In The Mix

Front Row Ag
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In The Mix by Front Row Ag delivers expert-led conversations on commercial cultivation systems, built from real-world experience across high-performance facilities. Each episode features industry operators and Front Row Ag specialists breaking down environmental control, fertigation, water quality, and data-driven decision making. Focused on proven methods—not theory—this podcast helps cultivators identify limiting factors, improve consistency, and drive measurable results.

  1. 2D AGO

    VPD for Every Stage of the Grow Cycle

    In this video, we break down the VPD ranges we use from veg through late flower, why plant posture is one of the most underrated metrics in the room, and the exact reason your humidity spikes every time your CO2 runs out. What's covered: VPD targets for veg (and why 0.9–1.0 is the sweet spot)Whether to use leaf surface temp or ambient air temp and why it mattersWeek 1–3 flower VPD and day/night humidity targetsHow to ramp VPD through late flower without running mold riskThe CO2/stomata/humidity connection most growers don't connectUsing plant posture as a real-time environmental feedback signal📊 VPD charts referenced in this video are available in our Grow Guide - link below. 🔗 https://books.frontrowag.com/frontrowaggrowguide2025ggusv12 Chapters 00:00 Intro — Common VPD Questions00:06 VPD in Veg: The 0.9–1.0 Sweet Spot01:03 Running Rooms Warm in Veg01:44 Leaf Surface Temp vs. Ambient Air for VPD02:03 Why Ambient Temp Is the Better Benchmark03:16 Week 1–3 Flower: Targeting 1.0–1.2 VPD03:57 Day vs. Night Temp and Humidity Strategy04:07 CO2, Stomata, and Humidity Spikes Explained06:12 How to Read Plant Posture as Environmental Feedback08:24 Week 4+ Flower: Ramping VPD Through Late Cycle09:04 Day/Night Temp Differential Strategy09:35 Managing Mold Risk as VPD Rises10:07 Using a VPD Chart to Plan Week by Week10:43 Adjusting for Your Facility and Equipment

    11 min

  2. 2D AGO

    What It Really Takes to Grow Purple

    Purple expression is one of the most misunderstood traits in cultivation. In this conversation, we break down why plants turn purple, when it’s genetically driven, and what actually happens when growers try to force purple expression through environmental stress. Lower air temperatures, cold root zones, spectrum manipulation, nitrogen tapering—these strategies can increase anthocyanin expression, but they don’t come for free. Many of the same levers that push color also slow photosynthesis, reduce energy availability, and introduce yield or consistency trade-offs. We also dig into: Why genetics set the ceiling for purple expressionWhy chilling root zones is especially riskyHow spectrum shifts are often the least damaging optionWhere nutrient tapering fits (and where it doesn’t)Why environmental uniformity matters more than most people realizeHow microclimates inside a room can quietly wreck nutrient strategyThis is not a “how-to force purple” guide. It’s a reality check on trade-offs, decision-making, and choosing the least damaging path for your operation.

    13 min

  3. 2D AGO

    How Top-Performing Commercial Cultivation Teams Organize the Day

    High-performing commercial cultivation teams don’t improvise the day. They start with a master production calendar, translate it into a short list of priority tasks, and use structured morning and end-of-day meetings to keep labor aligned and prevent drift. This conversation breaks down how top-performing teams organize the day—from calendar to canopy—so work stays efficient, predictable, and repeatable at scale. 00:00 - Why the day needs structure 03:10 - The master calendar as the real decision-maker 07:45 - Limiting the day to a few priority tasks - Why top teams avoid overloading the schedule 12:30 - Morning meetings: setting direction, not micromanaging 18:20 - Labor flow and task handoffs - How experienced teams sequence work across rooms and crews 24:10 - End-of-day meetings: closing the loop 30:40 - Scale changes structure, not principles - What stays consistent from small to very large facilities 36:00 - Why efficiency creates better outcomes

    16 min

  4. 2D AGO

    What Other Crops Can Teach Us About Canopy Design, Defense, and Yield

    Most growers treat this crop as biologically unique. That assumption breaks more things than it fixes. In this conversation, John Sokolik explains how well-studied crops like hops, tomatoes, hackberry, and lima beans reveal practical lessons about canopy density, light penetration, pest pressure, and plant defense signaling. Topics include leaf area index, under-canopy lighting, plant communication via jasmonic acid, and why some tissues become energy sinks instead of contributors. If you want higher efficiency—not just more biomass—this is the lens to use. Chapters 00:00 – Why treating this crop as “exceptional” causes problems 01:06 – Hops: same family, different canopy strategy 02:48 – Light penetration and under-canopy lighting results 03:55 – Leaf Area Index and diminishing returns 05:37 – Hackberry as a pest pressure warning sign 08:29 – Plant-to-plant communication and defense signaling 12:52 – Tomato trichomes and transferable research 14:00 – What growers should actually apply

    22 min

  5. APR 7

    How Many Plant Touches Is Too Much?

