How close should Microgreens be to Light!? - Microgreen Light Distance Trial | Indoor farming |

🤯How does Distance from Light Source Effect the Growth of Microgreens?!?
In this experiment, we wanted to see how microgreens would handle being put 25% closer to our microgreen grow lights... We already have our plants fairly close to our LED light source (4.25" from plant canopy to lights), but we were curious what would happen if we put them even closer! The results weren't as expected and we will be doing some more experiments like this soon!!
Hope you Enjoy!! 🤓👩‍🌾
LIGHTS WE USE ➽ www.amazon.com...
QUICK LINKS → Full Article: onthegrow.tv/H...
➽ Tray Clips: onthegrow.tv/T...
➽ Our Favorite Microgreen Seeds: onthegrow.tv/M...
➽ Best 1020 Trays for Microgreens: onthegrow.tv/T...
➽ Reusable Mediums: onthegrow.tv/R...
➽ Fertilizer: onthegrow.tv/O...
➽ Watering Tool: homedepot.sjv.i...
➽ Free Seeding Guide: onthegrow.tv/O...
SUPPORT ON THE GROW
➽ Shop: onthegrow.net/
➽ Etsy Shop: www.etsy.com/s...
LEARN MORE
➽ All Our Links: linktr.ee/Onth...
➽ Blog: onthegrow.net/...
➽ Master Class in a book: onthegrow.tv/M...
➽ Facebook: / onthegrowfarms
➽ Instagram: / onthegrowfarms
➽ TikTok: / onthegrowfarms
➽ Twitter: / onthegrowfarms
ON THE GROW VIDEO PLAYLISTS
➽ All How To Grow Microgreens: • How to Grow Microgreen...
➽ All Microgreen Experiments: • Experiments - Microgreens
➽ Microgreen DIY Builds: www.youtube.com
DISCLAIMER On The Grow occasionally links to goods or services offered by vendors to help you find the best products to care for plants. Some of these may be affiliate links, meaning we earn a small commission if items are purchased. As an Amazon Associate, we earn from qualifying purchases. More info on our process: onthegrow.net/...
#microgreens #growlights #indoorgarden

[@dlerche]

Hi guys. I have been using LED panels for a long time. The thing you must know is the inverse square law, that applies to lighting, which basically states that half the distance provide 4 x the light. So this way you can utilize lower watt with shorter distance, optimize spacing and thereby increasing your yield per square foot. I help commercial kitchens grow on very little space, where this is crucial. Would love to show you how it looks... Best regards David

[@OnTheGrow]

That sounds awesome! Yeah, I'd love to see and hear more about this! I'm all about expanding my knowledge :) Send an email to [e-mail] or you can also message us through Facebook/Instagram. Thanks for sharing David!

[@OnTheGrow]

Awesomeness!😊 dlerche 😀We are so excited to announce that both our Microgreens Master Book and our first Microgreens Cookbook will be available very soon! 😃Please visit our new website at 0nthegrow.net for info and early sign up!!!

[@joshoooway]

David - which LED panel lights do you have your commercial kitchen grows use? These Barrina T5s strip LEDs or something else?

[@sakerocket]

Another way to look at it is, every time you double the distance you net 25% the quantity of light. But it's a balancing act between even spread on the canopy vs ppfd intensity.

[@yearofthegarden]

Another thing to consider is curling leaves, also with less head room, there is less air flow in denser production scales, which causes higher potential for contamination habitat. Some things to consider, keep the experiments coming! Would be awesome if you two tried using oyster mushroom substrate in your soil mix. I do this and have found that 50/50 black gold/oyster substrate is perfect and helps prevent contaminations, as I don't use hydrogen peroxide or bleach, and have overcome bad batches of peas by letting the oyster mycelium colonize the dead peas before grey mold gets a hold.

[@davidcrary1807]

?? How are you growing microgreens on soil with oyster mycelium? Is this a thing? It sounds incredibly cool, but at the same time extremely cumbersome. Am I missing something?

[@mvs6380]

There’s an iOS app called Photone (its only like $5/mo which uses a the front camera to measure PAR/LUX/Kelvin for different lights. It’s fairly accurate with maybe only a 3-5% difference than a professional grade light meter. Maybe a cheaper option for someone who can’t shell out 100s of dollars to buy a par meter.

[@loriwoo8408]

Great option....thanks!!

