Course Plan
Step 1 - Start right
Step 2 - Get proper ventilation
Step 3 - Irrigate better
Step 4 - The necessity of dehumidifying
When conditions change, your ventilation needs to adapt.
Sudden temperature changes make plants go into protection mode which stops their growth for several hours.
Maintain an 8°F temperature range inside during the day.
Cold shocks aren’t only caused by freezing temperatures. A sudden drop of only 10°F can stress a plant enough to trigger its protection mode.
If this happens several times per day, harvest can be delayed by up to 4 weeks! This can also create fruit splitting and shelf life issues.
6:00 AM
It is sunny → you open the sides of your tunnel
8:30 AM
A cloud blocks the sun for several minutes → reduce your opening before the temperature drops 8°F (might even close it)
9:00 AM
The sun comes back → You reopen the sides before the temperature rises to 80°F
3:00 PM
High winds begin to blow → reduce/close the side exposed to the wind
This will ensure that whatever happens, you maximized growth as much as possible.
This looks like a hell of interruptions and mental load burden. But it is worth it. Maximizing growth every day of the season can turn an average yield into a great one.
Fortunately, automatic ventilation control is readily available. You only need to install motors on your roll-ups and control them with a system such as Orisha or Advancing Alternative.
Installing motors takes 2 hours.