This Week’s Focus in the Greenhouse
This week marked our second-largest planting of the season for live pepper plants, as production continues to scale inside the greenhouse.
With more flats filling tables, much of our focus has been on maintaining consistent watering, managing airflow, and closely monitoring temperature as outside conditions begin to warm.
The Germination Flood Table (marked “1 Germination”) filling up as our second-largest planting of the season gets underway.
Live Pepper Plants: Production Update
Current Growth Stage
Most plants in the greenhouse are in the seedling stage, with some varieties now reaching 10-11 weeks old. These older plants continue to develop structure and foliage as they move closer to their next production phase.
Our weekly Ghost Pepper check-in at right around 10 weeks old, continuing to build foliage and overall structure.
Environmental Conditions We’re Monitoring
Temperature remains a key focus this week.
While outdoor weather is increasing, the greenhouse is still closed up to protect against colder fluctuations. As a result, internal temperatures can rise quickly if not carefully monitored.
Maintaining stable greenhouse temperatures helps ensure consistent growth and prevents stress on young pepper seedlings.
Morning (8:00 AM, 66.9°F) vs. afternoon (1:00 PM, 87.6°F) greenhouse temperatures, illustrating how quickly internal heat levels can rise during the day.
Recent Changes in Care
As production increases and more space is utilized, airflow across tables becomes less consistent. With flats placed closer together, some trays retain moisture longer than others.
To help manage this, the team has been tilting certain flats on the edge of tables to allow excess moisture to drain and dry more evenly.
This adjustment helps maintain watering efficiency and keeps plants on schedule without overwatering.
Why These Adjustments Matter
Even moisture levels are important for maintaining consistent growth rates across all plants.
If some flats remain wetter for longer periods, watering schedules become harder to manage. Adjusting drainage by tilting flats allows the team to keep watering consistent without increasing frequency.
Some flats are gently tilted on the edge of the table to allow excess moisture to improve drainage and airflow.
Observations & Challenges
What Didn’t Go as Planned
As plants increased in size, we began testing an adjustment to our normal process: separating rockwool cubes earlier than usual.
Typically, rockwool cubes remain together until just before shipping. At that point, they are separated so each plant can be individually packaged.
Why We’re Testing Earlier Separation
We’re exploring whether separating plants earlier could reduce transplant shock before shipping.
When plants remain grouped in larger rockwool slabs, their roots can sometimes begin to grow into neighboring cubes. Separating them at the last minute may cause additional root disturbance. By separating earlier, we aim to:
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Prevent roots from growing together
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Minimize disruption close to shipping time
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Reduce sudden environmental changes before plants leave the greenhouse
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Challenges We Noticed
After separating some plants earlier, we observed that individual rockwool cubes dried out much more quickly.
This creates a balancing act. Increased drying would require more frequent watering. However, because each plant follows a structured fertilizer schedule, increasing watering frequency would also increase nutrient intake, potentially accelerating growth beyond our desired rate.
There is also a space consideration. Standard rockwool slabs hold 98 plant sections, while separation trays hold 50 sections. Moving plants into separation trays earlier would significantly increase the amount of greenhouse space required.
Adjustments Made or Planned
Rather than pausing the early separation test, we’re exploring adjustments to watering and fertilizing schedules to determine whether we can maintain proper moisture levels while keeping plants on track nutritionally.
This may include refining watering duration, frequency, or nutrient concentration to balance drying rates without accelerating growth.
As with any process change, adjustments are tested carefully to ensure plant health, growth control, and space efficiency remain aligned.
A separation trial showing individual rockwool cubes placed into separation trays, each tray holding 50 independent sections for individual plants.
Growing Plants for Seed Production
There are no new updates for seed stock production this week.
Last week, Dragon’s Breath seeds were planted in rockwool to prepare for Dutch bucket production, and seeds were also planted in potting mix for local growers. We are now patiently waiting for germination to begin.
Looking Ahead
Next week, the team will continue monitoring moisture levels closely and tilting flats as needed to maintain consistent drying across tables.
Temperature and airflow will also remain key areas of focus as planting volume continues to increase.
What This Means for Home Growers
Every adjustment inside the greenhouse is made with plant health and long-term success in mind.
Testing earlier separation, managing moisture carefully, and monitoring nutrient intake all help ensure pepper plants grow at a steady, controlled pace. By refining our process before plants ship, we’re working to minimize stress and deliver strong, healthy plants ready to transition into home gardens.
Scaling production isn’t just about planting more, it’s about maintaining consistency and quality at every stage.
Stay spicy and we're excited to have another big planting week completed,
🌶️ The Pepper Joe’s Growing Team