[@Sean__with_Zunsol]

I am curious after two years, what have you ultimately found to be the best height?

[@Toroloco777]

I highly recommend doing a video experiment on the difference in growth playing Mozart for the micros vs without. It is my hope the results will be astonishing.

[@yearofthegarden]

I've done experiments with growing mushrooms with heavy dance music vs lofi, and I always get heavier yields when there the beats are bumping, but that's because it simulates the falling of logs, which stimulates growth

[@noonenaruto2152]

Patchwork Gardens when the beats are BUMPIN

[@noonenaruto2152]

Or any classical music at 432hz

[@travisdt]

Masage them with Let s get it on music

[@ConversationswiththeAI]

Only for white colonial microgreens.... your less myopic greens appreciate world beats..

[@klorofila]

Interesting video, thank you for sharing. I am actually working on a custom light to shrink the space between shelves for a more efficient farm (taking into account light spread and ventilation challenges). Hopefully one day I can get it out to more people

[@OnTheGrow]

Yay for you!! We love it when people improve our business and growing culture! Thankyou for helping us all out, and let us know when we can check it out! EcoTech Have you signed up for our Master Class yet? Please get ready to take advantage of all the information we've assembled for you!!!

[@klorofila]

@@OnTheGrow Thanks. I did not know that you offered a master class, I'll have a look.

[@loriwoo8408]

Thanks for all you share! I just stumbled upon your videos after watching so many in the microgreen biz and happy that I did!! You both Rock...thanks again!!

[@jp34604]

Hi I would love to see you do a comparison between having a Shelf with two of the 20 watt lights vs the three 20 watt lights that you currently run I think that would be a very interesting comparison

[@PM-wt3ye]

80-90 PAR (as it is with 3 lights) is not that much light. If you run only tow of them, you will end up with only 60 PAR at maximum (sides will be less) - i think this will be too little light. But im also interested in how much it will effect growth.

[@michaelstarks7029]

Yes, this would be interesting. With two lights you could possibly start them out 1" from the light then move them down as they grow. The PAR would be consistent that way and you would reduce energy usage.

[@Johngaltsghost]

Very interesting and thanks for bringing this up. These test results may be affected by heat from the light below the shelf...suggest doing this on a shelf with no light underneath. Relatedly, depending on the kind of light that you have heat from some lights may also have a heat affect on the plants under. To avoid the somewhat inconclusive results why not test using simple inch blocks 3-2-1-normal under for more variety and either do it twice or have 8 trays total

[@Johngaltsghost]

Another angle is that the higher PAR raised trays may have needed a different nute mix or watering regimen to realize their full potential in yield and taste...or maybe it doesn't make a difference!

[@OnTheGrow]

Good point!😊 Thank you so much for the Feedback Seiche Inverigo! We appreciate your support! Seiche Inverigo 😉Hello again from "On The Grow"...We apologize for not being timely on your last request or comment!!! We've been blessed to have so many welcoming responses as well as questions from the "MicroGreen Community". 😄Fear not for the future...we have two new grow team members here to assist with all aspects of your grow needs and questions. Please feel free to jump back in to sharing and looking to us for assistance!! Seiche Inverigo 😀We are so excited to announce that both our Microgreens Master Book and our first Microgreens Cookbook will be available very soon! 😃Please visit our new website at 0nthegrow.net for info and early sign up!!!

[@ruthgreen7424]

youve helped me heeps my lights are too far away

[@Chloe__________xx]

Proof that an extra inch make a bit of a difference in some small way only in looks tho 🤭😆😂

[@OnTheGrow]

😂😂😂

[@dsd-downshiftdave8056]

What height are you currently using, are you using frosted lights? And see the bulbs T5 5000K 20 WATT or 6500k? What fans are you using

[@ShookHomemade]

Greetings from New Braunfels TX! Thank you guys so much for these experiment videos. I have just started my microgreen journey and if I end up enjoying it and being decent at growing them then I would like to sell them. Your videos REALLY help me decide on products and they are also generally very educational.

[@OnTheGrow]

😀 Shook Homemade Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!! We are also finished with our first cookbook and our microgreens master book! They will both be available soon!

[@hudsonmorris2874]

How many hours of light are you giving your microgreens?

[@OnTheGrow]

17 hours on, 7 hours off is our go-to lighting schedule.

