Needed a 1:1 HPS to LED retrofit
Higher humidity post-retrofit with increased plant biomass
Required advanced controls for multiple grow rooms
“Fluence LEDs have been a game-changer for us. When we switched to Fluence RAPTR LEDs, we saw an over 30% increase in total biomass and while maintaining our quality in our products. We can achieve the perfect balance of light intensity and spectrum, resulting in healthier and more productive plants. We are proud to work with Fluence and look forward to a bright future together.”
“When it comes to developing new strains and techniques with a customer-centric and plant-first approach, Dave and his team’s accomplishments serve as beacons for the entire cannabis industry. They are showing the world just how much potential still lies untapped in this magnificent and beautiful plant.”
These names are flavored by local landmarks and culture. For instance, Fig Bar is named after Figueroa—the main street through downtown LA; and Diamond Bar shares its name with a city in Southern California. Other popular original strains, such as Orange Push Pop and J1, undergo an intensive classification and naming process based on principle component analysis of terpene groups and chemical profiles. The passion and precision at Clade 9 is truly a sight (and a pungent, sweet lemony smell) to behold.
It is not surprising that Angelinos and Californians have fallen in love with Clade 9’s flower and community-centric, home-grown brand. It’s like watching the kid from down the street win gold in the Olympics. Their cannabis is that good, that pungent, and that ground-breaking in its composition and classification.
RAPTR (flower room) Fluence RAZR (propagation), SPYDR X (veg room), SPYDR 2i (two-tier flower room)
Reduced energy costs with LEDsIncreased biomass and bud qualityImproved environmental controls
With their indoor facility situated smack-dab in the middle of the concrete jungle, the Clade 9 team does a lot in a small amount of space. Following a series of hygienic thresholds, a short hallway leads to three ultra-modern grow rooms: a propagation/mother room with precious baby plants, a veg room with happy adults, and a double-tiered veg and flower rooms. Mobile racking ensures maximum efficiency of space and accessibility, above the plants. Defunct HPS lights were replaced in a 1:1 retrofit with advanced Fluence RAPTR fixtures. Fluence’s RAZR LEDs are utilized in the propagation room, and SPYDR X LEDs are used in the veg room. These fixtures allow for wireless flex dimming and photoacclimation through a programmable SHYFT controller, which is quickly becoming an industry staple due to its functionality and ease of use.
Most notably, Clade 9’s switch to Fluence LEDs led to improved biochemistry in the plants and a surprisingly large increase in total biomass. This was a good problem to have, to go along with their amazing quality. Brandan, the Cultivation Manager and Nic, the Propagation Manager, both have extensive educational backgrounds in biochemical plant science and agriculture—and have cultivated even more experience as growers and plant enthusiasts. They have learned the intricacies and specific needs of each strain over the course of many grow cycles. With a true hands-on approach, Brandan and Nick spend much of the day checking the plants and making miniscule adjustments to reach a “tolerable level of microclimates.” Nothing is perfect, and “nothing ever goes as expected,” but over time the Clade 9 team has dialed-in each room with spectacular results.
Dave Holmes and his close-knit team have proven to be a vanguard in the cannabis industry. They have demonstrated a passion to produce home-grown strains with award-winning quality on a consistent basis. But, more than that, Clade 9 is spearheading and changing how growers and consumers think about cannabis. In this way, Clade 9 exists in a league of its own.
As a mathematician and a science-minded visionary, Dave has developed a unique culture of cannabis education, phenotype decipherment, community outreach, and system of strain classification. To this last point, Clade 9 derives its name from “Clade” (a term in biological phylogenetics) and from the nine critical factors of growing exceptional cannabis: lighting, airflow, water, temperature, humidity, soil, CO2, nutrients, and root zone temperature. Just as clades are used to distinguish groupings of organisms with a common ancestor or similar traits in the Tree of Life, Dave Holmes has developed a sophisticated “grouping” system based on chemical composition, such as terpenes, and physical attributes that contribute to sensorial qualities.
In all these ways and more, Californians from south to north, and Angelinos in their own back yard, are proud of Clade 9’s success. Dave and his team have set the gold standard as home-grown champions of in-house craft cannabis strains.
Fluence cultivates commercial cannabis excellence through precision LED lighting solutions.
