Week 27 brought steady care across every growing environment, a deep dive into wet wall maintenance, a quick diagnostic win on a struggling Dragon's Breath plant, and the moment every grower waits for, peppers popping on plants!
Seed Stock Production
Caring for Plants Across All Growing Environments
This week the team continued routine care across all of our active growing locations: the main greenhouse, two isolation rooms, three varieties in grow bags outside, and both hoop houses.
Each environment has its own rhythm and requirements, and staying consistent across all of them is what keeps the crop on track from week to week. No shortcuts, no skipped checks.
Wet Wall Pad Maintenance
The wet wall is one of the most important systems in the greenhouse, it's what keeps temperature and humidity stable when outside conditions are working against you. This week our greenhouse tech put together a detailed breakdown of how we maintain ours, and it's worth sharing for anyone running an evaporative cooling system.
Keeping the pads clean is critical for three reasons: cooling efficiency, airflow, and pathogen control. Algae, biofilm, bacteria, and debris build up over time and quietly degrade performance if you're not staying ahead of it.
Here's our current protocol:
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- Every two weeks, spray the wet wall pads thoroughly from every angle to loosen and remove buildup. Consistent cleaning improves both airflow and water distribution.
- Twice per week (Monday and Thursday), add 50 mL of 35% hydrogen peroxide to each wet wall tank to suppress algae and biofilm growth. This dosage is based on the total volume of water in our system.
Important note for anyone using hydrogen peroxide or other sanitizing chemicals: more is not better. Exceeding the recommended dosage increases the risk of phytotoxicity, meaning the treated water can damage nearby plant foliage if concentrations are too high. Stick to the recommended amount and adjust only based on your specific system volume.
Every two weeks, our team sprays down the wet wall pads from every angle to remove buildup and keep airflow and cooling efficiency where they need to be.
Dutch Bucket Troubleshooting: The Canary in the Coal Mine
One of the Dragon's Breath plants in the main greenhouse Dutch Bucket area started showing yellowing leaves this week. Rather than guessing, the team ran the water lines and traced it back to a clog somewhere in the system, the plant simply wasn't getting nutrients. Once the line was cleared and flow was restored, the issue was resolved.
Yellowing leaves on an otherwise healthy plant are often the first sign that something is off with your nutrient delivery, not the plant itself. It's worth investigating the system before assuming a deficiency. In this case, the plant did exactly what it was supposed to do, it told us something was wrong before it became a bigger problem.
For home growers: if you're running a drip or hydroponic system and see unexpected yellowing on one plant while others look fine, check your lines first.
One yellowing leaf among an otherwise healthy row caught the team's attention. A clogged water line was cutting off nutrients to this Dragon's Breath plant. Caught early, cleaned up, and back on track.
Peppers Are Coming In
More plants are joining the harvest club. This week we spotted peppers forming on plants in the isolation rooms and one of the hoop houses, adding to the grow bag varieties that have already been producing. The season is building nicely and we're watching closely as more plants start to set fruit.
It's happening. A pepper taking shape in one of our isolation rooms, the season is building and we are here for it.
Looking Ahead
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- Continue monitoring all growing environments across the main greenhouse, isolation rooms, grow bags, and hoop houses
- Maintain wet wall treatment schedule (hydrogen peroxide additions Monday and Thursday)
- Monitor the recovered Dragon's Breath plant for continued improvement
- Track fruit development in the isolation room and hoop house
What This Means for Home Growers
Waiting on your first peppers? Hang in there. Superhots in particular take time. Consistent heat, nutrients, and patience are what get you there.
Need more growing guidance? Visit our full library at Grow with Joe or send us a message, we are happy to help!
Keep Up with the Greenhouse
Missed last week? Week 26
Want to see how the season started? Start at Week 1
Stay spicy. Until next week, keep growing.
🌶️ The Pepper Joe's Growing Team