Do you want to get the maximum yield from your greenhouse crops? The key is to correctly promote the flowering stage. This moment is decisive to achieve abundant, quality and profitable production in the long term.

From Hydroponic Systems We explain to you what are the essential factors that affect flowering and you will learn what practical systems and strategies exist to optimize it. We tell you how to correctly manage greenhouse conditions so that you obtain results that really make a difference in your production.

Impact of good flowering on productivity

The flowering stage is one of the most critical moments in the life cycle of any crop. In a controlled environment such as the greenhouse, where the objective is to optimize each resource and maximize production, achieving abundant and well-synchronized flowering is necessary.

The more quality flowers a plant produces, the greater its potential for fruits or commercial products, depending on the type of crop. Furthermore, the uniformity in flowering facilitates harvesting tasks, improves the efficiency of technical management and allows for better marketing planning.

Economic and quality benefits of good flowering

The economic impact of good flowering is reflected in multiple aspects: more production, higher quality, and greater commercial value. Weak or irregular flowering, on the other hand, can compromise the entire campaign, affect the shelf life of the product and limit the ability to meet commercial standards.

Furthermore, when flowering conditions are optimal, the fruits or flowers that develop tend to be more homogeneous in size, shape and color, which facilitates classification, improves presentation and, therefore, increases the competitiveness of the final product.

Key factors influencing crop flowering

Light and photoperiod

• Quantity and intensity: In general, flowering plants require greater light intensity to develop robust and abundant flowers. In greenhouses, natural light can be complemented with artificial lighting, especially in low light seasons.
• Photoperiod: The length of the day directly influences flowering. Some plants flower with long days (more than 12 hours of light), while others require short days to induce flowering.

Temperature and humidity

• Temperature: Most crops require moderate daytime temperatures and somewhat cooler nights. Inadequate control can delay or even prevent flowering, generating stress in plants.
• Humidity: The ideal humidity in greenhouses depends on the specific crop, since each plant has different needs. We share some general ranges of relative humidity recommended for the most common crops in greenhouses:
  • Tomato: 60-75%
  • Pepper: 60-80%
  • Cucumber: 65-80%
  • Strawberry: 60-75%
  • Ornamental flowers (roses, gerberas, chrysanthemums): 60-70%
  • Sensitive crops such as lettuce and spinach: 70-85%
  • Aromatic plants (basil, coriander): 50-70%

Although these ranges serve as a general reference, the ideal is to adjust the humidity according to the crop stage:

• During germination and vegetative growth: Higher humidity (70-85%) is usually required to promote initial development.
• During flowering and fruiting: It is advisable to slightly reduce humidity (55-70%) to avoid problems with fungal diseases or difficulties in pollination.

Ventilation and air circulation

Adequate ventilation and air circulation is essential to maintain optimal conditions inside the greenhouse:

• Reduces humidity accumulated in the leaves and flowers, limiting the risk of fungal diseases.
• Air circulation strengthens the stems and improves flower quality by promoting adequate gas exchange.
• Allows maintain stable temperatures, especially in times of high outdoor temperatures, favoring a more homogeneous flowering.

Substrate quality and root development

• Good aeration and drainage: The substrate must allow the roots to breathe properly, avoiding waterlogging and facilitating healthy root development.
• A rich and balanced substrate Ensures that plants receive the necessary nutrients at each stage of the floral cycle.
• pH and structure stability: They avoid problems in the absorption of nutrients that could affect flowering.

Strategies to maximize flowering

Flowering can be managed strategically to achieve exceptional results in your greenhouse crops. There are various techniques that can make a big difference in the quantity and quality of the flowers and fruits obtained. We present four effective strategies to maximize flowering.

1. Control of water stress to induce flowering

Controlled water stress is a delicate technique that consists of temporarily reducing irrigation to stimulate plants to initiate or improve flowering. However, it is crucial to apply it at specific stages of the crop cycle to obtain good results and avoid negative effects.

Just before the start of flowering (floral induction)

Many plants react to a slight water restriction just before starting the flowering stage, since they interpret this shortage as a signal to enter the reproductive phase.

The reduction in irrigation should be slight and controlled, keeping the plant at the limit of mild stress, without reaching extreme wilting.

• Common crops: tomato, pepper, citrus, vineyard.

