₦airaland Forum

LillyandDaisy:
No, but planning of moving to Oshogbo

cbrass:
Is there a company that builds this green house or it's something one can do ?
Also how will the plants get adequate sunlight in the greenhouse?

iykbethany:
....

iykbethany:
Yesterday, I mentioned that our pepper plants are experiencing abortions.
For those who don't know, in horticulture, 'abortion' refers to premature flower or fruit drop, which hinders plant development.

These are the common causes:
1. Insufficient pollination
2. Water stress
3. Nutrient deficiencies
4. Pests or diseases
5. Poor spacing

In our case, poor spacing is the cause, and the farm manager is to be blamed.

okoroemeka:
your crops are super and it will be a sacrilege to leave such healthy and good crops to fate,it is not yet late to properly intervene,what I will advice is this,if you still have empty land clear out a portion that you feel will contain at least 30-40 percent of the habanero in the greenhouse,after clearing,dig holes that will be the width and bredth of a shovel blade and one foot deep at straight lines,give it 3 ft spacing in between holes,also each line will be spaced by 3-4 ft from the next you can use nylon twine to make it straight, apply manure inside each hole and turn with shovel.,the holes will serve to conserve water during the dry season,a good containment for manure, fertilizer and manual irrigated water and save stress of ridge making.
Next go inside the habanero green house after serious irrigation , use shovel to remove every next crop,,this will be done in the evening when the sun is down,they will first use the shovel and punch the four corners of the crop and dig in deep from one side,all the root mass will come up in a nice square shape intact,they will carry it outside with the shovel and placed inside the hole and watered,next morning it will be irrigated before sun comes,nothing will happen, to it,we even retransplant fruiting pepper crop,if you leave that habanero farm like that I am seeing it might be a serious problem that is easily still aviodable,and pls don't even think about pruning as an alternative it will make the crops triple or quadruple in size and grow so many extra stems and foliage that you might mistake your greenhouse farm to be the congo rain forest in a few months time

iykbethany:
Thank you very much for providing this solution. I'm going to work on this immediately. God bless you

okoroemeka:
your crops are super and it will be a sacrilege to leave such healthy and good crops to fate,it is not yet late to properly intervene,what I will advice is this,if you still have empty land clear out a portion that you feel will contain at least 30-40 percent of the habanero in the greenhouse,after clearing,dig holes that will be the width and bredth of a shovel blade and one foot deep at straight lines,give it 3 ft spacing in between holes,also each line will be spaced by 3-4 ft from the next you can use nylon twine to make it straight, apply manure inside each hole and turn with shovel.,the holes will serve to conserve water during the dry season,a good containment for manure, fertilizer and manual irrigated water and save stress of ridge making.
Next go inside the habanero green house after serious irrigation , use shovel to remove every next crop,,this will be done in the evening when the sun is down,they will first use the shovel and punch the four corners of the crop and dig in deep from one side,all the root mass will come up in a nice square shape intact,they will carry it outside with the shovel and placed inside the hole and watered,next morning it will be irrigated before sun comes,nothing will happen, to it,we even retransplant fruiting pepper crop,if you leave that habanero farm like that I am seeing it might be a serious problem that is easily still aviodable,and pls don't even think about pruning as an alternative it will make the crops triple or quadruple in size and grow so many extra stems and foliage that you might mistake your greenhouse farm to be the congo rain forest in a few months time

Munzy14:
Very good suggestion..

He should do a serious pruning as well...The farm focused it's energy on leaf production ..

Pepper and Tomato are too sensitive things to grow if you fail to master how to switch them from vegetative growth to flowering and fruiting stage.

okoroemeka:
From experience I think hot peppers need to be pruned or topped once if you like from 30-50 days the growing tip will be pinched out and it will bring out more extra branches,this is usually enough,,even this will push back the maturity period by 2-3 weeks,if you continue to prune it like tomatoes you might end up with a crop that will take 200 days to mature,hot peppers are hardy and tougher than tomatoes by far and naturally when the crop starts out the Y branches in 60-70 days it will start flowering,this is when to switch foliar application to flower and friut booster with higher P and K than N,but to me the single most important step in pepper farm is the variety,if it is not resistant to viral diseases it is a waste of time

Munzy14:
Actually the pruning is done few weeks after transplanting from the nursery.

This allows for more branches at the top, rather than the usually branching from stem closer to soil.

Then, ones flowers set, just like you said attention will leave N(nitrogen), and focus on P(phosphorus) and K (potassium). Then irrigation shouldn't be less or more..A farmer must strike a balance.

Variety matters a lot.

