Growing cannabis in confined or inconspicuous spaces is becoming increasingly popular in the US, Europe and Canada as some states allow its cultivation for medicinal and recreational purposes. The main problem with confined spaces is providing enough light for the plants to grow properly.
In traditional farming, each plant grows side by side and would require a constant source and amount of light, and adjusting the height and intensity of the light would require the grower to adjust to the needs of the plant. In addition, the plants would use energy less efficiently and even the larger spaces would not be economically viable.
Another option is to grow plants around a central light source on multiple levels, which would increase the amount of light reaching the plants. Vertical farming offers both space and light solutions.
Growing cannabis vertically is a great way to use twice the space of conventional growing. Let's take a look at the possible edge and type of vertical farming that would take full advantage of the lighting system that will boost your cannabis harvest.
True Vertical
True vertical systems allow plants to grow in open space from the edges of the column, with soluble nutrients moving down with the water from the top and going directly to the cannabis roots while the roots remain suspended in the air.
In general, short-statured strains adapt well to this growing method. This could be a prerequisite for selecting cannabis strains that produce more flowers with a minimum of leaves.
Stacked Vertical
Stacked cannabis cultivation is the most commonly used method, where individual racks are stacked vertically in multiple layers with LED lights overhead. The plants need to be topped to keep them short while maintaining heavy buds. Stacking starts from the seedling stage and continues until the flowering stage, when the plants are large and heavy enough.
For the successful operation of any grow system, the vertical cannabis grow lighting system plays a vital role in determining the success of your crop, along with other factors such as temperature and humidity in the grow room.
A simple light would not help, but the ideal cannabis grow light can deliver high PPF with an effective flowering footprint and a balanced light spectrum that supports all stages of cannabis growth from seedling to flowering.
In addition, dimming control is a must-have option that allows growers to adjust the light during the different stages of cannabis growth, saving a handy amount of money on electricity bills.
LED manufacturers are making great strides in this area and the cannabis industry can rely on their expertise in producing low heat emission lights to keep the growroom cool for robust cannabis growth.
Since maintaining humidity, temperature and air circulation in any grow room is a mind-numbing task, a vertical cannabis grow lighting system will help you maintain a low temperature that also keeps the humidity under control and keeps things simple.
However, it is advisable to install an individual temperature/humidity sensor for every 100 cubic feet of covered area along with keeping regular checks on air pressure, carbon dioxide levels, air circulation rates and the energy consumed by the installed lighting system.
Initially, cannabis vertical farming may look quite costly when using quality equipment and lighting systems, but the ROI would be greater with the skilled labour and quality resources that manage the system.
You may become a quick starter and get the full benefits of vertical cannabis farming, if;
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You're in an area where direct sunlight is limited and energy costs are lower. In such cases, your return on investment may exceed that of a commercial greenhouse in that area due to higher production and faster growing cycles.
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You're in cannabis farming Vertical farming would take you to the heights of production due to the skills and experience you already possess in the field
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You're already growing cannabis in the grow room using traditional lights, LED vertical cannabis grow lighting system would allow you to take the lead in saving a lot on electricity and other operational costs to maximise your income.
Our GLMX720 Full Spectrum LED Grow Light offers all the advantages for growing indoor Cannabis through the entire stages of crop growth and development by delivering a high PPF of 2160μmol/s with the efficacy of 3.0μmol/J. Its style is versatile that fit for many indoor growing systems for Cannabis. 120º wide beaming angle allows the system to yield an effective flowering footprint up to 5ft x 5ft (1.5m1.5m). Moreover, the system is waterproof with a dimmable module VD-100 that could connect and control 50 units of GLMX720 at a time.
Note: The above content is reproduced from VANQ