 During the transition from vegetative growth to flowering

Just when plants are transitioning from an active growth phase (forming leaves and stems) to a reproductive phase (forming flowers), mild water stress can favor this transition.

A temporary reduction in irrigation (between 4 to 7 days, depending on the crop) helps to consolidate the entry into flowering, more uniform and faster.

• Common crops: tomato, cucumber, strawberry, zucchini.

In fruit crops, just before fruit set

In fruit trees such as tomatoes or peppers, applying mild water stress just before fruit setting helps ensure better fruit formation.

The plant allocates energy towards the formation of flowers and fruit set, prioritizing this process instead of continuing to grow vegetatively.

• Common crops: tomato, pepper, eggplant, melon.

2. Proper use of fertilizers and biostimulants

• Slightly increases the contribution of phosphorus and potassium, key nutrients to stimulate floral development and improve the quality of the flowers.
• Products like seaweed extracts, amino acids and humic acids can improve stress resistance and increase flower production by naturally activating metabolic processes in plants.

3. Pruning and management of vegetative growth

Removing unnecessary branches or shoots allows the plant to focus its resources on developing larger, stronger and more abundant flowers.

• Training pruning: Do it at the beginning of the crop to correctly structure the plant.
• Maintenance pruning: During vegetative growth, eliminate secondary or unproductive shoots to concentrate energy on floral production.

4. Assisted pollination techniques in the greenhouse

In controlled greenhouse environments, natural pollination may be insufficient. Therefore, assisted pollination ensures a better fruit set rate, increasing final production.

• Manual pollination: Apply techniques such as gently shaking the plants, or using brushes or electric vibrators to transfer pollen between flowers.
• Biological pollination: Introduce natural pollinators, such as bees or bumble bees specific for greenhouses.

With these practical and well-implemented strategies, you will be able to make the most of the flowering stage, obtaining results that will allow you to stand out in the market and increase the profitability of your greenhouse crops.

Technologies and systems that promote more efficient flowering

Thanks to technological innovations, it is now possible to precisely control each essential parameter for production, ensuring more consistent and abundant results. We tell you the main technological solutions to promote efficient flowering:

Soilless cultivation systems and optimized drainage

The soilless growing systems allow total control of the root environment, which greatly favors flowering. By eliminating dependence on traditional flooring, these systems provide a more stable environment for roots, facilitating healthy and vigorous development.

A particularly efficient solution is systems that use substrate bags combined with structures that optimize drainage. These systems that we have at Hydroponic Systems ensure that the roots are not exposed to excess humidity, allowing ideal aeration that favors the absorption of nutrients and, therefore, a more abundant and uniform flowering.

Furthermore, the reuse of drained water Not only allows significant savings, but it also maintains constant optimal conditions for the crop, thus avoiding root diseases and prolonged water stress.

Sensors and automation in climate control

With these technologies you can maintain ideal environmental conditions at each stage of cultivation:

• Humidity and temperature sensors: They constantly monitor the environment, automatically adjusting ventilation or heating systems to maintain optimal conditions.
• Automatic ventilation systems: They facilitate effective air circulation, avoiding accumulations of humidity that can negatively affect flowering.
• Automation of irrigation and fertilization: They adjust the contributions of water and nutrients according to the specific needs of each phase of the crop, which ensures abundant and balanced flowering.

Supplementary lighting and photoperiod control

Artificial light is increasingly used in greenhouses to complement natural lighting, especially during times of the year with fewer hours of sunshine or cloudy days.

• LED lighting: Allows you to control the intensity and quality of the light received by plants, offering specific spectrums that promote flowering.
• Photoperiod control: With artificial lighting you can extend or reduce the hours of light depending on the type of crop and the phase it is in, accelerating or delaying flowering according to commercial needs.

Success stories: Producers who have improved their production with Hydroponic Systems

By implementing these keys and technologies that we have shared with you, you will be able to optimize your floral production, guaranteeing more consistent results, greater efficiency in the use of resources, and a competitive advantage in the market. Now is the time to put it into practice and maximize the yield of your crop. 

If you want to be part of the agricultural producers who already enjoy optimized cultivation, Contact the Hydroponic Systems team and discover how we can help you improve the productivity, quality and sustainability of your crops. We are here to accompany you!