[@roberttomsiii3728]

what is your DLI? Is the light cycle set to 24 hours? Could it be the additional heat caused by the plant being closer to the light? ( assuming these are typical t5 fluorescent bulbs or if they are LEDs the driver is not mounted in the boards )

[@sarahallenhumboldt2638]

Thank you for all of your research; you certainly have devoted a lot of your energy, time, and effort to this subject.

[@Evilerspartan]

Any way you can make a video on humidity and temp? And as well as what to do with waste after a harvest?

[@OnTheGrow]

Yeah! Basically for temp and humidity, we aim for 75F-79F for the most consistent growth and germination with humidity at 50% or below. We compost ours and you can see that on our blog: www.onthegrow.net/post/what-to-do-with-the-used-grow-medium-after-harvesting-microgreens

[@OnTheGrow]

Thank you so much for the support Evilerspartan!! We are going to be making new content soon! 😄 Hello Evilerspartan ! Our space stays between 75-80F degrees in the Summer (Best Germination Temps) and between 67-73F in Winter and our humidity around 50% or under. We also have one large fan that circulates the majority of the air and small computer fans on each shelf of each rack. All fans are running for 24 hours of the day. We do not pump carbon-dioxide in the space and the space only exchanges air when we open the door a few times throughout the day. Hello Evilerspartan ! Thank you for watching our videos 🥳 We have a wonderful blog on this topic! You should check it out. www.onthegrow.net/post/what-to-do-with-the-used-grow-medium-after-harvesting-microgreens

[@papothedon]

How many hrs are you leaving them on for?

[@OnTheGrow]

Most our lights we run for 17 hours on 7 hours off!

[@juanimaqq1938]

how many time of ligths for day?

[@OnTheGrow]

We will usually run our lights for either 17hours ON and 7 hours OFF, or 12 hours on, 12 hours off.

[@markflint9089]

Thanks for all the great info! Do you leave your lights on 24/7 or try to mimic nature with day and night?

[@jencytv7413]

I too would like to know

[@ejtheinsane]

I would also like to know

[@OnTheGrow]

We run our lights on a 17hours ON and 7 hours OFF schedule and have had great success with that over the past year and a half!🙂

[@OnTheGrow]

Thank you Ej P 🥳 We really appreciate your support!! Did you the lighting schedule we use? If not here you go as well... we run our lights on a 17hours ON and 7 hours OFF schedule.!

[@mskuttinupwhitney3540]

🥂

[@Max_SiddiQ]

Thank you. It is not a surprise about the weight since less par = more stem stretch, other words more par (closer to the lights) less stretch, less stretch = less overall weight that is why 164g, but yes more par intensity (closer) more beautiful mg's are)) Question still about the taste)) I think some mg's like cabbage, kale etc like cool temps, so tastes better when lights further away. All said - my summary: 10inches to the light is good) Try 9inch))

[@OnTheGrow]

Thank you so much for the Feedback Max SiddiQ! We appreciate your support! Max SiddiQ Have you signed up for our Master Class yet? Please get ready to take advantage of all the information we've assembled for you!!!

[@umashealing]

What kind of soil do you guys use for micro greens? Seems like most vegetable soils have poultry manure or other animal products🤢😫😫

[@OnTheGrow]

We prefer to use growing mediums like coco coir that do not have these contaminents in them. 😀 Uma Kali Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!!

[@cloverlawson4993]

Where do you get the extra shelf Do you just buy a set of shelves and use them on the other ones?

[@lionsfan76]

The extra shelves are kind of expensive. I found a place to get the size I needed....shelving4less.com/2436s These people are very helpful.

[@OnTheGrow]

Thankyou so much for the information on other shelving options! Whatever gets y'all growing!

[@OnTheGrow]

Metro Shelving can be found at restaurant supply places, such as AceMart! All of the pieces are sold individually! If you have never been to a restaurant supply store before, look around while you are there for other ideas! Good luck to you! 😀 Clover Lawson Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!!

[@lionsfan76]

I would love a video on nutrients in microgreens. The comparison between microgreens and the whole vegetable are confusing to me. Say I want to get as much nutrient value in my microgreens as a couple of cups of broccoli? Or if I want to make sure I get 400x the nutrients of a serving of broccoli how many microgreens do I need to eat? It would be great to see a demonstration of this for some clarification. I don't find anywhere online that actually details this.

