How We Grow

Our Greenhouse

On one of our plots we have a very special greenhouse or crop protector system. We acquired it in 1999 from Cravo in Canada. It came in crates and boxes and it took several weeks to put it together. It was like a giant Lego set! Currently it is fully operated by a computer, which monitors humidity and heat through sensors in the greenhouse. The roof is divided in sections which can open from partially to completely depending on the needs. Also, there is a shade divided in the same sections which can open or close. So, for example, sometimes the roof will be open because it is very hot in the greenhouse but the shade will be closed to protect the peppers from getting sunburnt. The sides of the greenhouse can also roll up partially or totally, which is another way of controlling heat and humidity. All of this provides the perfect environment for the peppers to have a longer maturing time in the climate of the Bay Area, which gives them their renowned sweetness.

Sweet peppers

Every spring we have a soil sample tested and, if necessary, this is the time when we add compost, gypsum and woodash. However, because we have a very long growing season, the peppers need nitrogen and potassium later in the season. We use time-release urea, solution grade urea and potassium nitrate if our plants are showing deficiencies. A healthy plant produces wonderful sweet peppers.

Cucumbers

As you can see from the picture, we have adopted the Dutch method of growing cucumber plants in the greenhouse. After the seedlings come up in flats, the plants get put in the ground. As they grow, the lower leaves are pinched off and the vine is trained up a string clipped to an overhead wire. As the plant grows and produces fruit, we unwind the string from the wire above and lower the plant to make it easier to pick the cucumbers. We end up with the old stem of the plant wound up on the ground next to where the plant keeps growing from the tip. “This is one way in which we maximize the use of space so vital in the greenhouse,” says David Winsberg.