Year: 2021

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Creating the Perfect Environment Part 3: Lighting Systems

Choosing a light source is perhaps the most important decision to make while creating the perfect environment. It will, among other variants, predict a variety of potential outcomes; these including, but are not limited to the prediction of quality, quantity, flower-size, trichome expansion, heat production and energy consumption. While choices of available lighting solutions are vast and vary from lower wattage fluorescents, traditional HID lighting, to the more technologically inclined LED fixtures, GreenPlanet Wholesale is committed to providing solutions to growers which not only perform but emphasize value. By maintaining partnerships with industry-leading manufactures of lighting solutions, we appreciate the concerns of any gardener interested in creating the ideal environment. Not sold on a particular system? Follow the article below for an examination of popular lighting solutions, and find the perfect light source for your environment. Just starting out? Read our previous blogs on creating the perfect growing environment! 

Lighting Systems: Information and Considerations 

Lighting System Styles

As stated above, by selecting different lighting solutions, varying outcomes can largely be predicted in the garden. Among other variations in light equipment, gardeners typically examine three features of a light source before investing: style, wattage and spread. Style is the type of light, whether it be a fluorescent fixture, HID or LED. The style of light will determine several things, but most importantly it will predict the heat production and energy consumption of the light source. 

HID
Fluorescent
LED

For example, the industry has seen major advances in LED lighting over the past decade; so much so, that high-wattage LEDs have been labelled as fixtures capable of competing with the industry’s previous standard of HID lighting. While both of these lights have the potential to produce similar yields, the main difference between these lights, in terms of style anyhow, is the heat produced and energy consumed by both HID and LED fixtures. For instance, a high-functioning HPS bulb produces an average of 3,600 British Thermal Units (BTUs), while a full-spectrum LED fixture, like ThinkGrow’s Model-H, has a maximum BTU output of 2,149. So, in short, be sure to examine the style of the lighting system in the garden, as this feature will dramatically influence the construction and management of other environmental controls.

ThinkGrow LED Model-H Features:

  • Outstanding Efficiency at 2.7 μmol/J
  • Plug and Play for a quick installation
  • On-board Dimming and Adjustable Spectrum
  • External Controllability with 256 fixtures per channel
  • Group Control Capability

Wattage Potential

The next feature of a light source to consider is wattage. Although many varying factors go into producing a heavy harvest, there is a general consensus concerning the connection between wattage in the garden and dry weight following harvest. While notions of this conclusion aren’t as clear cut as they once were, again, because of the introduction of new, more efficient technology, you can still consider the following while examining a light source: higher wattage = higher yield.

“Footprint” or Light Spread

Finally, but not least important, is the spread of a fixture. In this case, the word spread is used to describe the “footprint” of light dispersed by a specific light source. If you’re trying to fill a 10ft x 10ft room with plants, for instance, your fixtures must be able to disperse light across 100 square feet; and, depending on the spread of each individual light, this feature will determine how many fixtures will need to be installed. With these considerations in mind, lets looks at some of the most popular lighting solutions available at GreenPlanet Wholesale: 

Popular Types of Lighting Systems

Ranging from Fluorescent T5 lights to high wattage LEDs, the following is a list of lighting “types” which can assist gardeners in creating the perfect environment. For the entire catalogue of lighting solutions available at GreenPlanet Wholesale, click here; otherwise, read the list to find out which lighting style works best for your garden.

Fluorescent Lighting

Fluorescent lighting is a great option for gardens that are limited on space and energy affordances. Unlike fluorescents you might see at the hardware store, horticultural-grade T5 fluorescents are smaller, highly efficient, and produce intense levels of light. Arguably the first choice for small gardens in tight spaces, tents or closets, T5 fluorescents produce little heat, and, when combined at scale, can produce impressive results. Interested? Check out Sunblaster’s selection of T5 fluorescents at GreenPlanet Wholesale.

 

HID Lighting

Coming in a variety of styles and spectrums, high-intensity discharge (HID) lighting is an industry favourite. HID lighting is made possibly by heat reacting with noble gases such as mercury and sodium under extreme pressure. The arc made by these reactions produces a chain of light that can illuminate a footprint of 3ft x 3ft – 6ft x 6ft, depending on variables like wattage, lamp and reflector. All the lamps listed below come in a variety of wattages including 315W, 400W, 600W and 1000W. Like fluorescent lighting, however, ballasts are required to operate HID lighting systems.