[@OnTheGrow]

If the microgreen is known to be 4x more potent in nutrition, to get the same nutrition out of the vegetable, you would have to eat 4x as much of it! Unfortunately, though, not too much information is available about individual microgreen crop types yet! We need to get some universities on this!😊 😉Karna Bosman Would you Be~Leaf we're actively working on tasty recipes that will highlight the various flavors of your favorite microgreens in surprising ways...Not just a garnish...yum!!

[@davebrown4072]

Thanks for the videos. Take a look at the Korona App for the iPhone. There are some side by side tests in KZbin with it verses other PAR meters. It's pretty impressive. Might save you $500.

[@OnTheGrow]

Thank you so much for the Feedback Dave Brown! We appreciate your support! Dave Brown 😀We are so excited to announce that both our Microgreens Master Book and our first Microgreens Cookbook will be available very soon! 😃Please visit our new website at 0nthegrow.net for info and early sign up!!!

[@jp34604]

Hi, also noticed you opted for the frosted defuse covers on your led s. as you know they also offer clear covers so the question is of course what may be the difference in par value Perhaps try removing it altogether for a comparison Thanks

[@OnTheGrow]

They only recently started offering the clear version! We will get our hands on some and give them a shot! We don’t like removing the diffuser because it’s just asking for trouble with humidity or water splashing… We will get our hands on some clear ones to try out!🤗🌱🌱

[@DrPhail]

Does the different amount of weight in the beginning have any effect? The bottom tray would have more weight on it than the top tray.

[@OnTheGrow]

It does. and different types of microgreens can use more or less weight, depending on the variety. Yes, the weight in a stack will vary, and we do consider that! Thank you so much for the support Mark Payne!! We are going to be making new content soon! 😄

[@almajidi6692]

Hi Thank you very much for your wonderful and educative videos Please advise how many hours of lights is needed for growing micro greens Cheers

[@OnTheGrow]

We run our lights on a 17hours ON and 7 hours OFF schedule and have had great success with that over the past year and a half! 😊

[@garrettmineo]

Loved the video, I have been using this trick with the deeper boot strap farmer trays (as elevators) to start snap dragons in my microgreen equipment. It does seem to help when actually growing plants past the microgreen stage. I guess I won’t do it for microgreens because I like them to stretch anyway.

[@OnTheGrow]

😀 Garrett Mineo Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!! Garrett Mineo Have you signed up for our Master Class yet? Please get ready to take advantage of all the information we've assembled for you!!!

[@johnnylima462]

Whassup guys! How much hours a day you keep the lights on? Some people say 12h, others 14h... Greetings from Brazil!

[@OnTheGrow]

What’s up!! We do 17 hours on and 7 hours off. Been using that schedule for a year now with solid results!

[@OnTheGrow]

Hello Brazil! We run our lights on a 17hours ON and 7 hours OFF schedule and have had great success with that over the past year and a half!

[@Calchick7]

Nice video

[@K3Flyguy]

Too much par? Sunlight Is unbelievably strong. In my experience the closer the better. Now with the LEDs that may not hold true but before LEDs, the closer you can get to the bulb without burning, the better things grow!

[@ammonkirby152]

The sun also has a lot more variables, clouds/rain/season/sun rise&set/other plants and a constantly fresh source of c02, Under artificial lighting the par is constant along as the light is turn on, this also causes some stress on stomata (breathing parts of the leaf) causing them to close You can achieve sun like par, but also while pumping over 1000ppm of c02, compared to 400 in the environment Look up DLI map for america and it will show you the average sun light for each month for the year, daily light integral = photons (PAR) hitting a surface in 24hrs

[@OnTheGrow]

Cool tip Ammon! Thanks for sharing

[@OnTheGrow]

OMG , that's so interesting! Thankyou for the information! 😀 Ammon Kirby Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!!

[@wadethurner7869]

Thanks!

[@OnTheGrow]

Appreciate the tip! 🌱🌱🌱🌱

[@UnlistedYoutubeVideo]

Thx

[@Jason-wx7ms]

What sheath do you recommend for that green produce knife you recommend? I saw you had one in one of your videos but the knife doesn’t come with one.

[@OnTheGrow]

I made mine myself using a 3D printer. I wish they made some sheaths for them, but I think you'd have to get it custom made. I could always see about printing one out for you if you pay for the shipping on it! Send us an email - [e-mail] - if you want one and I will see what I can do!

