Specialty Greens produces better crops with grow lights

Specialty Greens in Lafayette, Calif., is hydroponically producing gourmet lettuces, herbs, chard, spinach, kale and microgreens. Owner Patty Phaneuf has been working with Hort Americas to study the effects supplemental production lighting can have on her lettuce and herb crops. She is using Philips Green Power LED Production Modules Deep Red/Blue 120cm and T-5 fluorescent lamps. T-5s produce light that is high in the blue light spectrum (440 nanometers).

Phaneuf said the lettuce grown under the LEDs and fluorescent lights had accelerated growth and intensified leaf color. Using the lights enabled her to produce the lettuce within a 30-day crop cycle from seed to harvest.

Phaneuf was so pleased with the lettuce production results that she is planning to expand the lighting trials. She is working with Hort Americas to increase the amount of blue light given off by the LED Production Modules so that she can eliminate having to use the fluorescent lights.

 

 

For more: Specialty Greens, www.specialtygreens.com.

Experiment information provided by Patty Phaneuf at Specialty Greens. Posted by Maria Luitjohan at Hort Americas, www.hortamericas.com.

Visit our corporate website at http://www.hortamericas.com