by Angela Lundmark

Vertically Stacked Planting Beds

Every day in the United States urban sprawl creeps in and robs us of acres of precious farmland.  The resulting soil degradation and erosion places additional pressure on many farmers, including many of who are already having difficulties competing in global and domestic markets.  As farmland decreases, the price of land is steadily on the rise, making it tempting for small farmers to accept offers from developers. Farmland preservation groups are working hard to help farmers become more competitive, profitable, and conservation wise but, the fact remains that we are not making any more land- only more people.

I refuse to accept dooms-day philosophies as to where this breakdown of farmland will lead us. Instead, I look hopefully toward each new generation and human ingenuity. An excellent example of this ingenuity is the growing number of farmers who are utilizing new technology to extend their growing season and get more out of the space available to them. The rise in popularity of commercial greenhouses and the utilization of hydroponic methods is evidence of this change. The latest breakthrough has been made through the introduction of LED lighting.

LEDs as a plant growing light source open up opportunities that were not available using traditional lighting. One of these opportunities lies in reducing the distance between the planting bed and the lights, allowing more efficient use of the available growing area. Using LEDs as the plant light source, it is possible to employ three or more vertical layers of planting beds in the area now being used by each single planting bed. This would effectively at least triple the biomass production of the growth area.

The low heat output and light weight of the LEDs makes this feasible. HID lighting operates at temperatures above 1000 degrees Fahrenheit which is why adding an additional layer to a greenhouse utilizing this lighting would make the heat unmanageable. LED lighting can operate at less than 15 degrees above ambient temperatures so the lights will not overheat the area or burn plants and people. Both the lighting and planting beds can be mounted with simple pulley systems in order to move the various levels to tend to your crop.

Another factor that comes into play is electricity. The average commercial HID light runs on anywhere from 400 to 1000 watts of electricity. Not only does the price of running these lights quickly eat away at profits but a multi-tiered grow area utilizing these high wattage lights would be a shocking experience. LED lighting is able to reduce this energy consumption by over 90%.  LED bars are low wattage devices designed for wet environments- eliminating shock/fire issues that have been a source of concern since the advent of grow lights. This technology can have a real impact on the efficiency of food production in an ever-dwindling amount of space to produce.

Farmland is shrinking and the population is growing. Why not turn that wasted four feet at the top of your grow space into a second crop? The technology is here, and you know what they say... "Waste not, want not."

Angela Lundmark works at LED Grow Master Global and will be happy to offer free support and information to anyone looking for a more efficient system of growing. Visit www.led-grow-master.com or call 866.414.7244.