If one is thinking of commercial.

iykbethany:
Here are todays pictures. We will most likely harvest this weekend.

I did experiment with planting both habanero and Bell Peppers on the open field and surprisingly, they all survived.

So in my opinion there's no need wasting millions on a greenhouse if they can survive in an open field.
I will like the experts to share their opinions on this

iykbethany:
Here are todays pictures. We will most likely harvest this weekend.

I did experiment with planting both habanero and Bell Peppers on the open field and surprisingly, they all survived.

So in my opinion there's no need wasting millions on a greenhouse if they can survive in an open field.
I will like the experts to share their opinions on this

okoroemeka:
well it depends on choice and management style but a few weeks after transplanting is a flowering crop and you don't want to stress it at that stage, we don't even like prune or top it causes bigger bushy plants and pushes forward the maturity date,there is a section we planted 1500 crops and ground squirrels cut off all the growing tips,even at 4 ft spacing it is already growing tight and some are touching each other,,we also have another 1500 of same crop planted were squirrels didn't attack it,we are already harvesting from the unpruned batch while the pruned side are still busy growing bushy large,from my observations the pruned batch will yield more when it eventually starts but the interesting question will be ,will the yield difference worth the extra wait? only time will tell

Munzy14:
Yes. Pruning usually delay early harvest. But trust me, it pays more later.

Plus a longer HARVEST time. The pruned plants will produce more over time.

I also noticed, some hot pepper variety, after fruiting for a while with being harvested, tends to slow down a bit, then rejuvenate the next year around same time they were planted the previous year. And this time around will flower and fruit beyond expectations.

HMarshal:
Hello poster, can you share your email? Some of us intending to venture into this will like to consult you on how to. Or please shoot me an email on ericjohnjnr@yahoo.com

iykbethany:
As an entrepreneur, I’ve always looked for ways to invest in the agricultural sector because agriculture offers more than just business opportunities. It's a way to create jobs, generate wealth, and contribute to food security. 

I ventured into agriculture many years ago to create jobs, create wealth and food security so iykbethany farms is a project that is very important to me, but the journey hasn't been easy at all. There have been trials and errors along the way and I have been documenting everything so others can learn from the process, my mistakes and struggles.

I already have other farms for banana, plantains, oil palm and pineapples but one other venture that really caught my eye was greenhouse farming due to its immense potential to improve crop yields and maximize the use of limited land.

 Here is a link to my journey with Malaysian Supergene Oil Palm Seedlings: https://www.nairaland.com/8190065/sowing-future-journey-1000-malaysian#131594024

The Decision to Venture into Greenhouse Farming
The idea to invest in greenhouse farming came from my observation of Nigeria's agricultural sector.
Agriculture remains a critical part of our economy, yet many farmers still rely on traditional open-field farming, which is vulnerable to weather fluctuations, pest infestations, and inconsistent crop yields. With greenhouse farming, I saw an opportunity to leverage controlled environments to optimize crop growth, especially for high-value crops like habanero peppers.

Initial Setup and Consultation
The first year I ventured into agriculture, I went into Plantain and cassava farming without consulting any professional so the project failed woefully. So these days I do a lot of research and I consult widely. Since greenhouse farming was a new venture for me, I knew that consulting an expert was critical to ensuring the project's success. So I turned to a greenhouse expert I met on Nairaland. After several discussions, I hired him to oversee the construction of the greenhouses and other necessary infrastructure on the farm.

The project plan included:
Setting up two greenhouses: One dedicated to habanero peppers (Habanero F1) and the other for bell peppers (Hercules F1 red and Abbey F1 yellow).

Constructing a water tank stand: This would support two large water tanks that were crucial for the irrigation system.
However, it wasn’t long before we encountered a significant setback.

Unfortunately, the tank stand collapsed on the very day we filled the tanks with water. It turned out that the contractor used inferior materials, specifically low-quality metal, for the structure. As a result, the tank stand could not support the weight of the filled tanks, leading to its collapse.

Damage and Financial Losses
When the tank stand collapsed, the two water tanks were severely damaged, leaving them unusable. This resulted in unexpected financial losses, as I had to buy two new water tanks.

Moreover, the entire tank stand had to be reconstructed from scratch but this time I used manual labour and I decided to use blocks and cement. 

The total damage and reconstruction costs included:
The cost of buying two new water tanks.
The expense of reconstructing the tank stand with stronger, more reliable materials—this time, I opted for a tank stand made from concrete blocks and cement instead of metal.