    Every time a plant is touched, there’s risk—and cost. In this conversation, we break down why plant “touchpoints” matter more than most facilities realize. From disease pressure to labor efficiency, excessive handling quietly inflates costs and introduces variability across a crop cycle. We walk through a simple exercise: counting planned plant touches from transplant to harvest—and show why many operations could remove entire steps by rethinking container strategy, trellising, and workflow design. This isn’t about cutting corners. It’s about designing systems that need less intervention to begin with. 00:00 – Touching = Risk 00:24 – Why Touches Matter 01:10 – Count Your Touches 01:56 – Target: ~6 Touches 02:34 – Too Many Is a Signal 03:29 – Trellis & Workflow Design 05:28 – Transplant Choices 06:24 – Do Less, On Purpose Apply for a commercial account to work with Front Row Ag and access a fertilizer line built for professional facilities—plus dedicated support to help streamline your operation. → https://bit.ly/3YNPcZG

    8 min

  6. APR 6

    4 Levels of Mixing Equipment

    Improper mixing equipment is one of the most common hidden causes of inconsistent feeds, validation failures, and wasted labor. In this episode, Front Row Ag formulator Matt Curran breaks down four levels of mixing equipment - from basic barrels and drills to fully integrated cone-bottom systems - and explain how each impacts solution quality, labor time, and feed accuracy. You’ll learn: Why drills and pumps often fail at scaleHow heat, air, and poor agitation cause foaming and scalingWhen it’s time to move beyond barrelsHow mixing quality directly affects EC validationWhy water temperature matters more than most people thinkIf your validation numbers don’t line up - or your team is rushing mixes - this video explains exactly why. 00:00 Why mixing equipment matters00:40 Tier 1: Barrels + drills02:05 Tier 2: Fixed barrel mixers03:24 Why pumps & aeration cause problems04:27 Tier 3: Cone tanks & recirculation05:19 Tier 4: Dedicated impeller systems06:55 Water temperature & solubility08:29 Common failures from poor mixing09:28 Validation issues explained Apply for a commercial account and get direct technical support https://bit.ly/4pzL36A

    11 min

  7. APR 6

    Why Outdoor Growers Are Reconsidering Seeds

    Outdoor growers are rethinking the seed vs clone decision—and not for the reasons you might expect. In this conversation, Front Row Ag’s technical team breaks down how modern seed genetics, crop scheduling, and early environmental exposure are changing what’s possible outdoors. We cover: Why seed-grown plants are now far more uniform than they used to beThe real logistical difference between seeds and clonesHow early hardening creates tougher, more resilient plantsWhat this means for large outdoor acreage and harvest consistency

    3 min

  8. APR 6

    Mixed Light & Outdoor: What Actually Determines Success

    Front Row Ag Technical Specialist Tyler Simmons chats with founders Matt Curran and Egan O’Keefe about what’s actually working in outdoor cultivation at commercial scale. In this conversation, the team breaks down real-world trends they’re seeing across commercial outdoor and mixed-light operations, including why many greenhouses end up costing nearly as much as indoor grows, how poor planning around light and infrastructure limits performance, and why smaller, in-ground plants are helping growers dramatically reduce labor and fertilizer costs. They cover practical topics like greenhouse design mistakes, DLI planning, plant spacing strategies, labor logistics, soil and water testing, fertilizer efficiency, and how some operators are moving from $25–50 per pound down to $10–15 per pound in just a few seasons. This episode is a grounded, field-tested discussion for cultivators navigating tighter margins, rising input costs, and the realities of large-scale outdoor production. Chapters 00:00 Greenhouse design mistakes 01:15 Why “indoor-level control” gets expensive 02:25 DLI and seasonal light reality 03:45 Sun spectrum vs indoor expression 05:10 Outdoor labor and plant size tradeoffs 06:55 In-ground vs container growing 08:45 Soil testing before feeding 11:30 Water quality challenges outdoors 13:05 Managing EC, sodium, and pH in fields 17:10 Silica and stress tolerance 22:10 Water temperature and pathogen pressure 25:00 Adjusting expectations by season 26:30 Enzymes in outdoor soil systems Apply for a commercial account for bulk pricing and technical support https://bit.ly/4jc8DVr

    31 min
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About

In The Mix by Front Row Ag delivers expert-led conversations on commercial cultivation systems, built from real-world experience across high-performance facilities. Each episode features industry operators and Front Row Ag specialists breaking down environmental control, fertigation, water quality, and data-driven decision making. Focused on proven methods—not theory—this podcast helps cultivators identify limiting factors, improve consistency, and drive measurable results.

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  • Creator
    Front Row Ag
  • Years Active
    2K
  • Episodes
    21
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © Front Row Ag
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    In The Mix