Cool Weather Crop Management

AUDIO TIP OF THE WEEK! Just about every week on this website you read a tech tip from Nick Flax, a technical services expert at Ball Seed. He shares a concern that’s come up during one of his numerous calls with growers across North America and the advice he offered to hopefully solve the problem. BUT … simply reading a tech tip can seem impersonal. So every now and then, Nick likes to record his weekly tech tip. It’s a bit more intimate and his ideas can flow more freely!

In this week’s audio tip, Nick will talk about some of your fall greenhouse priorities. He’ll break down the key environmental and cultural adjustments your production team should make as temperatures drop.

The focus starts with dewpoint management. Warm days followed by cool nights can quickly create condensation inside the greenhouse, increasing the risk of fungal diseases like Botrytis and Pythium. Nick explains practical strategies to stay ahead of humidity, including dehumidification cycles, greenhouse "burping," temperature setpoint adjustments and controller checks.

The discussion also covers crop culture changes that often accompany fall weather. As plants use water more slowly, irrigation practices may need to be adjusted to avoid overly wet conditions. Nick shares tips on irrigation timing, crop spacing, air movement and using objective measurements such as water-by-weight to guide decisions.

Finally, the audio tip reviews some disease prevention strategies for high-risk crops (like Poinsettias) and highlights the importance of maintaining a proactive fungicide program as environmental conditions become more favorable for disease development.

Now that you're transitioning from summer to fall production, this week’s tech tip offers practical reminders to help protect crop quality and reduce disease pressure during the season ahead.

Check out any of the recordings via Apple Podcasts, Spotify and YouTube.

LISTEN TO NICK’S TIPS …

• Apple Podcasts

• Spotify

• YouTube