, when things start hopping, I attach a timer to the light bar.

By the end of April, I have about thirteen lights set up, most in the cool basement and a few in the warm porch.

Note: Florescent lights are cool to the touch and do not burn the plants even if they touch the lights.