First of all, what is light deprivation?

Light deprivation (commonly referred to as “light dep” or “light depo”) is an agricultural growing technique that manipulates the amount of light plants receive in order to mimic the seasonal changes that trigger flowering. This enables multiple harvests from one crop in a single growing season.

Generally, light deprivation growth is done through the daily covering and uncovering of plants (or their greenhouses) with blackout tarps. The resulting periods of darkness emulate seasonal changes, and convince the plants that it’s time to flower. These simulated “seasons” created by light deprivation greenhouses mean that plants reach maturity much, much faster than would occur naturally. Thus, farmers are able to bring crops from planting to the harvest stage multiple times in one growing season. This can greatly increase a crop’s annual yield numbers without adding a single plant.

WeatherPort’s Automated Light Deprivation Greenhouse System offers a fantastic opportunity for growers, particularly with legal cannabis production, where light control is critical for the growth and quality of plants. Growers now have complete control of their product’s exposure to light with WeatherPort’s fully automated and programmable light deprivation system. This means decreased costs, increased control, and zero light leakage in or out.

Why automated light dep?

Although light deprivation growing can increase number of harvests and annual yield size, there are some notable downsides. Probably the worst is the need to physically place and adjust blackout tarps on a very strict schedule. A single missed day can throw off the “season” a grower has been providing for his plants. The consequences can cause the plants to flower prematurely, or be unable to flower at all.

Thanks to WeatherPort’s fully automated light deprivation greenhouse system, growers no longer need to waste any energy (mental or physical) on heavy blackout tarps and their schedules. You can program all light dep operations ahead of time, and the greenhouse will automatically cover and uncover your plants on the schedule that you provide. This makes your entire greenhouse a much more self sufficient operation, as the video above demonstrates.

In addition to eliminating virtually 100% of inbound light leakage in our light dep greenhouses, WeatherPort systems also do the same for outbound light created by grow lamps or far-red lighting. This means our light deprivation greenhouses also provide the benefit of complete privacy for your growing area.

The benefits of our new Automated Light Deprivation system include:

Rapid extinguishment of exterior light

Eliminates light leakage

Highly durable, even in extreme weather

Hassle-free system

Maximized useable interior space

Programmable schedule

Seamless integration into any WeatherPort greenhouse structure

With an automated system for controlling light exposure, cannabis growers will appreciate the results of higher-quality product and increased yields from year-round outdoor growing — as many as three or more harvests each year!

WeatherPort’s Automated Light Deprivation Greenhouse System can be fitted to include additional features such as:

Hanging bars for supplemental fixtures (lights, fans, etc.)

Horizontal Air Flow Fans (HAF fans)

Exhaust fans and inlet shutters with light traps

HVAC systems for complete climate control

Partitions to separate growing areas

Wet walls

Grow lights (including high pressure sodium grow lights)

Our Automated Light Deprivation system can also integrate with any existing cannabis greenhouse or grow tent from WeatherPort. Therefore, you can enjoy the benefits of this system regardless of the size of your structure.

This video demonstrates how our Automated Light Deprivation system works, as shown in our 30’ x 90’ DAGB Series greenhouse. To learn more about our new system for complete light control for outdoor growing, or to request a quote for your WeatherPort grow tent, please email us or call +1 970-399-5909.