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Wiping Light Bars & Pruning your Plants (Part 5 of 5)

Part 5 of 5: How to finish the weekly circuit on your Flex Acre while your nutrients and pH settle

After adjusting your pH, you can begin the last two tasks of the week on your Flex Acre. Follow the instructions in this article to wipe your Light Bars and prune your crop while your nutrients and pH settle. Both jobs are done with your plants in the wall and your pump running, so the plant-facing half of your weekly circuit fits inside the hour your Tank cycles after a dose. Follow the steps in Keeping your Flex Acre Clean before you begin.

Gather Tools:

  • Hypochlorous Acid
  • Sanitizer
  • Clean Towels
  • Pruning Shears

Step 1: Wipe the Doors

  1. Open your first door.
  2. Wipe down the door with hypochlorous acid, keeping it clear of the Light Bar connection points.
  3. Repeat on your remaining 3 doors.

The connection points are where each Light Bar plugs into the next one on the door. They are the one place on the door that liquid must not reach, so work around them rather than over them.

Step 2: Clean the Light Bars

  1. Spray hypochlorous acid onto a clean towel, as this keeps liquid off your Light Bars.
  2. Wipe each Light Bar with the damp towel.
  3. Focus on the lower Light Bars by your Tank Lid, as salt is more likely to be present there.

  4. Work across all 4 doors until every Light Bar is clear.

Wiping your Light Bars keeps them clear and provides the maximum amount of light to your crops. Each door carries 10 Light Bars, so plan on 40 in total across your Flex Acre.

CAUTION: SPRAY YOUR TOWEL ONLY, NEVER YOUR LIGHT BARS. WATER IN DIRECT CONTACT WITH YOUR LIGHT BARS VOIDS YOUR WARRANTY.

Step 3: Prune your Plants

  1. Clean your pruning shears.
  2. Sanitize your pruning shears.
  3. Look at the base of each plant for the oldest growth.
  4. Cut away any dead or yellowing leaves.
  5. Transfer the trimmings into the designated red compost bin.

Dead and yellowing leaves are typically the oldest growth at the base, so start low on the plant and work up. Your crop stays in the wall for this and your Panels stay in their Root Chambers. The wall itself is stripped and sanitized after harvest, which is covered in Cleaning your Panel Wall After Harvest (Part 1 of 3).

Step 4: Scan the Crop

  1. Look across the wall on each side for yellowing leaves.
  2. Look for stunted growth.
  3. Look for purple discoloration.

Keep this weekly pass to a look rather than a diagnosis. A correction starts with a pH check, as a pH out of range is the most common cause of locked nutrients, and you have a fresh pH reading coming at the end of this circuit anyway. Follow the steps in Correcting Nutrient Deficiencies when you see any of these signs.

Your Light Bars are clear and your crop is pruned—well done! Return to Adjusting your pH after Dosing (Part 4 of 5) to read your pH and close the weekly loop.