Greenhouse risks, Ice storms, Stocking up

Although present temperatures in Mississauga are relatively mild, according to the fourteen-day trend on the Weather Network website, our temperatures are about to plummet into the minus three to minus six Celsius range.

Historically, as in many other places, January and February are the coldest months in our area. My thoughts returned this week to the famous Ice Storm of 1998, when freezing rain fell on Ontario, Quebec, New Brunswick and parts of New York State for five days straight.

The results were catastrophic. Utility poles were falling like matchsticks and over a hundred transmission towers collapsed under the weight of the ice. Millions of trees fell and over 4 million people found themselves without power, some for extended periods of time.

I was happily married then (or so I thought) and I wasn’t growing carnations. My husband and I shut off all the water mains into our house and drove our SUV down to New York City, to be able to fly down to Cancun for the duration.

The storm happened right after the Christmas holidays, January 5-10, almost nine years ago. Thinking about it now, it started me worrying about what might happen if a similar disaster were to strike. What would happen to my flowers? Am I ready?

No escaping to Mexico this time, if it does happen. I started making enquiries about alternate sources of power. Southern Ontario gets a lot of sun, even in winter, so I’m making arrangements for solar panels to be installed on my roof.

A half a dozen 185W panels will supply enough energy to run one 600W High Pressure Sodium light until the emergency is over. I can’t afford to buy a complete solar system, which would run all six of my 600W lights.

These six solar panels will provide additional electricity to run my Drip Irrigation Hydroponic system as well as some of my fans and one oil-filled radiator for heat.

A complete solar system generating 4000 Watts is out of the question, nor can I afford to buy a diesel generator that is big enough to handle such a large load. Both of those options exceed thirty-thousand dollars, which is out of my reach at the moment.

In addition, I have to make sure that I have enough plant nutrients on hand to feed my flowers. If an emergency happens, transportation will certainly be affected, so I can’t count on any supplies getting through.

I ordered enough of my basic 3-part fertilizer, Micro, Grow, and Bloom, to last me a couple of months. I also replenished my Mother Earth Super Tea Grow supply, as well as the quantities required for a sixty-day period of Grandma Enggy’s Humic and Fulvic Acids, which are essential ingredients in my feeding regimen.

I took stock of my B-52 and Barricade supply and found that I had enough to last me until March. But as far as Piranha, Tarantula, and Voodoo Juice are concerned, I had to re-order all of them. Ditto for Scorpion Juice.

The Nutrient Calculator calls for generous portions of Sensi Zym to be mixed into the nutrient solution, so I asked Advanced Nutrients to send me some more of this vital ingredient. I used to pick up these supplies from my local garden shop, but now I find that the Advanced Nutrients online store is so much more convenient.

The acid-alkaline balance correctors, pH Up and pH Down are also very important to have on hand, so I made sure that I had plenty of these left over from my last order.

The estimated cost of the 1998 Ice Storm was five and a half billion dollars. I am determined not to become just another statistic on the debit side of the next disaster.

I found a booklet online called “Risk Reduction for Greenhouse Growers,” and ticked off all the possible things that could go wrong with my grow operation. Electricity supply failure will hopefully be handled by the six solar panels that are being installed as I write this.

They provide direct current (DC) so I have to get a converter to Alternate Current (AC) which is in general use.

Equipment failure is the second category of risk and I’m brainstorming with some fellow flower growers about what to do if my Drip Irrigation System malfunctions.

A constant supply of clean water is essential for any flower growing operation, so I’m having a special filter installed to purify my water source. Recently, there was a turbidity problem in British Columbia that played havoc with greenhouses in that province.

The weather is always an unknown factor. I just have to make sure that I have adequate heating and cooling for any temperature extremes and adequate stores of supplies in case the weather cuts off my supply routes.

Disease, pests, and the fluctuations of the market place are always risky. By using Barricade and Scorpion Juice I’m reducing the risk of pathogens and pest attacks on my flowers.

I don’t have time to worry about the market variable right now, since I must make my deliveries in time for Christmas. My carnations will grace many a holiday table, and I’m proud of that.