Month: September 2023

When comparing our current climate data to last year, we noticed the average temperature inside the greenhouse on week 39 2022 was about 3° warmer than we are experiencing this time around.
This can be attributed to a few factors, one of them being that the average temperature outside was warmer. Another important factor to consider is that during fall 2022, the gutter vents were malfunctioning, reducing the airflow and increasing the temperature.

To help maintain a higher temperature, we adjusted the cooling temperature to 25°, which means the ambient temperature should get higher for longer period of time during the day. Ideally, this should help with growth, and water absorption.

Greenhouse Action:

Cooling Target: 25°
Heating Target: 19°

Bench Heat: Off

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened 100%

Irrigation:

Floor watered at 14:00

Climate:

Weather : Overcast and rainy
Temperature Max Zone 4: 26.45° at 14:09
Temperature Min Zone 4: 18.23° at 20:15
Mean : 20.69°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 70.5% at 00:01
Humidity Min Zone 4: 39.5% at 15:45
Mean: 59.3%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 27.28° at 14:29
Temperature Min Zone 5: 18.48° at 18:51
Mean: 20.96°

Humidity Max Zone 5: 62.5% at 00:01
Humidity Min Zone 5: 29.2% at 15:45
Mean: 52.02%

A total of 25000 Amblyseius swirskii were released in Zone 4 & 5 to help us with controlling the whiteflie population, and reducing the risk of a thrip infestation.
The mite lives on the plants, searching for prey among the leaves and is a generalist predator, meaning it will eat most soft-bodied arthropod, but has a preference for thrips and whitefly larvae.

We also released 25000 more Stratiolaelaps scimitus, the soil roam mite that hunts thrips pupae and fungus gnat larvae, and installed 100 cards of Ancarsia formosa, the parasitoid wasp that lay eggs in whiteflie larvae.

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened 100%

Irrigation:

Reds on Bench 1 in Zone 4 Spot watered with Mg
Bench 2 in Zone 5 Watered with Mg

Climate:

Weather : Overcast and rainy
Temperature Max Zone 4: 23.68° at 16:07
Temperature Min Zone 4: 18.03° at 00:47
Mean : 19.92°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 74.6% at 20:33
Humidity Min Zone 4: 58.6% at 14:35
Mean: 69.09%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 24.15° at 14:39
Temperature Min Zone 5: 17.6° at 2:53
Mean: 19.70°

Humidity Max Zone 5: 69.5% at 19:05
Humidity Min Zone 5: 48.6% at 14:43
Mean: 61.45%

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened 100%

Irrigation:

Zone 4 Bench 2&3 watered with Mg
Zone 5 Bench 3 spot watered with Mg

Climate:

Weather : Overcast and rainy
Temperature Max Zone 4: 25.92° at 10:28
Temperature Min Zone 4: 17.6° at 3:21
Mean : 20.43°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 70.8% at 12:12
Humidity Min Zone 4: 47.5% at 17:30
Mean: 63%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 27.51° at 10:33
Temperature Min Zone 5: 17.68° at 00:54
Mean: 20.05%

Humidity Max Zone 5: 64.6% at 12:54
Humidity Min Zone 5: 38.1% at 22:35
Mean: 59.73%

Cultural Activity

The plants are being spaced out today. Since they’ve been potted, all the plants were condensed onto 2 benches in Zone 4. By the end of the day, they will be spread onto the 8 benches in Zone 4 and Zone 5. The plants will be about 13inches from each other, stem to stem.

The plants will also be hooked up to our irrigation system, each plant being connected to a drip line.

Bench 1 in Zone 1 will be used as an experiment to test out a new system using halo water rings that should provide a more even irrigation around the plants.

Also as an experiment, some plants will be placed in zone 3 so we can see how they will be affected by the absence of the black out curtains that controls the number of hours the plants in Zone 4 and 5 will be subjected. The temperature setpoints in Zone 3 are also set to create a cooler environment than in zone 4 and 5, which will certainly affect the growth of the plants placed there.

Average Height : 19.9cm

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Climate:

Weather : Overcast and rainy
Temperature Max Zone 4: 23.53° at 15:33
Temperature Min Zone 4: 17.64° at 5:05
Mean : 20°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 74.7% at 5:18
Humidity Min Zone 4: 57.5% at 15:43
Mean: 68.3%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 24.33° at 15:33
Temperature Min Zone 5: 16.88° at 3:47
Mean: 19.05%

Humidity Max Zone 5: 70.7% at 8:30
Humidity Min Zone 5: 50.5% at 15:43
Mean: 63.92%

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Irrigation:

Pink and Whites on bench 3 watered with Ca(No³) at 11:00
Reds on Bench 3 spot watered with Ca(No³) at 11:00

Floor watered at 13:30

Climate:

Weather : Overcast and Windy
Temperature Max: 24.55° at 14:34
Temperature Min: 17.65° at 3:06
Mean: 20.14°

Humidity Max: 73.3% at 23:59
Humidity Min: 42.8% at 14:35
Mean: 58.89%

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Climate:

Weather : Overcast
Temperature Max: 23.59° at 14:29
Temperature Min: 17.34° at 23:15
Mean: 20.11°

Humidity Max: 68.5% at 7:41
Humidity Min: 56% at 9:38
Mean: 63.3%

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Up at 9:30
Down at 15:45

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Irrigation:

Reds on bench 3 watered with Ca(No3)

Floor watered at 15:30

Climate:

Weather : Mostly Sunny
Temperature Max: 26.07° at 16:2
Temperature Min: 17.31° at 5:17
Mean: 20.66°

Humidity Max: 68% at 23:54
Humidity Min: 36.8% at 16:50
Mean: 51.03%

I’ve noticed a significant amount of leaf growth on the reds this week.

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Up at 10:45
Down at 16:00

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Irrigation:

Floor watered at 11:15

Climate:

Weather : Sunny
Temperature Max: 26.57° at 16:01
Temperature Min: 17.11° at 1:54
Mean: 20.85°

Humidity Max: 65.6% at 1:48
Humidity Min: 30.9% at 16:46
Mean: 51.18%

The media of an observable amount of plants is staying saturated for a relatively extended amount of time. It is noticeable that most of these plants seem to not have developed the same amount of roots compared to other plants.

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Up at 9:45
Down at 15:45

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Irrigation:

Floor watered at 10:00 and 14:30

Climate:

Weather : Sunny
Temperature Max: 26.67° at 14:09
Temperature Min: 17.37° at 23:29
Mean: 20.24°

Humidity Max: 71.9% at 01:09
Humidity Min: 39.2% at 16:33
Mean: 58.09%

Greenhouse Action:

Sidewalls:
Down all day

Shade Curtains:
Opened at 100%

Irrigation:

Floor watered at 11:15

Climate:

Weather : Overcast, light showers
Temperature Max: 26.81° at 12:53
Temperature Min: 17.54° at 5:51
Mean: 20.55°

Humidity Max: 71.8% at 23:27
Humidity Min: 41.3% at 12:54
Mean: 59.96%