Lessons Learned from the Setback
While the setback with the water tank stand was a major hurdle, it also taught me several valuable lessons about managing a greenhouse farming project. As an entrepreneur, it’s essential to not only focus on the potential profits but also to be mindful of the process, quality of materials, and the people involved in the project. Also, I have found out that water tank stands made of block and cement are stronger than those made of metals. And it is cheaper as well. 

After completing the greenhouse construction, I decided to hire a farm manager/agronomist to help oversee the operations. I will never repeat the mistakes I made years ago when I planted cassava and other crops without proper supervision. So I found someone from UNIPORT who had the knowledge and skills I was looking for. Since he’s still a student at Uniport, he requested free furnished accommodation on the farm, along with cooking utensils, to make it convenient for him to manage the farm while continuing his studies.  

This is a pilot project so I am still learning and documenting the whole process. 

Phase 1: Seed Germination and Nursery
- Raised 1,000 seeds each of red and yellow bell peppers and habanero peppers- Germination occurred after 7 days- Nursery duration: 28 days before transplanting

Phase 2: Farm Preparation
- Cleared the farm
- Created ridges
- Installed irrigation system
- Opened holes for planting
- Applied manure and NPK 15.15.15 fertilizers

Phase 3: Transplanting and Greenhouse Setup
- Transplanted seedlings into two greenhouses:   
- Habanero F1   
- Bell Pepper (Hercules F1 red and Abbey F1 yellow)
- Set up:   
- Binding wire (upper and lower lines)   
- Staking rope

Feeding Pattern
- Week 1: Plain water
- Week 2: Nitrogen application
- Week 3: Calcium nitrate application
- Week 4: Potassium nitrate application

Conclusion
Greenhouses are a valuable tool for improving agricultural productivity in Nigeria, especially for crops like habanero peppers and bell peppers. By providing a controlled environment, greenhouses help farmers overcome the challenges of traditional farming, such as unpredictable weather and pests. The structured approach to farming, from seed germination to transplanting and feeding, ensures high yields and quality produce.

Most Nigerians do not know that the reason foodstuffs are expensive is because of insecurity in the North. Northern Nigeria is our food basket but sadly bandits and terrorists are attacking farmers on a daily basis. In some Northern states, farmers cannot access their farms without paying hefty ramson to bandits and there is no guarantee you will come back alive even after paying the ransom.
If the government can tackle insecurity, food prices will drop dramatically.

iykbethany:
This is today's photos and videos of our Bell Pepper and Habanero Pepper project. The
plants are doing alright. But we're facing a challenge with flower/fruit abortion, just like someone pointed out in the comments section.

Despite this setback, the plants' overall health looks good. We'll continue monitoring and adjusting our care strategies.

Any advice or insights from fellow gardeners / farmers are welcome.

#iykbethanyFarms
#iykbethanyGroup
#HabaneroPepper
#BellPepper


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1wcLU82tU10?si=YUae4kckbD05uETr

billyG:
Is it an open pollinated pepper?if that place is enclosed no insect will get in to pollinate it,if not pollinated it will drop off instead of forming fruits.

billyG:
Is it an open pollinated pepper?if that place is enclosed no insect will get in to pollinate it,if not pollinated it will drop off instead of forming fruits.

iykbethany:
Harvest Day.

We harvested our Bell peppers and habanero peppers on Friday last week.

We will be harvesting again this Friday.

Harvest Day is truly a farmer's happiest day. Nurturing crops from seed to maturity is not an easy task.
Congratulations
With the success of this pilot project I'm now converting every empty land to a pepper farm. For example, there's this empty space in my sister's restaurant that I started clearing since Monday.

It's just one plot of land but going forward, we will get all our peppers, ugu, vegetables, water leaf, ukazi, uziza, bitter leaf and even tomatoes from that small parcel of land. From farm to fork

#FruitOfOurLabor
#iykbethanyFarms


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KANJw04axxs?si=tzsYwWUJHYDpcOOX

iykbethany:
Harvest Day.

We harvested our Bell peppers and habanero peppers on Friday last week.

We will be harvesting again this Friday.

Harvest Day is truly a farmer's happiest day. Nurturing crops from seed to maturity is not an easy task.

With the success of this pilot project I'm now converting every empty land to a pepper farm. For example, there's this empty space in my sister's restaurant that I started clearing since Monday.

It's just one plot of land but going forward, we will get all our peppers, ugu, vegetables, water leaf, ukazi, uziza, bitter leaf and even tomatoes from that small parcel of land. From farm to fork

#FruitOfOurLabor
#iykbethanyFarms


https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KANJw04axxs?si=tzsYwWUJHYDpcOOX

iykbethany:
.....