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In the second part of the spray series, we’re covering sprayer calibration. Hopefully this is something that you’re already in the practice of doing periodically and this topic is a refresher for all. In this article, we’ll cover some key steps in the calibration process.

Always remember to follow the manufactures guide and recommendations for the calibration process!

Spring is in the air, which means it's spray season here at CropKing! In order to combat pests, disease causing microbes and other "invaders", we use a sprayer to apply chemicals and protect the plants we are caring for. From handheld, to air-assisted sprayers or foggers, there are many options and lots of information to consider when purchasing. This series will help both the seasoned and novice grower with help spraying. First, lets discuss some of the types of sprayers that are available for growers.

Ralf du Toit grew up in South Africa and served in the military, where service was required, until 1989. He was injured, and in 1989 and 1990, ended up working on a hydroponic farm. “It was a rose grower who developed different rose varieties with hydroponic systems — and that’s where I learned about hydroponics,” he says.

Growing indoors can be a fulfilling endeavor that utilizes an existing building or room. Many non-greenhouse structures are insulated, offer protection from the outdoor environment, and can be modified to suit many crops. Growing indoors and growing in a greenhouse share many aspects, however indoor operations present unique considerations.

Lighting

Microgreens offer a wide variety of choices in taste, texture, and even color. Growers can find success by adding an extra step or otherwise increasing their knowledge on microgreen growing. Below is a round-up of 7 different colorful varieties.

The slower greenhouse season has given me a chance to plan for the next few months. With my extra time on hand, I have been able to put together some new and exciting things to grow in the greenhouse! We also have some new projects happening around here that will be fun for us in 2019, so without any more time being wasted let’s get into it:

New Leafy Greens

One aspect of farming that is often overlooked is the quality of source water being used for crop production. For many greenhouse growers, winter provides a break to clean up and analyze data after a long growing season. Having a sample of your source water analyzed from time to time provides important information for realizing patterns and planning for the next growing season.

Results from a water analysis provide the following information:

When the hail started falling in Grinnell, Kansas, there were plenty of disappointed people looking toward Dan and Carol Buck’s 4B Farms. That’s because their CropKing greenhouse wasn’t just standing — it was unpierced, none of the ice shards came close to cutting into his facility.

“I had a lot of big farmers watching me, thinking that first hail storm would be the end of my greenhouse,” Dan said.

Are you interested in growing microgreens indoor year round, or for the winter months? Today’s blog will help you make the right decisions while growing healthy and nutritional microgreens. Microgreens are most commonly harvested from leafy greens such as kale, arugula, radish greens and herbs. The taste of microgreens depends on the original vegetable. Microgreens have a very strong and concentrated taste of the original vegetable. This means that cilantro microgreens will still taste of cilantro, but with a stronger taste and condensed format.