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• 1. Placing ground cover / plastics
• 2. Enroll the gutter film
• 3. Installing AC film
• 4. Draw CO2 hoses
• 5. Inserting a substrate film
• 6. Placing substrate mats
• 7. Installing sticky trap rolls
• 8. Hanging high wire hooks
• 9. Positioning the plugs

Most growers choose to use the ground cover for several years. If the ground cover is due for replacement, start with it first during the crop rotation, so that you have enough space.

Gutter film is film that is attached to the cultivation gutters. It prevents the formation of residue, unwanted root growth, extends the life of the gutter and makes the cleaning of the gutters during the crop rotation a lot easier. Enrolling of gutter film can be done manually, but with the help of a Rewind trolley if can be much faster.

In the last few years AC film has been used more often at the start of the vegetable cultivation. By using AC film
the grower ensures a warmer greenhouse climate for the young plants. When retracting the film, you will need to take a number of points into your attention.  

CO2 hoses are quite fragile, which is why some growers choose to replace them every time they change crops. When the hose hangs between the crop, they are contacting the leaves and this is also advisable from a hygienic point of view. The placement of new CO2 hoses can be done more easily by using casting tubes. 

In the paths, substrate film is often placed between the piperail system. This ensures that paths stay tidy. It also ensures that no weeds can grow when you don't have a ground cover. If you do have a ground cover, it will ensure that the ground cover does not wear out as quickly. 

In many cases, a new crop starts with new substrate, which is more hygienic than to recycle the old ones. However, it is important that you place the substrate mats correctlyand that you make drain holes. Incorrect positioning can have negative consequences for cultivation.

After placing substrate mats, you can now begin with the hanging of the sticky trap rolls. 
It is best to do this before hanging the high wire hooks. If you do this the other way around, it might happen that the sticky trap roll ends up against the twine of the hooks and they stick together. This would make the installing of the sticky trap rolls a lot harder.

For easy attachment of sticky trap rolls, you can use sticky trap holders. Here you can slide the sticky trap into the holder and during cultivation you can slide the sticky trap holder up with it.

The next step is to hang the high wire hooks. Above each hole in the substrate mat you will need to hang a high wire hook. Make sure that you follow our instructions so that the hooks will work correctly. 

Attach the plugs into the tubing of the irrigation tube and put them into the substrate mat. It is very important that you put them at the right depth. If the sampler is not placed deep enough, it can fall out of the mat, preventing the plant from getting water or creating dry spots in the mat. If you insert the sampler too deep into the mat on the other hand, you could puncture the mat.

Crops should not be planted on dry mats. Therefore, drop the substrate mats at least 48 hours before planting full of the nutrient solution suitable for your crop. Make sure that the solution is warm (>18°C), so that the young plants won’t get a cold shock. 
Check if all mats are properly filled. When the substrate mat is full, the packaging film bulges and the nutrient solution is visible on the surface of the mat. If the mat is not full, fill it in manually with a watering can.

To drain the excess water from the substrate mat, puncture holes in the mat.

Then it's time to plant. A temperature between 18°C (64.4°F) and 28°C (86.8°F) provides the best conditions for rooting the plants. So make sure that the greenhouse and the substrate are at the right temperature.

Attach the plants directly to the twine of the high wire hooks. This can be done in two ways: by twisting them to the plant (by making an eight) or by clipping them to the plant. As soon as the plants are stuck, you can remove the support sticks.

The advantage of twisting is that you have less material costs, but with this method there is a risk of breaking the head of the plant. Clipping on is more expensive because of the price of the clipsand labour, but the chance of breaking the heads is way smaller. 

In the period after the planting, you will need to give limited water to control the right balance for the crop. After that you guide the mat to the required moisture content. When you have reached this level, you can start with the normal irrigation. You also make drain holes in the substrate mat to prevent the EC in the mat from getting too high. Drainage holes are cut from two to five inches at the bottom of the mat. If you make them higher, then a layer of water can remain in the substrate mat, causing root rot.  

Young plants need light to grow, but too much light can cause damage. If the new cultivation starts in a period in a lot of sun, make sure to apply shading agents in time. This way you protect the young plants and prevent heat stress and burning.

When you have cleaned and disinfected the greenhouse in the right way, you can start the new cultivation clean. This is, of course, what you want to maintain during cultivation. That's why you need to take the right measures. Use a hygiene planto help you with this. A hygiene plan includes a description of the hygiene measures that are taken on your company and how often and/or at what times these measures must be taken. These include hand- and foot disinfection, cleaning of materials and water disinfection. And think about a hygiene protocol for visitors as well.

A good hygiene plan is becoming increasingly important as a result of the reduction in the number of authorized crop protection products. Therefore it is recommended to spend sufficient time on this. This helps you to reduce the use of crop protection agents during cultivation.

As soon as the first flowering occurs, it is time for pollination. This is crucial for a good and healthy crop: without pollination, most crops do not develop or do not develop optimally. Pollination can be done manually with a pollinator, but also with bumblebees. The bumblebees are delivered in bumblebee boxes. It is important that you place bumblebee boxes in the right way.

The truss of young plants can quickly buckle, damage and/or split as they grow and the weight increases. Various clips can help to prevent this from happening. Apply these clips a few weeks after planting to give them extra support. Make sure during the first round of lowering that you do not let the plant drop too fast / too hard, because then the plant can tear at the rootstock. To prevent this, you can also use a clip.

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Which preparations do you have to make for the crop rotation?
Crop rotation is a very busy period for many growers. During this period, all kinds of different activities have to be carried out. In order to ensure that this process runs as smooth as possible, it is good to work in a planned manner and to make the right preparations.

How to handle waste water during the crop rotation?
During the crop rotation a lot of wastewater flows are created. These may contain fertilizers and crop protection products, so that they do not have to be discharged into surface water. How do you deal with this waste water?

How do you clean the greenhouse during crop rotation?
Cleaning the greenhouse is of great importance for a hygienic start for the new cultivation. Only this way you can protect the greenhouse from diseases, bacteria and pests from the old crop to the new crop. This is an important part of guaranteeing the quality of the crop and production.