This Week’s Focus in the Greenhouse
This week in the greenhouse, our team focused on planting pepper seeds, beginning active pest monitoring, and preparing for the next round of planting. As live pepper plant production continues to scale, we’re also getting ready to plant grower vendor and seed stock plants.
With multiple waves of pepper seedlings moving through the space, much of our attention has been on maintaining healthy growing conditions while staying ahead of what’s coming next.
Live Pepper Plants: Production Update
Current Growth Stage
Right now, we have pepper plants in every growth stage throughout the greenhouse, from newly planted seedlings to older plants nearing the next phase of production.
This staggered growth schedule allows us to maintain steady availability while continuing to plant new flats each week.
Recent Changes in Care
As plant volume increases, watering frequency has increased to support steady growth across all flats.
Older pepper plants are also being spaced farther apart as they mature to accommodate their expanding foliage. This helps prevent leaves from overlapping and reduces the risk of plants growing into neighboring trays.
We are maintaining our planned nutrient schedule, though plant size is being monitored closely. If plants begin growing too quickly, nutrient levels may be adjusted to help manage growth and maintain ideal size.
Our weekly Ghost Pepper check-in at 10 weeks old, now spaced farther apart to accommodate expanding foliage and support healthy growth.
Why These Adjustments Matter
Plant size management is especially important at this stage. We cannot ship pepper plants that are too large, and overcrowding can lead to foliage damage during handling and transport.
By adjusting spacing and monitoring nutrient levels, we help ensure plants remain healthy, manageable, and ready for home gardens.
Pest Monitoring & Prevention
As tables begin to fill, sticky traps are being placed throughout the greenhouse to monitor for pest activity. These traps are checked several times each week to identify potential issues early.
If pests are detected, targeted treatments using Crop Defender are applied as needed.
This proactive approach allows the team to respond quickly and protect pepper plant health as production continues to scale.
Part of our preventative care process, sticky traps are used to monitor pest activity before it becomes a larger issue.
Growing Plants for Seed Production
New Plantings & Growing Mediums
This week, we planted a new round of Dragon’s Breath seeds in rockwool to prepare for the next cycle of Dutch bucket production. At the same time, we also planted seeds into potting mix for local growers.
You’ll notice we use different growing mediums depending on the intended destination of the plants.
For plants that will eventually be shipped, we use rockwool instead of soil. It is illegal to ship soil through the mail due to agricultural regulations, so rockwool provides a clean, consistent, and reliable alternative for starting plants that may be transported. Over time, we’ve found rockwool to support strong root development while meeting shipping requirements.
Seeds planted in potting mix are grown locally by partner growers. These plants are cultivated to full maturity and harvested for seed, helping us maintain strong seed stock quantities and consistent availability throughout the season.
By combining in-house greenhouse production with trusted local partnerships, we’re able to support both plant health and reliable seed production.
Dragon’s Breath seeds planted in rockwool (top) for Dutch bucket production, and seeds planted in potting mix (bottom) for local growers supporting seed stock production.
Quality Control This Week
This week’s seed stock focus has been on preparing the Dutch bucket area for the next planting cycle for the Dragon's Breath.
This includes:
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Removing aging plants
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Deep cleaning buckets and irrigation lines
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Making structural updates to provide better plant support
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Cleaning and resetting the system before the next round of plants goes in helps maintain plant health and supports consistent seed quality.
The Dutch bucket area after older plants were removed and buckets cleaned in preparation for the next seed production cycle.
Observations & Challenges
What Didn’t Go as Planned
No major challenges were reported this week.
What This Means for Home Growers
Continued planting and careful plant size management help support better availability and healthier plants overall. Spacing adjustments, watering changes, and system cleanups all contribute to maintaining strong plants before they ever reach home gardens.
A Few Personal Notes from the Greenhouse
Small Win:
Seed germination rates are looking strong across recent plantings, always a great sign as new waves of seedlings emerge.
Biquinho White seedlings planted on 1/19 showing strong, uniform germination across both trays.
Stay spicy friends, another week of growth and preparation in the books,
🌶️ The Pepper Joe’s Growing Team