The global population is increasingly getting urbanized. That is why many local farmers are now turning to vertical farming. This type of farming gives growers a way of cultivating plants without needing pesticides or farmland.
So, what is vertical farming and vertical grow lights?
Vertical farming is a process involving the use of stack-grow plant beds. The beds are stacked vertically and in layers. The environment the plants are stacked in is controlled, then soil, aeroponics, and hydroponics are used to give the plants nutrients.
Indoor farming with vertical grow lights
Vertical farming is carried out indoors. Indoor agriculture has one major challenge, which is the partial or complete absence of natural sunlight. So, farmers have to find alternative sources of light if plants are to thrive indoors. That is where vertical grow lights come into play.
Growing lights have come a long way, and there are now many different types growers can choose from. As the indoor farm lighting industry grows, LED lighting has also grown in popularity, and with good reasons. These lights are cost-efficient, sustainable, customizable, and have an excellent directional focus. All these factors allow growers to cultivate healthy plants. Growers also reap higher yields and at lower costs.
How LEDs vertical growing lights enhance efficiency
The following are five main ways LED vertical growing lights improve efficiency:
- Good directional focus
When choosing artificial lighting for vertical farming, finding efficient and consistent lighting is of utmost importance. LED lights have focused beams with good directional focus. These beams directly illuminate plants that growers will cultivate. The result is thriving plants owing to this high light production.
Moreover, good directional focus means growers won’t have to buy extra equipment like light movers or reflectors for recapturing misdirected light.
- Modifiable light spectra
Vertical grow lights mimic natural sunlight and also outperform it thanks t their modifiable light spectra. According to research, chlorophyll only responds to some color spectrums found in sunlight and not all. Instead, chlorophyll predominantly absorbs energy from the blue and red color ranges.
A combination of these two colors is ideal for photosynthesis. As it has been seen, LED lights offer light spectrums having just these two colors. This is why vertical farms are filled with purple light. However, even though purple light has many benefits for plants, they tend to be unpleasant to work under for hours on end. This limitation is a concern for some specific types of plants.
In such a situation, ‘white’ LEDs are used for indoor farming, especially in spaces with zero access to natural light. The white light is a win because it makes the surroundings more bearable and pleasant to the naked eye and gives plants the light they need to grow.
- Lengthy life span
LED vertical grow lights are costlier compared to other vertical farm lights like HPS (High-Pressure Sodium lights and CFLs (Compact Fluorescent Lights), which is a concern for some growers. While this high cost is true, many growers do not know that an average LED growing light will give you a service life of more than 50,000 hours. When converted to years, this is about six years of ongoing use.
This extended service is made possible thanks to their excellent energy efficiency. As a matter of fact, LEDs have a lifespan that’s three times that of CFLs.
- Efficient heat control
LED lights don’t give out a lot of heat. This is a feature that has helped reduce stress on plant root zones and canopies. It also protects leaves from sunburn and scorch. All this helps to give out healthier plants and also extends plants’ shelf lives after harvest.
On top of that, effectual heat control also means growers do not need to utilize extra ventilation solutions. When vertically grown plants have pest problems and excess moisture, you need to regulate airflow. LEDs have low heat production, and this reduces the chances of experiencing pest and excess moisture problems.
- Compact configuration
Most urban growers opt for vertical growing due to insufficient outdoor access and space. That is why the artificial lighting being used allows compact configuration. In other words, grow lights should take up less space to leave more room for plant cultivation.
Since LEDs give out low heat, it means you can place them closer together without worrying that they may get damaged or scorch plants and thus maximizing space.
The three types of vertical grow lights
- HSP (High-Pressure Sodium) lights: Experienced and commercial indoor farmers often opt for HSPs. Even though HSPs have been around for decades, their major drawback is the considerable amount of heat they emit.
- Fluorescent lights: These lights come in two types, namely CFLs (compact fluorescent lights) and fluorescent tubes. They are more efficient as compared to incandescent bulbs as they don’t emit excess heat. Even so, you will need stabilizers to be able to regulate and control these grow lights.
- LED lights: These are the most efficient of the three even though they haven’t been in the market for long, majorly because their distance from the plant doesn’t have a negative impact on the plant. As such, you can choose to place LED lights far or close to the plants without depriving the plants of the needed light.
- The downside of LEDs is that they will require you to dig deeper into your pockets to buy them. You will also need eye protectors when using LED lights indoors. What’s more, these lights can hide signs of crop damage if you are not keen.
Conclusion
Technology is constantly advancing with each passing year. As such, it is hard to tell what the future holds as far as vertical grow lights are concerned. However, one thing is clear; these lights are the future of agriculture. Upright growers must understand the pros and cons of each light, and thus, they’ll be able to make informed decisions when buying. As a grower, you should look for any new technology as it might make you a household name amongst indoor farmers.