Freeman Herbs uses LED lighting fixtures from Lumigrow that enable full control of the spectrum, wirelessly. They allow De Leonardis to change the ratio of colours to whatever he thinks would help the plants. "Blue keeps the plant more compact, with shorter internodes, larger leaves and thicker stems. There are more cells which mean stronger flavour in herbs. Red promotes elongation. Cells are bigger, the plants will grow taller with longer internodes and will grow faster."
In the Q&A with St. Catherines Standard editor Karena Walter, De Leonardis furthermore said the new LED lights are already showing positive effects. “We’re seeing a big difference in the dark months now,” he said. “The plants are greener, they are fuller. Normally because of lack of light, they are weaker and slender. With the lights we can control that.”
As well as this he stressed out the importance of the ecological impact of LEDs compared to HPS. “If we use twice the amount of electricity for the same amount of light that the plants use, it’s not really sustainable. It’s the case of the principle of being organic.”
Click here for the complete article at the website of The St. Catherines Standard.