Cleaning your Panel Wall After Harvest (Part 1 of 3)

Updated

Clean and sanitize your Flex Acre Panel wall right after harvest, while every plant space is empty. You pull the used rockwool cubes, clean the wall 4 Panels at a time, then sanitize it.

After Harvesting Lettuce & Herbs from your Flex Acre (Part 6 of 6), you can begin cleaning your Panel wall. We recommend running this task immediately after harvest and before your next transplant, while every plant space is empty. Your Flex Acre stays assembled for this task, your Panels stay in their Root Chambers, and the only thing that comes off the wall is the used rockwool. Follow the steps in Keeping your Flex Acre Clean before you begin.

Gather Tools:

  • Ladder
  • 3% Hydrogen Peroxide
  • Clean Towels
  • Scrub Pads

Step 1: Unplug the Pump

  1. Unplug the Primary Pump.
  2. Open the doors on the side you are cleaning, as this keeps your Light Bars away from the spray.

Step 2: Pull the Rockwool Plugs

  1. Set your ladder at one end of the side you are starting on.
  2. Pull each used rockwool cube out of its plant space, using the approximately 1/2 inch of stem your harvest left behind as a handle.
  3. Remove every plug from your Flex Acre before you spray anything, as a plug left in place hides the hole underneath it.

NOTE: Used rockwool cubes are typically not compostable and go in the garbage. Sorting the rest of your plant waste is covered in Part 2 of 3.

Step 3: Clean the Wall in Sections of 4 Panels

  1. Spray a section of 4 Panels with 3% hydrogen peroxide.
  2. Wipe the Panel surfaces with a clean towel to remove algae or salt.
  3. Wipe the gaps between the Panels.
  4. Wipe each plant space.
  5. Work a scrub pad over any spot the towel does not lift.
  6. Move to the next section of 4 Panels.
  7. Repeat until the entire wall is cleaned.

CAUTION: Spray the wall, not your Light Bars. The Light Bars are not waterproof.

Working in sections of 4 Panels is what makes the wipe-down work. Your section has to stay wet from the moment you spray it to the moment your towel reaches the last plant space, as 3% hydrogen peroxide lifts algae and salt while it sits on the surface. Spray a full side at once and the first Panels dry before your towel reaches them, which leaves the loosened salt back on the surface. Your Flex Acre carries 128 Panels, so plan on roughly 32 sections in total.

Step 4: Sanitize the Clean Wall

  1. Confirm the whole wall is visibly clean.
  2. Clean any section again that still shows a green film or a white salt ring.
  3. Spray the entire wall with 3% hydrogen peroxide a second time.

Cleaning and sanitizing are two separate acts in a fixed order, and the order matters here as much as anywhere on your Flex Acre, as this wall is the surface your next crop grows against. 3% hydrogen peroxide cannot reach through a layer of biofilm or dried salt, so finish the wipe-down first.

Your Panel wall is clean, sanitized and ready for its next crop. Well done!

Next: Cleaning your Tank Lid & Clearing the Floor (Part 2 of 3)