“... I think it ’ s definitely the highestquality light on the market .”
Image Credits : @ Keene . Media
But for Cantwell , it wasn ’ t just a simple plug-and-play , he says . There ’ s definitely a learning curve to mastering the highintensity , ultra-efficient A3i fixtures . For example , he found some strains thrive at 1,300 PPFD , while others need to be topped out around 800 to 900 . “ For the first time , we had this unlimited power ,” he says . “ It ’ s hard to control . It ’ s like having the nuclear codes , If you ’ re not careful , you can definitely overdo it .”
He compares the transition to driving a car with 500 horsepower for the first time . There ’ s a learning curve with driving a car that has that much power ; the same can be said of using the Fohse A3i ’ s . “ These are racecar lights ,” Cantwell says . “ These are for winning races .” Ultimately , he only runs the lights at about 70 % capacity , and still achieves record-setting yields compared to GLP ’ s old system . He also enjoys the ability to play around with different spectrums and settings , like the sunrise / sunset feature that wakes up the plants with a low-intensity light and ramps up to full power , then shuts off gradually at the end of the cycle .
GLP is currently on its 24th cycle with the same soil , using a notill method that means the soil is essentially undisturbed from one crop to the next . The use of all-natural living soil reduces the cost of inputs , minimizes water consumption , and eliminates nutrient runoff . It ’ s a method that is rare among cannabis growers — and even more rare for indoor growers — but Cantwell says he didn ’ t think it made sense to be using fungicides , pesticides and other chemicals to grow medicine . Instead , GLP has let the soil age over time and get better with each year — “ like a fine wine ”.
And as the soil has matured , so too has the GLP cultivation team . “ Thankfully the soil is resilient and forgiving because we used to do all kinds of crazy bro science techniques back in the day , before anybody knew why we were doing it ,” Cantwell says . “ Back in the day , I would do things that I would never do today . Over the years , we ’ ve really sharpened our tools , and relied on science and collecting data to figure things out .”
Aside from the spectrum , the power , and the efficiency , Cantwell says he was also extremely impressed with the build quality of the Fohse lights . He says a lot of LED companies seem to have focused so heavily on the price point that they “ raced to the bottom to build the cheapest LED .”
“ It ’ s obvious when you get one of their lights ,” he adds . “ It feels like a piece of tinfoil with some diodes taped to it . When I got my first Fohse fixture , the difference was obvious right away . The chassis on this thing is legit . I think it ’ s definitely the highestquality light on the market .” But above all , having the Fohse lights now gives Cantwell the confidence to know that lighting is not the limiting factor in his cultivation facility . The CEO can turn his attention to other components , dial in the rest of the systems , and focus on the centerpiece of GLP ’ s grow — the living soil .