| abstract |
A lighting system for use with a vertical growing column (10) for optimally growing a plurality of plants in an indoor environment and enhancing the tonnage per unit area or per unit volume of product harvestable from plants positioned in these columns (10). The lighting system for use with a vertical growing column (10) includes a vertical growing column (11) having a plurality of modular planting units (12), a lighting system (104) and an apparatus (108) for carrying the lighting system (104). Each of the modular planting units (12) includes a center column (14) having a pair of lateral receptacles (16) projecting from opposed sides of the center column (14) and a mounting flange (18) extending downwardly from a lowermost portion of the center column (14) for being received within an uppermost portion of a center column (14) of another planting unit (12). The lighting system (104) utilizes sulfur lighting tubes (106) which are mounted to a vertically adjustable, movable apparatus (108) and sulfur lighting fixtures (122) which are fixably mounted to the walls, beams or related structures of a greenhouse or growing facility to insure the exposure of plants received in the receptacles (16) of the vertical columns (11) to optimal lighting conditions for maximum year-round growth potential. |