See an article some years ago about this- recently there has been more talk and cultivation practices concerning underplant lighting : here are some basic
use 6500K ( these are bars)
use Red/Far red (bar leds)
they are placed under the plant on you containers - Yields can be increase by 15-20% buy using this Method
Check out "Craft Farmer.com " for some examples.
Side note: I use 12/12 led panels (33 watt) on have gotten great results
Believe you are going to here more and more about - some comerical cultivators are using Thoughts ???
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Hello, I have been growing for several seasons using side panels and canopy lamps very close to the apexes. In vegetative conditions I mainly get a lot of compaction, in flowering I get larger and denser buds.
The photo is this season’s growing tent, on the sides: 2 panels of 30x30cm and 33w (one with 7700K and the other 450nm) and two other panels of 60x30cm and 33w, one with 6400K and the other with 4000K.
When I switch to bloom, I will also change the panels to ones with different color temperatures: 2700K, 3000K + 660nm, 2800K.
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Yea !!! Blue for veg and Red for flower and using side lighting slows down the pre-flower up ward growth. Looking great ! - then one can fuller lateral branching + buds. Used to run them with what ever cycle I was using, Now experimenting with running side lighting only 2-3 hrs day (11:00 am to 1:00 pm
@defharo do you get increased yields ?
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Yes, the blue color promotes roots, short internodes and thickening of the stem and branches. I have the lighting on every hour of the cycle.
Well, for me lighting is one of the crucial elements but not the only one, in the end, the lights generate energy and I make the most of it, it is very noticeable in the consumption of nutrients, I combine this strategy with the lights and add my collection of Bio soluble homemade organic fertilizers.
On the growdiaries platform you can see my crops, on that platform I practically triple the average production.
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I agree, I have 8 40 watt T5 that encircle my tent and 400 watt Maxisun PB 4000 that’s really for 4x4 coverage in 3x3. After my first crop I realized the entire canopy blocked out the bottom half, then when I got the lights I turned off the sides, and it was significantly more darker with only the big light on, which I was stunned. Big difference indeed! Most of my lowers develop into actual buds. Definitely helps the outer perimeter of where plants sit too. There’s this lighting company I just saw on X too, called Green Leopard, and they have frames with LED strips built in. I told them I’d be interested in a 3x3 if they produce it, but it’s available for larger spaces. I think side lighting is definitely going to on the forefront.
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I have 3000k leds wrapping my 4x4 but i dont need to turn them on due to my overkill fc6500.
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I have tried light strips, they are in very red colors, but they did not seem very efficient to me because they barely have penetration.
I have lots of Chinese LEDs, many COBs that I assemble myself and panels, all to be used laterally, depending on the growth that the plants show, I use one or the other.
I also have two 50cm secret garden TLED bars in the corners with 2100K and 730nm diodes for flowering (26x2w)
In the canopy I have three lamps, a 100w spider famer, another 150w mars hydro and another 100w vipar spectra, at this moment all at 70% power.
My grow tent is 60x120x178cm
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I only use full spectrum. I believe they’re the most efficient type.
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I have used two strings of these for under canopy and lower edge lighting before and need to get them back into the tent:
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I’d much prefer an adequately powered overhead but I threw this together when I found out our basement was like 3 inches too short for my tent when we moved here. It looked like a spaceship sitting in the dark, but it got me something lol.
How about a spiderweb of led strings the plant grows through like how Catherine zeta Jones had to dip beneath lasers in that one movie…I’m stoned, lol
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WOW !! to be honest didn’t think to many grower used side lighting, ect
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+To add
Some growers run 18/6 the last week of flower before harvest !!!
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Do you think side lighting is more efficient at 45 degrees to strike the leafs etc ?
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Someone here had a crazy futuristic idea about little led drones that change formation/location according to dli. I want that
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good thought ? but if one use’s top lighting, side lighting and under canopy lighting = cover all angles but just a 45 degree angle would help the leaves to get enough light to increase yields . (need to try)
mentioned 18/6 last week of flower - use your flower light // not veg light references (DudeGrow)
I mean the side lighting , but still at 45 degrees ( individual strips )
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Just stumbled across this. I hada friend offer me some bars I can try if I want. He’s not running them anymore. “Extra lights means more heat, so I added fans.” Said he did 2 runs. He didn’t think his increased electric bill could be justified by a small yield increase.
my last run i added 40w LED of under canopy light with some light bars per tent. it added about 25g total. so, it was worth it. i didn’t get the few seeds at the bottom I usually get which was part of the point. i am not running them at the moment. It burnt a few buds, but the larf had more substantial buds. almost like a normal bud.
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yea ! that would work - if you use 2 per side - do one at 45 one and use one regular – then on the side acoss do one at 45 were you have oneregularand then the 45 angle bar light -this way you get coverage from side to side. I use panels but going to do some :bar lighting (LED) on the other 2 side. believe the panels are about $34.00 each and would run 2-or 4 bar lights - miht be a increase in electricl bill - thoughts @ifish or any other members we could br talking about a very good increase in yields - bet at least 20% + But everthing cost money maker of your bar lighting
Reminds me of the ol reliable phototrons!
The top-to-bottom light made fat buds all over. Definatly worth spreading out the light everywhere
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