growing and lighting Calculator

Use these guides to help you figure out how many growing and lighting systems you need.

Using the Fast Plants® Teacher Calculator on the Getting Started page:
The Fast Plants® Teacher Calculator makes the assumption that all growing systems were thinned to 4 plants per system. (However, larger growing systems can support more plants.)

The following table shows the light and growing system relationships were used in the calculations that determine how many growing and lighting systems you will need, using the Fast Plants Teacher Calculator.

Growing Systems	Light Box 17 1/4" x 14 1/4" x 11 1/2" crate size	Light Bank 6-light bank, 4' long	Individual Light A single clamp or other type lamp
Small Bottle Growing System 20 oz. bottle size	12* (possible to have 15 packed tightly)	72	3*
Large Bottle Growing System or Deli-container Growing System 2-liter bottle size or deli container of the same diameter	7* (possible to have 9 packed tightly)	27	1
Quad Growing System 8 quads on a shoe-box sized water reservoir	1* (possible to have 2 reservoirs packed tightly and quads are rotated daily towards the light)	6	1

*It may be possible for more growing systems to be tightly packed into these lighting options; however, doing so will require careful attention to air circulation and rotation to be certain all growing systems receive good lighting conditions.

Use this guide below to calculate:

Your growing system:	Your lighting system:	# of growing systems:
A. Small bottle growing system B. 2-liter bottle growing system C. Deli-container growing system D. Quads and shoe-box-sized watering system (8 quads/water system)	X. Light box (11.5 x 15" base) Y. Light Bank (6-light bank, 4' long) Z. Individual Plant light	G = calculated number of growing systems needed by the teacher = (# of students / 4) x (# of growing systems needed per group)
# of lighting systems =	if X and A, then G ÷ 12 if X and B or C, then G ÷ 7 if X and D, then G ÷ 8 if Y and A, then G ÷ 72 if Y and B or C, then G ÷ 27 if Y and D, then (G ÷ 8) ÷ 6 if Z and A, then G ÷ 3 if Z and B or C, then G ÷ 1 if Z and D, then (G ÷ 8) ÷ 1