Agricultural Lighting For Vine-Like Plants

Abstract

A grow lighting system for use with vine-like plants includes an elongated body for positioning adjacent a plant. The body defines multiple channels or faces extending the length of the body for removably supporting linear grow lighting sources, such as grow lighting LED strips. The linear lighting sources are oriented to emit light radially outward from the fixture.

It is claimed: 
     
         1 . A generally vertical grow lighting system for use in growing plants, the system comprising:
 an elongated tubular body for positioning adjacent at least one plant, the tubular body defining a plurality of longitudinally extending lighting channels, each channel extending along the length of the body, each channel having opposing side walls;   a plurality of grow lighting strips having spaced apart grow lights for providing grow lighting for plants, each lighting strip snap-fit into a corresponding channel and maintained in the channel by the opposing sides of the channel;   a plurality of lighting strips having spaced apart grow lights emitting light at frequencies specifically selected to provide light to promote plant growth, each lighting strip removably positioned in one of the corresponding lighting channels, each lighting strip orienting its corresponding lights to emit light radially outward from the body; and   a means for suspending the generally vertical tubular body above the floor.   
     
     
         2 . The grow lighting system of  claim 1 , wherein the grow lights emit light having a frequency selected from the following frequencies: red 630-660 nm, blue at around 460 nm, white 6000-6500 k, UV 380-400 nm, and IR 730-740 nm. 
     
     
         3 . The grow lighting system of  claim 1 , wherein the grow lighting strips are tunable to selected frequencies based on the needs of the plant. 
     
     
         4 . The grow lighting system of  claim 1 , wherein control the spaced apart grow lights are individually controllable such that selected grow lights on a grow lighting strip can be turned off to reduce electricity costs while leaving other grow lights on to promote plant growth. 
     
     
         5 . The grow lighting system of  claim 1 , wherein the grow lights are tunable to provide light at varying frequencies for use at various stages of plant growth. 
     
     
         6 . The grow lighting system of  claim 1 , wherein the plurality of lighting channels further comprise a plurality of lighting channels oriented to emit light at selected intervals about the tubular body. 
     
     
         7 . The grow lighting system of  claim 1 , wherein each of the lighting channels further comprises flanges extending from the opposing channel side walls, the flanges for maintaining the lighting strips in the channels. 
     
     
         8 . A grow lighting system for use with generally vertically trained plants, the grow lighting system comprising:
 a longitudinally extending grow lighting fixture having a plurality of generally flat exterior faces extending longitudinally along the fixture;   a plurality of linear grow light strips each having a plurality of spaced apart grow lights thereon, each linear grow light strip removably attached by adhesive to a corresponding exterior face of the fixture, the exterior faces orienting the grow lights to emit light radially outward from the fixture; and   a power distribution assembly comprising an electrical cable attachable to a power source and to the plurality of linear grow light strips.   
     
     
         9 . The system of  claim 8 , the longitudinally extending grow lighting fixture defining a tubular having a hollow interior. 
     
     
         10 . The system of  claim 9 , wherein the plurality of flat exterior faces comprise walls of the lighting fixture defining the hollow interior. 
     
     
         11 . A grow lighting apparatus comprising:
 a plurality of grow lighting strips extending longitudinally, each strip having spaced apart grow lights emitting light for promoting plant growth;   a plurality of fixtures, each fixture having a plurality of generally flat exterior faces, each face attached to a corresponding grow lighting strip, each fixture attached to the plurality grow lighting strips, the fixtures longitudinally spaced apart from one another, each fixture maintaining the plurality of grow lighting strips in a selected arrangement with respect to one another to emit light radially outwardly from the fixture.   
     
     
         12 . The grow lighting apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the generally flat exterior faces comprise the bottom wall of a channel having opposing side walls, each channel attached to a corresponding grow lighting strip. 
     
     
         13 . The grow lighting apparatus of  claim 11 , further comprising adhesive attaching the faces of the fixtures to the grow lighting strips. 
     
     
         14 . A method for growing plants using a generally vertical grow lighting system, the method comprising:
 positioning an elongated body adjacent at least one plant;   positioning on the elongated body at least one grow lighting strip, each grow lighting strip having spaced apart grow lights for providing grow lighting;   tuning the grow lights to a first selected frequency based on a need of the plant; and   tuning the grow lights to a second selected frequency based on another need of the plant.   
     
     
         15 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein at least one of the first and second frequencies is selected from the following frequencies: red 630-660 nm, blue at around 460 nm, white 6000-6500 k, UV 380-400 nm, and IR 730-740 nm. 
     
     
         16 . The method of  claim 14 , wherein tuning the grow lights to a first selected frequency further comprises: on a first grow lighting strip, tuning selected grow lights to the first selected frequency and tuning selected grow lights to the second selected frequency. 
     
     
         17 . The method of  claim 14 , further comprising: selectively turning off selected individual grow lights on a grow lighting strip, while leaving on other individual grow lights, such that grow lights adjacent the at least one plant are on.