Much like selecting the lights for your Christmas tree based on size, shape, and color to create the perfect, nostalgic effect; selecting the appropriate supplemental lighting for your greenhouse, must also take the same care.
Well…..okay.
Maybe you’re not quite the holiday fanatic I am (Did I mention Christmas too soon?) But the bottom line is there are several options for greenhouse lighting, whether you’re growing for pretty flowers, tasty greens or both.
Our David Kuack consulted industry experts to help explain the differences between four supplemental lighting options: High Intensity Discharge Lights (HID lights), Light Emitting Diodes (LEDs), Multilayer Production, and Induction Lighting; as well as sharing benefits to them all.
Here are a few teasers:
- Did you know….”Some growers may want the additional blue light from metal halide lamps to keep their plants short and stocky.” Read about using HIDs here.
- LEDs are being used for a variety of applications including tissue culture propagation and seed germination of ornamental and vegetable crops such as microgreens. Learn more about the different LED lighting applications here.
- If you’re considering vertical farming, multilayer production with your lights amplifies your growing efficiency. Read more about it here.
- There’s a hidden advantage to induction lighting: There is no filament, therefore, nothing to burn and nothing to burn out. Read the benefits of induction lighting here.
Catch the entire article on greenhouse lighting options, in our latest edition of Urban Ag Products along with other hot-button greenhouse topics: Aquaponics, guerrilla gardening, successful greenhouse growing, and a tale of how an engineer realized his true passion in hydroponics.
If you have any questions about greenhouse lighting, specifically LEDs, contact our sponsor Hort Americas, leading the industry in commercial hydroponic vegetable production, vertical farming, urban agriculture, and LED grow lights.