There are three types of HID lighting systems commonly utilized by the indoor gardener: High-Pressure Sodium (HPS), Metal Halide (MH) and Ceramic Metal Halide (CMH). Although these lights have similar properties, each lamp “type” has a different function in the garden. For example, HPS lighting has a low Kelvin rating of 3000K (a measurement that describes spectrum) and is typically used by gardeners in the later stages of flower to promote periods of autumn-like light, and intense red and yellow photosynthetic active radiation (PAR). MH lighting, on the other hand, has a higher Kelvin rating and emits blue light. Given the spectrum of MH lighting, most gardens utilizing HID lighting will choose MH lamps in periods of vegetative and early flowering growth to promote foliage expansion, general plant health, and tight internodal spacing. CMH lamps have a spectrum of 4000K, and therefore falls in the middle of the Kelvin range. This light has shown great success in both vegetative and flowering periods of growth and is arguably the best choice for gardeners who want both intensity and efficiency.  

LED Lighting

Light-emitting diode (LED) technology has made major advancements in horticulture over the past decade. With these advancements, high-quality LED fixtures are now able to compete with HID lighting, not only in terms of efficiency, longevity, and energy consumption but also in output. Unlike HID lamps, which typically occupied a niche spectrum of colour and intensity, high-quality LED fixtures have a “mixed-spectrum” and are able to not only produce high levels of reds, blues and yellows but also have the ability to produce ultraviolet light (UV) in specific diodes. This leads gardeners, not to the assumption, but to the tested conclusions of the production capabilities of LED technology. If you’re interested in creating the perfect, long-lasting and environmentally conscious indoor garden, LED technology is probably a good fit. 

 

Whatever your plans are for creating the perfect indoor garden, the team at GreenPlanet Wholesale is here to help! For more information about the products mentioned above, please contact GreenPlanet Wholesale directly. For all other inquiries about products and services offered by GreenPlanet Wholesale, contact our team or your local garden supply store for more information. 

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Under Current Systems and Cultured Solutions Nutrients Available Through GreenPlanet Wholesale

Current Culture H2O (CCH2O) is widely recognized as a world leader in the development, planning and use of active water culture systems. CCH2O incorporates the patented and proven principle of Re-Circulating Deep Water Culture (RDWC) in our famous Under Current series of RDWC systems – a concept refined and developed by company founders Daniel Wilson and Christian Long beginning before the company’s founding in 2006. More recently, CCH2O is gaining recognition for Cultured Solutions, a complete, economical and easy to follow crop nutrient system that excels in hydroponics, and that is also becoming widely adopted in media-based growing systems like coco or rockwool.

Crops grown in the Under Current RDWC systems with Cultured Solutions are often described as the highest quality harvests ever seen or experienced both by consumers and growers alike.  The clean smooth tastes and intense fragrances in the final harvest are the results of plants assimilating pure forms of essential nutrients under highly oxygenated root zone conditions – as it turns out, people love to taste the plant, not the dirt. Naturally, the yields and growth rates get people’s attention too! 

The Advantages of Growing with Current Culture H2O

Besides amazing results, one of the factors that have contributed to the wide success of the Under Current system is the level of scalability and ease of changing configurations; for instance, the adaptability as part of the growing evolution. This is one of the reasons Current Culture H2O is so excited to be working with GreenPlanet Wholesale. As the Canadian distributor of CCH2O solutions, GreenPlanet can supply growers at both the commercial and hobbyist level with easy access to their system components to build a garden that works for every space, budget and scale demand.  And of course, as well as to deliver complete turnkey systems, whether as one of their ready to ship Under Current system packages or as a complete custom designed turnkey operation. 

Hobbyist to Commercial Level!

All CCH2O complete systems and components are professionally designed, manufactured and packaged.  We use the latest in CAD design not only in developing and making our systems and components, but all CCH2O systems come with highly detailed and easy to follow instructions for assembly, operation and maintenance.  There is absolutely no guesswork required or luck involved for growers to attain exceptional cropping results. Whether it’s your first time growing a small crop at home, or the hundredth as a professional grower in a licensed facility, success can almost be guaranteed when selecting the Under Current series of hydroponic systems.

Justin chats to the Current Culture Team at the Lift & Co. Expo.

What to Expect when Using an Under Current System 

Hydroponic systems are renowned for saving growers time and money; so, If you’re a grower who wants to save significantly on time, water, power and plant food, switching to a CCH2O Under Current system is among the smartest decisions you’ll ever make in the garden. Listed below are some of the advantages to expect when switching to a closed-loop Under Current System:

Sourced from cch2o.com/under-current/

Significant savings in water use; closed hydroponics systems lose very little water to air, allowing plant nutrient solution uptake to become an accurate diagnostic in the grower’s toolbox.

