Growing under lights
Some time ago we began entertaining the possibility of changing our growing strategy from greenhouse conditions to an 'under lights' system. Why? Several reasons, including the fact that most of the plants we now sell are small and well suited to growing under lights. Also, the price of heating fuel is rising faster than we can absorb in the current economy. The idea of using a heavily insulated growing structure and the most efficient lighting we could afford gave us hope that we could greatly reduce our overhead costs and our impact on the environment.
A recent move to a new home gave us the opportunity to test this strategy. We are now growing almost entirely under lights, including LED (Light Emitting Diode) systems and high efficiency fluorescent lighting. This page is intended to give you an overview of the entire process, including construction of the facility, light rack design, and selection and use of various types of lighting. We have invested heavily in Sunshine Systems LED equipment, and are pleased enough with the results that we have decided to become a reseller of these systems. We also sell a custom line of daylight LED spotlights, optimized for amphibian/reptile terrariums or general plant growing. Please contact us for current pricing information, or visit our retail partner, Josh's Frogs to order.Some videos: Not the highest production quality, and I narrate like I teach - completely on the fly. If you can get over that, there is some good information in here.
- A tour of Littlefrog Farm's growing area
- A deluxe setup using GlowPanel 45W LED units
- A GloUFO - 90W LED unit over some orchids and broms
- A GrowPanel Pro (300W) over some orchids, etc
- A little experiment comparing LEDs to greenhouse - my first videos. A bit long... Setup Results