Week 39

October 1st

Greenhouse Action:

Cooling Target: 25°
Heating Target: 19°

Bench Heat: Off

Sidewalls:
Opened at 10:00, closed at 14:10

Shade Curtains:
Opened 100%

Irrigation:

Floor watered at 11:30

Climate:

Weather : Mostly Sunny
Temperature Max Zone 4: 28.08° at 14:37
Temperature Min Zone 4: 17.68° at 5:57
Mean : 20.85°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 64.5% at 21:00
Humidity Min Zone 4: 33.9% at 14:39
Mean: 52.16%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 30.56° at 14:39
Temperature Min Zone 5: 18.69° at 5:48
Mean: 21.67°

Humidity Max Zone 5: 56% at 11:15
Humidity Min Zone 5: 24.9% at 14:40
Mean: 42.82%

Week 39

September 30th

Greenhouse Action:

Cooling Target: 25°
Heating Target: 19°

Bench Heat: Off

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened 100%

Climate:

Weather : Sunny
Temperature Max Zone 4: 26.22° at 14:17
Temperature Min Zone 4: 17.24° at 6:02
Mean : 20.97°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 67.7% at 00:01
Humidity Min Zone 4: 34% at 15:26
Mean: 52.26%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 30.9° at 15:38
Temperature Min Zone 5: 18.14° at 4:37
Mean: 22.10°

Humidity Max Zone 5: 53.7% at 00:01
Humidity Min Zone 5: 24.2% at 15:33
Mean: 42.05%

Week 39

September 29th // Watering Practices

I have observed that some plants are not properly drench after some watering has been done.
When watering manually, it is important to give the amount of water necessary for the totality of the media in the pot has been drenched. For this to happen, it is sometimes good practice to give a second watering, especially when the media is dry. In that state, the water tends to not penetrate the media as easily as when it is slightly humid

Greenhouse Action:

Cooling Target: 25°
Heating Target: 19°

Bench Heat: Off

Sidewalls:
Down

Shade Curtains:
Opened 100%

Irrigation:

Floor watered at 10:45 and 13:30

Zone 5 bench 4 watered with Mg at 13:30
Zone 4 bench 4 watered with Mg at 13:30

Climate:

Weather : Mostly Sunny
Temperature Max Zone 4: 25.97° at 9:46
Temperature Min Zone 4: 16.81° at 6:03
Mean : 20.73°

Humidity Max Zone 4: 71.8% at 18:58
Humidity Min Zone 4: 38.2% at 13:28
Mean: 55.22%

Temperature Max Zone 5: 28.21° at 15:31
Temperature Min Zone 5: 17.45° at 6:11
Mean: 21.87°

Humidity Max Zone 5: 61.1% at 18:54
Humidity Min Zone 5: 27.5% at 15:37
Mean: 45.92%

Week 39

September 28th // Balancing Temperature

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%

Week 39

September 27th // More Good Bugs

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.

Amblyeseius swirskii
© 2023 Biobest Group

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%

Week 39

September 26th

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%

Week 39

September 25th // Spread the RWP Joy

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%