[@melwel9116]

I make an edge guard by sliding on plastic binding bars (office supply - report cover sliders) on all my long knives. They can be cut to any blade length with scissors. I hate knife blocks on the counter because they collect dust, so the report binders keep the knives sharp and you can keep them in a drawer without risk of cutting yourself when you rummage around in the utensil drawer.

[@OnTheGrow]

We know someone, one of our new employees, actually, that is a leathercraftsman! What are you thinking? We are considering a sheath as one of our own products!

[@OnTheGrow]

Great idea! I might have to use this idea in my drawer! Thankyou so much!😊 Mel Wel 😉Hello again from "On The Grow"...We apologize for not being timely on your last request or comment!!! We've been blessed to have so many welcoming responses as well as questions from the "MicroGreen Community". 😄Fear not for the future...we have two new grow team members here to assist with all aspects of your grow needs and questions. Please feel free to jump back in to sharing and looking to us for assistance!!

[@drewhewitt7204]

Curious - what make and model of lights do you use for your microgreens? How many lights do you use per shelf? Thanks in advance!

[@drewhewitt7204]

Just got my answer at the end of your video... :)

[@OnTheGrow]

Perfect! We also have some more videos comparing lights too so be sure to check those out if you have more questions surrounding lighting! We should be posting a new lighting video in a week or so!

[@drewhewitt7204]

@@OnTheGrow Perfect - Will keep my eyes on my KZbin alerts!

[@OnTheGrow]

😀 Drew Hewitt Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!! 😉Drew Hewitt Would you Be~Leaf we're actively working on tasty recipes that will highlight the various flavors of your favorite microgreens in surprising ways...Not just a garnish...yum!!

[@OnTheGrow]

We suggest using Three 20watt T5 LED’s per shelf. We look for a minimum of 6,000 lumens per shelf. We have used these for a while with great success www.amazon.com/dp/B07F2WMCP2?tag=onamzonthegro-20&linkCode=ic5&ascsubtag=amzn1.infl.us.product&creativeASIN=B07F2WMCP2&ref=exp_onthegrowfarms_dp_vv_d

[@evancaswell5452]

Could you guys grow some wheatgrass

[@OnTheGrow]

Yes!! We’ve got a grow coming up soon on it!

[@OnTheGrow]

If we have not grown it yet, we will put it on our list! We are about to update our list of what we have done, to check what is left that y'all have been suggesting! 😉Evan Caswell Would you Be~Leaf we're actively working on tasty recipes that will highlight the various flavors of your favorite microgreens in surprising ways...Not just a garnish...yum!!

[@Narigari]

Now do it all over again using the metric system LOL! You're awesome! I'm learning a lot from you guys!

[@OnTheGrow]

💚Thank you so much for the Funny Feedback Narigari! We appreciate your support! Crazy thing is ...we've already been asked that one. Help us keep you "On The Grow" with all we do!!!

[@GreatGrannyFreeBird]

neat experiment.

[@OnTheGrow]

Thank you so much! 🤗🌱🤔

[@OnTheGrow]

😀 Sister Free Bird Again...we really benefit from your support and nice compliments!!! Have you visited our newest website... www.onthegrow.net ...we are so proud of the help it provides!!!

[@smith6752]

good vids, maybe chill with the book stuff in reples lol

[@OnTheGrow]

😉Thank you so much for the support smith!! We are not going to be commenting on a possible new book...!

[@Chloe__________xx]

Maybe you’re best to just tune out if that doesn’t interest you. This is their business and they work damn hard. Promotion is their way to market their hard work. Not to mention I had recently purchased their e-book and I can say it’s worth every Penny.

[@smith6752]

@@Chloe__________xx calm down love

[@Chloe__________xx]

@@smith6752 I am calm 😊 was just saying it’s actually great hence why they promote it 😊

[@OnTheGrow]

Both great points here 😆 I do want to say that we hired on a team member for customer service, trained them for two weeks and they were doing great… then we stopped micro managing, and they decided to start blasting everyone with the eBook comments. It was excessive. We fired them three weeks ago for this amongst a few other things. I’ve been going back and doing my best to cleanup the comments. We’ve always put our heart into the comments because it’s our direct line with our followers and that employee didn’t do a good job on that. Hence why I now (CJ) personally answer all the comments I can every single day ontop of filming and all my other work responsibilities. Also, our eBook is pretty epic 😆

[@eat-myshorts]

88 PAR,88 ppfd or 88 lux?