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Entry Date
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Nick Name
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Location
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Friday, April 09, 2021
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Matt D.
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Connecticut
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Entry 36 of 90 |
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Cold Frame Lighting
Despite having the larger cold frame, the typical season starter size (5ft wide x 9ft long) is still constructed to provide a smaller area to modify. There are soil heating cables buried and a carbon dioxide enrichment system in place, but because of the early start supplemental lighting has also been added.
Artificial lighting is an industry that is continually changing (improving) so different lights have been compared. While most growers typically think LED’s are the “best” the conditions must be taken into consideration to determine which light is the best fit.
As a result in the cold frame CMH (Ceramic Metal Halide) lights are being used for a number of reasons. One multiple units can be used to ensure even coverage of the long growing area (since pumpkins vine) and also these ballast generate heat. Most growers are against the “heat” generation, but in the early spring some extra heat is a good thing. CMH lights also offer some bulb options which is in part what can be seen with a cool white light on the right side and a warm coloration on the left.
The difference is due to different bulbs being used in different fixtures.
See the next post for an inside look of the cold frame and plant.
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