Using the principles of thermodynamics, it can be more economical for growers to heat or cool the nutrient solution of growing plants, rather than expend more energy in an attempt to cool or heat the air in the aerial growing environment. This feature offers growers a large potential reduction in power use.

Growth rates are exceptionally fast and healthy; save weeks in the vegetative growth phase to achieve the same sized plant at harvest versus traditional cropping methods.

Because there is little to no growing medium in the system, it is easier to maintain hygienic growing conditions reducing potential insect or pathogen pressures on the crop; the Under Current doesn’t give places for the bad guys to hide and reproduce

All Under Current systems are highly scalable and adaptable while saving big on labour; it’s easy to start at a smaller scale and add on as plants or your cropping needs grow.

Clean and Stable Hydroponic Nutrients: Cultured Solutions

Early on, Current Culture H2O began to recognize the need for very clean crop nutrients and additives that would be easy to use, and give great quality yields and results. Additionally, after extensive testing of other nutrient systems in the marketplace, CCH2O developed a line of nutrients that not only delivers great quality results but also creates a stable pH solution and avoids drastic spikes in EC. 

This need gave rise to Cultured Solutions, hydroponic nutrient formulations they developed to meet their stringent criteria of minimizing hassles associated with hydroponic plant food, and the development of a nutrient system that would help growers get the most out of RDWC technology. After years under development, CCH2O is pleased to make widely available the proven nutrient line, Cultured Solutions, GreenPlanet Wholesale.  Made with the professional grower in mind, Cultured Solutions are highly concentrated and economical to use.  A low salt index means Cultured Solutions won’t plug up injector systems and irrigation lines while keeping the root zone and growing media clean and clear to maximize nutrient uptake for aggressive crops that taste great at harvest.

Sourced From cch2o.com/cultured-solutions-feeding-schedule/

Because of the clean and stable nature of Cultured Solutions nutrients, growers using other types of systems including rockwool and coco continue to make the switch and join the following of hydroponic growers achieving next-level results. For more information about Cultured Solutions nutrient and additives and for detailed use in your type of system, please consult their crop feeding program page. For other inquires about Current Culture H2O, contact your GreenPlanet representative for questions, sales and purchasing information. 

This blog was written and provided in partnership with Current Culture H2O.

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Creating the Perfect Environment Part 2: Air Movement and Ventilation

Once you’ve established an indoor space for your garden, the next step is to design the perfect ventilation and air movement system for your environment. While there is no “right” way to install a ventilation system, as some features, equipment and styles of construction may differ from garden to garden, the basics of installation are the same; so, continuing with the goal of establishing the perfect growing environment, some of the tips discussed throughout this article will attempt to start you on the path to creating the ideal ventilation and air movement system in your garden. Furthermore, the ideas below, if anything, may save you some headache in the process of construction. 

Intake and Exhaust illustrative example.

Ventilation: Intake And Exhaust

There are typically three reasons to exhaust or intake fresh air into the garden. The first, and arguably the most important, is to manage the heat-load produced by lighting. The second being the movement of fresh air and Co2 in and out of the garden; the third, but not least important, is to manage the odour produced by flowering plants. Need ideas on how to maximize the efficiency of your ventilation system? Consult the passages below for calculations, considerations, and equipment needed to create the ideal ventilation system. 

Managing Heat

With major advances in high wattage, horticultural-grade LED technology, the need to rapidly cool the garden is slowly diminishing. However, in a garden that utilizes HPS lamps, for instance, these high-intensity discharge bulbs (HID) use a tremendous amount of energy, and in turn, produce high levels of heat, especially at scale. For example, if a grower has four 1000 watt HPS lamps in the garden, each producing up to 3,400 British thermal units (BTUs), the heat-load of the garden would be immense, and would nearly be as hot as leaving the oven door open while cooking a turkey. To maintain the ideal 80-85 degrees Fahrenheit that plants require for lights on temperatures, the garden would either need to be cooled externally by an air conditioner/chiller or internally by an intake/outtake ventilation system. 

To manage the heat load in a garden (without the use of an air conditioner), we highly recommend the use of two ventilation solutions: HyperFan and/or Tornado Inline fans. These inline fans are a great way to efficiently maintain optimal temperatures, and unlike squirrel cage fans, which are oversized, loud and expensive, inline fans are a hyper-efficient and affordable option for the intake and exhaust needs of a garden. For optimal use, install your inline fan close to the ceiling in your garden, and attach the power cord to a digital or analog thermostat. This tool will regulate the function of the fan, and turn it on/off automatically as the temperatures of the garden fluctuate. For remote environmental control, check out GreenPlanet Wholesale’s entire line of TrolMaster products, and regulate your environment from a distance!  

