Even if you’re at the top of your game, using the latest equipment, supplementing with CO2 and utilising the best growing systems and techniques, it’s likely that there’s still further untapped potential to be had from your plants in terms of yield and overall quality. We’re not talking about PGRs or some sort of ‘magic in a bottle’. It’s much simpler than that.
Evidence and experience show that photosynthesis is the main driver of growth, and there’s a direct correlation between light exposure and yield (up to the point of maximum saturation - see our blogs about LED hanging heights and light sensors).
Because it’s standard practice to provide light from the top down, it’s nearly always the case that there will be an imbalance in fruit/flower sizes and ripeness between upper and lower growth. Experienced growers will mitigate this somewhat by stripping shade leaves from the highest and lowest parts of the plant while also utilising training and netting during late veg / early flower to create a full canopy that can receive an even distribution of light.
However, this only goes someway to address this imbalance and removing too much growth can also be counter-productive to yields if caution isn’t taken and the grower isn’t familiar enough with the specific cultivar. This has historically posed somewhat of a dilemma but now has a simple solution: undercanopy lighting!
Under canopy / inter canopy lighting isn’t exactly new, but doing it right and doing is safely is. With traditional fluorescent and HID bulbs capable of reaching ignition-point temperatures, it’s simply not safe to place these underneath your canopy. Any contact with your plants carries a significant fire risk, not to mention the detrimental effects providing immense radiant heat so close to your plants will cause.
Thankfully, recent leaps and bounds in LED technology now make it safe and viable to provide under-canopy lighting to your plants, massively increasing photosynthesis to those otherwise shaded out zones. This results in a dramatic increase in carbon assimilation and allows growth and ripening to match that of higher growth, increasing overall average fruit/flower quality alongside yields.
All of the undercanopy grow lights we now offer are designed specifically for this purpose and thus come with high waterproof protection (IP66), long warranties and operate at completely safe temperatures. Now’s the time to take your growing to the next level with these highly efficient and effective grow lights!
Craft Farmer Undercanopy LED Grow Light (V2)
Craft Farmer Undercanopy LED Grow Light (V3)
