This Week’s Focus in the Greenhouse
This week in the greenhouse, our team continued shipping pre-order live pepper plants, with the bulk of shipments now completed as we move into the final week of our pre-order shipping window.
The majority of our time was spent preparing and shipping plants, making sure each one meets our quality standards before heading out to its new home.
As the final rounds of shipments are wrapping up, the team shifted focus to getting ahead on some of our processes for the weeks ahead, especially rockwool cutting, which will help streamline quality checks moving forward.
Live Pepper Plants: Production Update
Current Growth Stage
Pepper plants throughout the greenhouse continue to span all stages of growth, from newly planted seeds to plants being prepared for future shipments.
With pre-order shipping wrapping up, we now have more space opening up across the greenhouse, allowing us to get back to planting trays of seeds in rockwool and maintaining steady production for the rest of the season.
A greenhouse team member planting new pepper seeds in rockwool, helping keep future plant inventory growing throughout the season.
Shipping Preparation & Process Improvements
With most pre-order plants shipped, the team transitioned into getting ahead on rockwool cutting.
This season was our first time using separator trays, which hold 50 individual plants per tray. A full slab of rockwool contains 98 cells, meaning each slab nearly doubles the number of trays we need to manage once the plants are separated.
Because of this, the process of cutting rockwool and organizing plants into separator trays took more time than anticipated. We were not able to get all of the rockwool cut ahead of the pre-order shipping phase, which added time to our daily preparation workflow.
- Cutting rockwool ahead of time will allow for faster and more efficient quality checks in the coming weeks, helping improve overall workflow as we move into regular shipping operations.
- Rockwool is a soilless growing medium that supports root development and retains moisture, and preparing it in advance helps ensure each plant is ready for inspection and shipment when the time comes.
We learned a lot from this process and are excited to apply those improvements next season by getting an earlier start on cutting rockwool and utilizing separator trays more efficiently.
Carolina Reaper plants in two stages of preparation: uncut rockwool (right) and pre-cut rockwool (left), helping streamline quality checks and shipping prep in the weeks ahead.
Seed Stock Production
Seed stock plants currently in the greenhouse are continuing progressing through early growth stages, and we’re looking forward to seeing them transition either into our Dutch Bucket system or out to our local grower partners.
This week also gave the team an opportunity to plant a new variety for seed stock production. We planted Yellow Bhut Jolokia for our local grower partners, who will grow the plants out to maturity and, if all goes well, harvest seeds for future seasons.
Yellow Bhut Jolokia plants recently planted for seed stock production, which will be grown out by local growers to harvest seeds for future seasons.
Observations & Wins
Finding Our Rhythm Again
After a fast-paced three weeks of pre-order shipping, the tail end of this week felt like things eased up a bit.
With plants shipped out, more space in the greenhouse, and workflows starting to normalize, the team was able to settle back into a more sustainable pace while still staying productive.
It was a busy few weeks, and we’re excited to have so many plants now out in their new homes.
Looking Ahead
Next week, we’ll be sharing the total number of plants shipped during our pre-order season and it’s a big number. Pre-order shipments alone account for over half of the total live plants we sell throughout the entire year.
The team will continue focusing on:
• Maintaining plant health across all growth stages
• Continuing to plant new inventory
• Improving efficiency in the shipping preparation process
• Supporting ongoing and future shipments
With more space opening up in the greenhouse, we’re continuing to grow plants at every stage, from newly germinated seedlings to plants preparing for future shipments.
What This Means for Home Growers
With pre-order shipping complete, we’re continuing to focus on growing and maintaining healthy plants for the rest of the season.
The work happening now ensures continued availability of strong, healthy plants for customers, while also improving the processes that help plants arrive in great condition.
Keep Up with the Greenhouse
Missed a week?
👈 Week 16: Last Week’s Update
Want to see how the season started?
👉 Start at Week 1
Stay spicy friends, we’re excited to share next week’s shipping totals and keep things growing strong 🌶️
🌶️ The Pepper Joe’s Growing Team