Air Exchange

Another factor to consider when setting up your ventilation system is the need to adequately exhaust and intake fresh air and Co2. One of the most important factors in producing a maximum yield is the enrichment of carbon dioxide; however, if a room is not “sealed” and the gardener is not enriching the grow room with pure forms of Co2, adequate levels of carbon dioxide must be maintained through sufficient intake and exhaust systems. 

The same considerations for ventilation equipment referenced above will be suitable for remedying this growth-enhancing factor. Although, the tools for calculating just how much ventilation is needed, are slightly different. Unlike a ventilation system that attempts to cool the garden, an exhaust system that manages air exchange must be calculated to the volume of the room. So, if you’re curious about the size of the fan needed to exchange fresh air and Co2 in your garden, we must first calculate the volume of the space, and match this calculation with an inline fan that is capable of clearing the space every one to two minutes. To calculate the volume of a space, use the formula below: 

Volume Calculation: L x W x H = Grow Space Volume

Let’s do an example: If we have grow room 8 feet long by 12 feet wide and 10 feet tall, based on the formula above, the volume of the room would be 960 cubic feet. To ensure proper air exchange, we would need to match this growing space with an adequate exhaust fan, one which ideally would push 960 cubic feet per minute. Fortunately for us, GreenPlanet Wholesale has a wide selection of inline fans suited just for this purpose. For instance, a 12” Tornado Inline fan with a CFM capacity of 1060, would be nothing short of excellent for this job. 

Volume Calculation: 8 x 12 x 10 = 960 Cubic Feet (Grow Space Volume)

Volume Calculation example

Odour Control

The final factor to consider when creating the perfect ventilation system for your garden is how effective your equipment is against fighting odour. One of the most troubling, and in some cases offensive things your garden can produce is a powerful smell. While this may be a sign of a successful crop, the odour can be off-putting to people not used to the pungent, robust odours produced by a healthy garden. To combat this concern, there are several tools available at GreenPlanet Wholesale to control odour in the garden, including charcoal filtration, the utilization of “negative pressure” and the introduction of products that neutralize odour at the site. 

Charcoal Filters

Among the other tools listed above, charcoal filtration is perhaps the most effective in neutralizing odour in the garden. Not only are these filters effective, but they are perhaps the easiest tool to use for odour control. For instance, if you’re using an inline fan to manage the heat and air exchange in the garden, a charcoal filter can be installed directly on the flange of the inline filter; by the processes of “negative-pressure”, the hot, odour-filled air will rise toward the ventilation system and pass through the charcoal filter before exiting the grow room; thus neutralizing any odour created by the garden. 

Charcoal Filter illustrative example

Negative Pressure Rooms

Not only will negative pressure force air to pass through the charcoal filter faster and with reduced resistance, but this technique will also trap odour inside the grow room, and stop smells from leaking into your home through holes, cracks or intake ventilation systems. To maintain negative pressure, make sure you’ve formulated the volume of your grow room and have matched this calculation to an adequate exhaust fan. Furthermore, if you use an intake fan to supply your garden with cool air and Co2, be sure this fan is only a fraction of the strength of your exhaust system. Keep in mind that the goal of creating negative pressure is to force odour-filled air through your charcoal filter as it leaves the garden; this goal will be harder to fulfil if your intake and exhaust system are fighting each other’s function in the grow room. 

Negative Pressure Example
Plantlady223, 2016, Wikipedia.org

Neutralize Odor at the Site

When all else fails, sometimes the introduction of a new smell is a grower’s only option. For all of us who have tried every trick in the book, there is but one saving grace – ONA. ONA neutralizes odours naturally at the site and leaves spaces outside the grow room smelling fresh and clean. To avoid ONA neutralizing valuable terpenes inside the garden, place a bucket or jar of ONA directly outside the grow room to catch any unwanted odours. To speed up the process, attach ONA specific “Breeze Fans” to containers and distribute ONA evenly across open spaces. Want to give ONA a try? Browse a selection of ONA products carried by GreenPlanet Wholesale by clicking here.

Whatever your plans are for creating the perfect indoor garden, the team at GreenPlanet Wholesale is here to help! For more information about the products mentioned above, please contact GreenPlanet Wholesale directly. For all other inquiries about products and services offered by GreenPlanet Wholesale, contact our team or your local garden supply store for more information. 

