10-15% winter average yield increase*
Introduction
In winter, basil does not forgive inconsistency. Microgreens don’t either. For The Chef’s Garden in Huron, Ohio, consistency is part of the brand promise and a key factor in customer loyalty as the company caters to quality-conscious stakeholders such as high end restaurateurs. This case study shows how advanced dynamic LED lighting improves the consistency and quality of basil through the winter months while improving overall production.
Results at a glance
- 10-15% average yield increase during winter months
- Higher quality and uniformity of crops year-round
- Consistent plant height, structure and color
- Reduced basil downy mildew by 30-35%
- Reduced electrical consumption thanks to the automation dimming feature on Sollum's SUNaaS® cloud platform
Project snapshot
- Lit area: 2.2 acres
- Previous lighting: HPS
- Crops: basil (including micro basil propagation) and microgreens
- Target DLI used: 12-15 mol/m²/day
The challenge
Winter light conditions can shift quickly. For basil and microgreens, that can impact uniformity, plant structure, and visual quality making production harder to keep predictable. The Chef’s Garden wanted greater control over their lighting to keep basil and microgreen production consistent throughout winter without having to implement additional operational workarounds.
Why Sollum
The Chef's Garden selected Sollum's advanced dynamic LED lighting solution to:
- Increase yield
- Improve quality and consistency
- Reduce energy costs
- Gain flexibility through spectrum and dimming controls
What they implemented
The grower reports using Sollum's solution to:
- Enable automatic dimming based on changes in natural light
- Implemented multiple spectral recipes, as needed
- Apply a custom light recipe for micro basil propagation
- Use the same fixtures across microgreen production areas
Results observed
- Winter yield improvement: The Chef’s Garden reported a 10-15% average yield increase during winter months.
- Crop uniformity and appearance: The company also reported that it had maintained higher quality and uniformity throughout the year and met crop requirements at all growth stages without having to relocate the plants
- Plant structure:
- Shorter internodes (more compact plants)
- More intense pigmentation
- Better plant architecture
- Plant health: In micro basil propagation, the grower reported that the custom recipe helped suppress outbreaks and estimated basil downy mildew decreased by 30–35%.
- Energy control: The team also reported that the dimming capability of SUNaaS reduced electrical consumption.
Grower's perspective
"We have been working with Sollum for several years, and their programmable LED lighting has helped us increase yields by an average of 10-15% during the winter months, while also delivering higher quality and more uniform crops year-round."
"The ability to custom-tailor light spectrums gives us the flexibility to meet crop requirements at every growth stage without having to move plants."
- Judit Ender, Head Grower, The Chef's Garden
What this case shows
Lighting isn’t about the fixture. It’s about keeping crops on target when conditions change. This case highlights how Sollum’s advanced dynamic LED lighting with real-time adjustments and crop specific light recipes can support measurable winter gains, reduce the outbreak of downy mildew and achieve stronger year-round consistency in basil and microgreens.
Want to see what advanced dynamic LED lighting can do for your crop? Talk to Sollum's Customer Succeess team about a lighting strategy built around your objectives, and the real conditions in every zone of your greenhouse.
*The grower reported results, compared to the previous HPS approach in the same greenhouse context. Results may vary by crop and facility.
Summary
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