Cannabis Guide - 2020 - 6

STRUCTURES & EQUIPMENT
and transpiration of the plants and lastly potentially burn
the flowers limiting the number of tiers in a room. The only
solution to maximize your space is to use LED grow lights.
LEDs have come a far way since they were first introduced
in agriculture.
The efficacy of LED lighting has improved over the
years, giving growers the tools they need to succeed. Most
companies in the vertical space provide a broad spectrum,
which can be thought of a combination of metal halide and
high-pressure sodium spectrum in some regards. Though
there is evidence that blue and red wavebands found in
pink spectrum lights can increase terpene and cannabinoid
levels. Whether you go white or pink will be based on your
goals. At LumiGrow we provide broad-spectrum (or what
we call our hybrid spectrum) fixtures as an easy-to-use, offthe-shelf
solution, but then offer a pink targeted spectrum
for advanced growers who want to control changes in light
spectrum through our smartPAR grow light software and
customize their crop development.
Either way you decide to go, the most important consideration
with lighting is to choose a quality manufacturer to make sure
you have a commercial solution that's built to last. Cutting
corners on your lighting can cost you further down the road.
PRODUCTION METHODS
Once all the mechanical equipment has been installed,
the grower needs to have a strong production method to
work within the confines of vertical growing. The key to a
vertical design is having a high plant density for effectively
increasing the grams/cubic meter. Again, the goal is to
maximize that space; multiple tiers are necessary.
A simple way to increase the number of tiers in a limited
ceiling height is to use short plants. Between tiers should
push no more than 3 1/2 feet from tray to tray. Plants will
need to have a short vegetative time to be able to fit in such
a small space. Some growers will leave a plant in vegetative
phase for no longer than one week after transplanting in
a 1-gallon pot or small grow bag. Shorter plants can also
reduce the amount of under canopy pruning.
PUTTING THE PIECES TOGETHER
The technology behind vertical production is becoming
more efficient and streamlined for growers to operate
with limited disease pressure and issues. Energy costs and
sunlight limitations can be the driving force to consider this
form of production. A labor issue to consider is to expect an
increase of 30% in labor cost once your employees perform
any task off the floor. However, at the current high price
per gram, vertical production is a feasible method that is
profitable enough to absorb the high energy and labor costs
associated with this system. v
Tucker Cole can be reached at tuckercole@gmail.com.
For more information, go to www.lumigrow.com.
THE STRENGTH BEHIND YOUR
IPM PROGRAM
WATER SOLUBLE SYSTEMIC NEEM
BOTANICAL, INSECT, MITE, & DISEASE CONTROL
UNTREATED
DISTRIBUTED BY
TREATED WITH AZASOL®
UNTREATED
TREATED WITH ECO-1®
http://www.lumigrow.com
Cannabis Guide - 2020

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