Work cited

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Creating the Perfect Environment Part 1: The Grow Space

In the process of creating the perfect indoor growing operation, identifying the potential advantages and limitations of a growing space is the first issue to combat when building a long-term garden. There are many options when it comes to constructing an indoor growing space. But whether you’re at home, or on a commercial scale, the basic principles of providing plants with a clean and stable environment are consistent across all levels of production. Whether you’re growing in a tent, a walk-in closet, or in a licensed facility, thanks to the quality products provided by GreenPlanet Wholesale, the complicated business of creating the perfect growing space has never been simpler. 

Identify Your Space

The first thing to consider when designing the perfect environment is to identify the space you want to dedicate to the garden. Mostly a consideration for home-growers, as large facilities dedicate entire buildings to indoor gardens, identifying your growing space will help you envision the realistic capabilities of your garden, and will likewise influence other decisions. Remember, because we are growing indoors, in theory, any space has the potential to be a garden. 

Once you have identified your space here are some things to consider:

  • Cost Of Equipment
  • Production Potential
  • Labour Requirements

With this consideration in mind, ask yourself a few questions when identifying a space for your future garden. For example, if you want to grow indoors, but occupy a limited amount of space, say in a small condo or apartment, growing in a tent, rather than dedicating an entire room to your garden, maybe a better option. However, if you have a larger property then there are more options when creating your own well-functioning indoor garden.

Once you’ve identified your space, you’re one step closer to designing the perfect environment for an indoor garden. For tips on effectively designing your room, consult the passages below. 

Designing a Grow Room 

For those of us fortunate enough to have an entire room dedicated to growing, there are a few simple, yet crucial elements to garden design to consider before filling your space with plants. Among the other important aspects of your space, like insulation, cleanliness and size, arguably the most important is reflectivity. If you choose to garden in a room of your home, or in some other “indoor” space on your property, ensure the walls of your garden do not absorb light, but rather reflect it. If the walls of your grow room are a dark brown colour, for instance, the light and radiated energy produced by your choice of grow lamps will be absorbed, rather than reflected, and in turn, the availability of light in your garden will diminish, and the output of your garden will suffer. 

Adapted from “Behaviour of Light” – sites.google.com

Choosing a Reflective Material

In hopes of quickly addressing this essential feature in the garden, there are a few simple and cost-effective remedies to solve the problem of low reflectivity. First, the designer of the space could decide to paint the walls of the grow room with high-quality white paint or primer. However, if the time and preparation to paint is not realistic for the grower, they may choose to rely on reflective material – black and white polyethylene. These sheets of solid black and white poly are extremely affordable, vary in size, and can be easily sanitized with cleansers during, or after each harvest.

Although, if gardeners want to ensure they are using a high-quality reflective material, then Easy Grow mylar is a great choice. With all the stability of poly, plus the added reflectivity of silver or diamond, Easy Grow mylar is the only choice for growers who want to produce quality above all else. Click here to browse the selection of Easy Grow products available at GreenPlanet Wholesale. 

Growing in a Tent

Not to be outdone by growing in a room, gardening in a tent is a great option for those limited by space. And, unlike the previous concern about the reflectivity of the walls in a room, most grow tents come fabricated with thick-walls lined with diamond, or dimpled mylar. Two grow tents that currently dominate the market, Gorilla Grow Tent and Baüx Industries, are sure to impress even the most experienced growers. Gorilla Grow Tent is praised across the industry for the quality driven materials which go into the construction of these tents. They vary in sizes from the unassuming 2’ x 2.5’ to the massive 10’ x 20′; and with a 360-degree entry-zipper, not to mention the most intake and outtake ducting ports on the market, Gorilla Grow Tent offer clients everywhere the most creative and reliable grow tent potential in the industry.

Justin Cooper of GreenPlanet Wholesale chatting to Gorilla Grow Tent at Lift & Co Toronto 2019

Just starting out? GreenPlanet Wholesale has the perfect solution for beginners – Baüx Industries Complete Grow Tent Kits. By combining essentials like a quality growing space, lighting systems, ventilation controls, and more, tent kits by Baüx Industries are a perfect fit for gardeners looking for consistent and reliable options for growing indoors. Baüx Industries Grow Tent Kits come loaded with assets that can take you from the grow store to the grow room, in less than a few hours. So, if you’ve ever thought of gardening year-round, your chance is finally here with the help of Baüx Industries. 

Each Baüx Industries Tent Kit includes all the components above!

Learn more about the Baüx Industries Complete Tent Kit in our walkthrough video!

Whatever your plans are for creating the perfect indoor garden, the team at GreenPlanet Wholesale is here to help! For more information about the products mentioned above please contact GreenPlanet Wholesale directly.

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