This Week’s Focus in the Greenhouse
This week in the greenhouse, our team officially began shipping pre-order live pepper plants as part of our three-week shipping window before transitioning to normal operations.
Customers were able to place orders for live plants starting in January, which helps us plan and grow the right number of each variety. This pre-order system allows us to better match production with demand and ensures strong availability across all varieties.
Many of the plants we grow are super hot pepper varieties, which require a longer growing season. By shipping live plants in April, customers have time to harden them off and get them established in their gardens, giving the plants the best chance to fully mature and produce a strong harvest.
Live Pepper Plants: Production Update
Current Growth Stage
Pepper plants throughout the greenhouse continue progressing through multiple stages, from nursery plants still developing to fully established plants now being prepared for shipment.
This range of growth stages allows us to maintain ongoing production while fulfilling orders at the same time.
Shipping Preparation in Action
This week, the entire team jumped in to help prepare plants for shipping.
Rockwool blocks are cut so each plant has its own individual growing cube. This step helps separate the plants and prepares them for packing. Rockwool is a soilless growing medium that holds moisture and supports healthy root development.
A greenhouse team member cutting rockwool to separate individual Purple Reaper pepper plants into their own cubes before placing them into trays for inspection and shipping preparation.
Each plant then goes through a visual inspection and quality check. Plants must meet our standards for health, structure, and overall quality before being approved for shipment. This includes checking leaf condition, plant structure, and overall growth to ensure each plant is strong enough for shipping.
If a plant passes inspection:
- A label is placed directly into the rockwool, identifying the plant variety
- The plant is then staged for packing and shipment
This year, we updated our labeling process. Instead of labeling the outside of the blister packaging, each plant is now labeled directly in the rockwool. This makes it easier for customers to identify their plants once they arrive and helps our shipping team pack orders more efficiently.
Plants that do not meet our quality standards are not shipped. In many cases, they are held back and continue to be cared for so they can improve.
Quality check in action: a Chinese 5 Color pepper seedling is inspected from multiple angles to assess plant health and structure. Once approved, a variety label is placed in the rockwool, indicating the plant is ready for shipment.
Observations & Wins
Team Effort
This week, the entire team jumped in to help prepare plants for shipping, making it a true group effort across the greenhouse.
We also want to give a big shoutout to our shipping team, who take on a significant increase in volume during this time while continuing to manage their regular workload. Their coordination and attention to detail play a huge role in getting plants safely out the door.
Our shipping team loading up the day’s plant orders from the greenhouse, transporting them to our main building to be packed and shipped out to customers.
Small Win
In a single day this week, the team prepped over 2,500 live pepper plants for shipment.
Seed Stock Production
There are no major updates for seed stock production this week.
Seed stock plants continue progressing through early growth stages and are looking strong as they develop. These plants are grown specifically for producing seeds rather than being sold as live plants.
Looking Ahead
As shipping continues over the next few weeks, the team will focus on:
• Continuing plant preparation and quality checks
• Monitoring plant health across all greenhouse stages
• Maintaining consistent care for both shipping and non-shipping plants
• Keeping orders moving efficiently and accurately
Staging tables at the start and end of the day: empty in the morning (left) and filled with inspected, labeled pepper plants (right), ready for pickup and shipment the following day.
What This Means for Home Growers
Everything happening inside the greenhouse right now is focused on getting high-quality plants into your hands.
From careful handling and quality checks to updated labeling and packing processes, each step is designed to ensure your plants arrive healthy, clearly identified, and ready to grow.
Shipping plants at this stage also gives you time to harden them off and establish them in your garden, setting you up for a successful growing season.
🌱 Keep Up with the Greenhouse
Missed a week?
👈 Week 14: Last Week’s Update
Want to see how the season started?
👉 Start at Week 1
Stay spicy friends, we’re excited to have the first plants officially on their way to your gardens!
🌶️ The Pepper Joe’s Growing Team