Flex Connect Operating Schedule & Protocols

Updated

Run your Flex Connect farm with a daily walkaround and the protocols below for water, drip lines, the pump, transplanting, and harvest.

How to perform a Daily Walkaround at your farm

The second best part of growing the food outside of experiencing the nourishment it is providing is taking a step back and absorbing with all your senses the fresh food production machine in front of you. Smelling the fresh air, feeling the air in motion, hearing the trickling of the nutrient water, and seeing the rich dark green living plants. There is no better way to start the morning! Perform this the moment you walk into the farm, and you will notice the transition from farm operations being a science to becoming an art.

Steps to perform during your Daily Walkaround

  1. Smell and feel the air, similar to how you can tell it's good compost when it smells good; the same goes for the farm. The air shouldn't be heavy or thick (too high humidity), and the air should smell fresh, there should be some motion to the air.
  2. If this is not the case, check your fans and ventilation (dehumidifier if you have one) and ensure all the equipment is working properly. An ambient air temp and humidity sensor are helpful to ensure you are within 65 to 75°F and 40 to 70% relative humidity.
  3. Hear the trickling of the unique water flow dynamics in the Flex Farms and the flooding of the trays in the Flex Micro, check the ground for any water, listening to the flowing of the pump. Check your Flex Farm tank's water level and remove any debris and/or extra-long roots. If anything sounds or looks amiss, check to make sure no water flow is obstructed, and water is getting to the pump. If there is a leak, identify the source, and depending on the severity, either place a towel in the spot of the leak or unplug the pump. Keep water away from outlets and cords.
  4. Check the lights to ensure they turn on when they should be and off when they should be.
  5. Inspect the plants for their health; if any plants look sickly (stunted growth, yellowing, overall discoloration, etc.), first ensure they are receiving water and light, then check the nutrient and pH levels to ensure you have proper water health. If all of these variables are being maintained, then we recommend checking your ambient air and humidity levels.

If you run into anything that is stumping you, contact us at 877-886-7736 or support@forkfarms.com. We have probably seen it before and can help troubleshoot.

Protocols to be Followed

These protocols are our minimum recommendation. You can check nutrient and pH levels more often if that suits your farm.

Water Maintenance: Ensure all Flex Farm tanks in operation remain above ¼ full

Water Flow Maintenance: Every 2 weeks, clean out every dripline hole and flush every dripline, as for a single Flex Farm (see Weekly Flex Farm Maintenance Checklist).

Water Flow Maintenance: When plants are in the Flex Farm, the Flex Connect pump should run 15 minutes every hour on its timer (see Flex Connect Water Health & Flow Maintenance), your vertical irrigation line ball valves should all be 100% open (unless otherwise stated), and your Flex Farm drainage valves should be 100% open.

Pump Backup Emergency: If your pump fails and there is not a backup pump immediately available, follow this procedure: Unplug the pump, shut all Flex Farm drainage valves, remove the vertical irrigation line from the Supply Line, and place and attach independent Flex Farm pumps in each Flex Farm to run each Flex Farm individually.

Flex Micro: Run the lights and pump as described in Setting up your Flex Micro. If you run more than one pump, stagger their 15-minute ON times so no two pumps run at the same time.

When Transplanting: Each rockwool plug should be flush with the planting space and every planting space should always either have a plant or a Panel Plug when the pump is on.

After Transplanting: check the Flex Farm tanks and remove any rockwool, leaves and/or roots that may have fallen into the tank.

During Harvest: Close the ball valve on the vertical irrigation line to the Flex Farm you are harvesting. Move the light tower to the side of the Flex Farm.

After Harvesting: check the tanks and remove any rockwool, leaves, and/or roots that may have fallen into the tank.