A lighting array and a method of using the same facilitate a lighting strategy that dynamically provides the photosynthetic photon flux density needed by a plant throughout its stages of growth while reducing power loss and waste caused by providing excess light during all stages of plant growth. LED placement patterns may be used to form a number of lighting channels on an LED board or an array of LED boards. These lighting channels may be individually controlled such that the ON/OFF state, intensity, and wavelength, of a plurality of LEDs may be adjusted to provide variable illumination levels and wavelengths of light customized for attributes of the plants being illuminated, such as their stage of growth, size, type, and/or shape.