We've planted thousands of vegetable seeds in the last month. This is the first in a series of seed planting and potting up in the greenhouse, to be followed by transplanting germinated plants outside in the ground.
The greenhouse is kept to a 10 to 30 Celcius temperature range with a wood pellet stove. During the day we roll up the sides when it gets too hot. A fan is always running to keep a uniform temperature, and also, to move force out excess heat, and to reduce plant disease.
Watering is a challenge. There is a fine line between too much and too little water.
Too little water, and plant growth is hindered. Too much water can also hinder growth, and can foster algae on the soil surface. The algae can form a crust, which can hinder capillary action in the soil, which is essential for letting water out. The crust can also hinder newly applied water from penetrating the soil.
Ideally we'd water the plants with a spray gun, walking up and down the tables, but inevitably each tray requires different amounts of water. So spot watering is required.
These young plants are susceptible to minor factors. For example, we noticed that the plant in the corner of each tray where the white plastic label is positioned is typically more developed than the other plants in the same tray. This is likely because of the additional light reflected onto the corner plant by the highly reflective plastic label.
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