Crop DLI Analysis

DLI ("daily light integral") is the total amount of usable light your crop receives in a day, in moles of light per square meter. Every crop has a target DLI it wants; this tool estimates how much of that comes free from the sun through your greenhouse cover at your location and time of year, adds what your grow lights contribute, and shows the shortfall you still need to fill.

When planning or sanity-checking supplemental lighting for a greenhouse — especially heading into winter, when natural light drops and the gap to target grows. Enter your crop, ZIP, the month you’re worried about, and your greenhouse glazing to see whether your current light schedule actually hits the crop’s DLI target.

Natural DLI at Canopy is the free sunlight after your cover; Actual DLI adds your fixtures. If the DLI Gap is 0, you’re meeting the target — anything above 0 is the daily light shortfall. "Hours to Hit Target at this PPFD" tells you how long to run that fixture to close the gap; if it exceeds a sensible photoperiod, you need brighter fixtures or more of them, not just longer hours. Re-run for December vs June to see how much the season swings your supplemental need.