Using LED Grow Lights for Plants in My Stable
There's always a new project being completed here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Last month, I stored all my tropical plants for the winter. Every year, they are put into temperature and humidity controlled greenhouses or hoop houses. A selection of tall potted plants is also kept in one area of my stable. To supplement the natural sunlight that comes through the giant stable-entry door windows, I decided to install Spider Farmer LED Dimmable Grow Lights above the plants. These lights are compact, easy-to-assemble, high energy efficient units that offer full-spectrum light needs and even coverage. My plants are sure to get all the light they need during the coming cold season.
Here are some photos.
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- Because my stable has very tall ceilings, I utilize the center space for storing plants during the cold season. Here, the plants are protected from the elements and can be properly monitored and maintained.
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- My head gardener, Ryan McCallister, grooms them when needed. Here he is tending to a king palm. These trees have 15 to 20 arching evergreen fronds that emerge from the center crownshaft.
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- It has a single smooth grey-brownish trunk ringed by the scars from fallen fronds.
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- Ryan also removes the dead bark from the top of the palm – a process called skinning, which can help reduce the risk of pest infestation.
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- Palm trees have a horizontal root system that helps anchor the tree in the ground and provides access to nutrients and water.
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- This branch is from a Norfolk Island Pine – a large, evergreen conifer with a symmetrical, pyramidal shape, a straight trunk, and tiered branches arranged in whorls, with bright green soft, needle-like foliage.
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- I also have tree ferns in this stable. Tree ferns have ascending trunk-like stems and an arborescent, or tree-like habit with short, green-leafed fronds.
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- They also have hard, coarse trunks with circular marks where fronds have been shed.
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- Ryan looks over all the tree fronds and removes any dead or dying branches.
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- And this is my granddaughter’s avocado tree. Jude grew this from seed and it is now more than 10-feet tall.
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- To provide more light for all these potted plants, I ordered three 2024 Spider Farmer® G5000 480W Dimmable Full Spectrum High Yield Grow Lights. Each one is four feet square in size.
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- This box is the controller for the lights – it just snaps in place, with no other assembly required.
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- My property manager, Doug White, clicks the controller into place at one end, so it is easy to access at any time.
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- He makes sure the unit is secure on the frame and ready to hang. These grow lights are durable and each one weighs less than 20-pounds.
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- Then he adjusts the suspension brackets and cords. All the hanging supplies come with the grow lights.
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- Here it is hanging above the potted specimens. The bar-style design allows proper light distribution and airflow to pass between the bars. Because these lights are LED, they are long-lasting and the most energy-efficient grow light option.
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- Dough turns it on for a test and adjusts the light strength. Greenhouse grow lights can greatly help to supplement natural light during the winter. Grow lights convert electrical energy into photons, light particles that stimulate photosynthesis and encourage plant growth.
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- He turns it off and hangs another unit next to it.
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- Here he is from above. There is a lot of room for the plants to grow beneath the lights, but the lights can be raised as needed.
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- He separates the lights, so they are equally spaced. In order for the plants to get even light coverage, it is best if they are all hung directly above the plants.
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- From below, this is what it looks like when the lights turned on just as the sun starts to set. These specimens will be very happy this winter.
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