Using Cannabis Vertical Grow Racks Will Boost Your Grow Operation
When the Farm Bill was passed into law in 2018, growing, consuming, and trading in cannabis became legal in most American states. Today, only five years later, the American cannabis industry is worth more than $60B; in 2020, the industry grossed $17.1B in sales alone.
Cannabis isn’t regarded anymore as the ‘gateway drug’ that would lead teenage kids into heroin addiction. Today, the plant has proven therapeutic value- many people suffering from insomnia, appetite disorders, chronic pain, and other medical conditions use it to manage their discomforts.
If you’re looking to join the world of cannabis cultivation, this article should answer some of the questions you may have. We will also delve into vertical farming and using cannabis vertical grow racks to maximize your cannabis production.
Before that, however, let’s talk about a few things you should know when getting into cannabis farming.
3 Marijuana Growing Tips Every Beginner Should Know
Cannabis is a relatively simple plant to grow. It doesn’t demand more care and maintenance than is reasonable and grows faster and more vigorously than most cash crops. It would, therefore, be manageable even to beginner farmers. However, before starting a cannabis farm, there are a few things you should keep in mind.
1. Growing Indoors vs Outdoors
Cannabis grows well both indoors and outdoors. The option you choose will depend on the climate in your region, plus the kind of setup you’re looking to create. An indoor grow operation, for example, would allow you to control all the conditions your plants grow in, including temperature, humidity, and light. This ultimately gives you more control over the quality and quantity of your harvest.
2. What Is The Best Soil For Growing Cannabis?
Although there are many different mediums in which you can grow cannabis, it would be a good idea to use soil if this is your first grow operation. Pick out a quality potting soil that’s rich in soil bacteria and organic matter.
Silt, in particular, has been proven to be one of the best soils for growing cannabis. It has excellent water retention, fairly good drainage, and holds nutrients well. Dark, crumbly, silty loam soil would therefore be ideal.
3. Choosing Pots For Your Cannabis
The containers you choose to grow your cannabis in (especially in the early stages) will play a huge role in the health and integrity of your plants. After germinating the seeds, you should transplant the seedlings into small 4-5 inch containers. 7 to 14 days later, when the roots have grown to the edges and bottom of the container, you can finally transplant them into the final containers.
Although plastic and clay pots have been around almost forever, fabric grow bags are quickly becoming the preferred method within the industry. These grow bags offer your plants’ roots proper aeration. This aeration facilitates evaporation of excess moisture, protecting the plants from overwatering.
Although the plant does relatively well on its own, growing cannabis is an intricate process. There are many dos and don’ts, and it would be impossible to mention them all here. If you’d like to know more, look out for our upcoming comprehensive guides on cannabis cultivation.
Using Cannabis Vertical Growing Racks In Your Indoor Farm
Vertical farming is a concept that has taken the agricultural world by storm in the past two decades. Using a vertical grow rack system allows you to have multiple layers of plants growing simultaneously. This helps increase production and revenue by up to 3 times.
By installing mobile vertical growing racks, you create a flexible growing operation- you can move your plants whenever you need. There are a number of benefits that vertical grow racks will bring to your cannabis farm.
1. Make Use Of All Your Space
If you plan to set up a cannabis grow operation in your garage or a warehouse, you understand how limited space can really hinder the potential of your operation. By allowing you to stack your plants in multiple layers, vertical grow racks allow you to make use of all the space that typically goes to waste. This system results in increased output and ultimately higher profits.
2. Make Use Of Your Resources
A good grow room set-up requires a lot of lighting, air conditioning, fans and human labor.
These resources are quite expensive. If you have a large indoor grow room, using vertical grow racks will ensure you’re getting the most value out of them. A vertical grow rack system will allow you to produce more cannabis and make more profits, which will help shoulder the costs of running the operation.
3. Provide Optimal Conditions For Your Plants
When growing only one tier of cannabis, many farmers make the mistake of cramming their indoor grow rooms with as many plants as they can. This often leads to overcrowding which makes access to the plants difficult. It also means that the plants will be competing for light and air supply, ultimately resulting in stunted plants.
Indoor grow racks have more than enough space between tiers. They are also strong enough to hold multiple lights and fans. Therefore, using a vertical grow system will allow you to increase your production without compromising on access, light, and airflow.
Using Vertical Cannabis Grow Racks: The Top 4 Options
If you’ve never engaged in vertical farming before, you’re likely to be confused about what to buy. There are many different products to choose from. In this section, we’ll break some of them down.
1. Tabletop Caster Units
Tabletop caster units were specifically designed for use in rooms that don’t have enough space for a vertical grow system. These tabletop units have caster wheels that allow you to move them from room to room, making them ideal for a more flexible operation. They come in different heights, thus can accommodate multiple tiers of plants.
2. Mobile Carriages
In indoor farming operations, a lot of space is often wasted on empty aisles. Mobile vertical growing racks are another product designed with flexibility and productivity in mind. These systems have racks that slide horizontally on rails, filling up the space that would typically be an aisle.
Our movable vertical grow rack systems come with an axle that allows workers to open up the aisles whenever they need. This makes it possible for them to access all plants easily.
3. Retractable Elevated Decking
A question that most farmers ask themselves before installing a vertical farm is: how do workers access the upper levels of vertical grow racks? As we’ve mentioned above, our vertical farming systems are all designed with accessibility in mind.
One of the products we are most proud of, our retractable elevated decking, allows you to access the higher tiers of your indoor farm. This decking can then be rolled away when it’s not in use. (patent pending)
4. Vertical Grow Racks
The last of our products are vertical grow racks. As we’ve already mentioned, investing in a grow racks indoor system will help you maximize space and increase your yields. Our vertical cannabis grow racks are made using 14-gauge steel with an 8-bend design and are thus very strong. They also go up to 21 feet high, allowing for dual-level access.
If you’re looking to set up a vertical grow rack system in your indoor grow space, we have everything you need. We are aware that in this industry, no one size fits all. We, therefore, offer free draw-ups and designs to fit every unique grow operation.
This way, we ensure that all our customers are satisfied with the products they purchase and can get the most out of them.
Setting Up A Profitable Vertical Cannabis Farm That You Will Love
You’ve made it this far, so you must really care about vertical farming…and rightfully so. Vertical farming has revolutionized cannabis farming and is the surest way to get higher yields and more profits.
When getting into vertical farming, it’s important to go for a setup that’s ideal for the space and equipment you have. Don’t overcrowd a room with more plants than you can handle, especially if you don’t have a proper watering and wastewater management system. Remember to provide your plants with all the necessary nutrients.
We hope this comprehensive guide to vertical farming technology has provided you with the information you need to get started with vertical grow systems. If you’d like a quote or a consultation to assess your own grow space, feel free to contact us.
