In The Mix

A successful cultivation operation depends on more than a nutrient program. Crop scheduling, facility efficiency, plant health, water treatment, and post-harvest practices all play a role in overall performance and profitability. In this episode, we discuss Front Row Ag's approach to onboarding and how facility walkthroughs help identify opportunities to improve operational efficiency, address...

Adding under-canopy lighting changes more than light distribution. It can also change how much pruning and defoliation your crop actually needs. In this episode, we look at how under-canopy lighting can influence canopy management and why traditional pruning strategies may need to be reconsidered when more light is reaching deeper into the plant. Instead of automatically removing lower growth, cul...

Under-canopy lighting can increase productive canopy depth, improve lower flower development, and potentially reduce pruning and defoliation labor, but getting the strategy right requires more than simply adding fixtures below the canopy. In this episode, we break down how under-canopy lighting changes the way growers should think about light distribution, canopy management, and overall lighting i...

Runoff is one of the most useful diagnostic tools growers have for understanding what’s happening in the root zone, but only if it’s collected and interpreted correctly. In this episode, we break down how to properly collect runoff, what data to record, and how to use runoff volume, EC, and pH to evaluate your irrigation and fertigation strategy. We cover why full-day runoff provides better inform...

How much time is your facility losing between harvest and reload? Room downtime is unavoidable—but unnecessary downtime can cost you production. At commercial scale, an extra few days between harvest and reload can add up to millions in lost revenue over time. In this episode, we break down how commercial cultivation teams can reduce room-flip downtime by coordinating harvest, labor, cleaning, san...

Does nitrogen tapering actually improve flower quality, or does it depend on the cultivar? In this video, Front Row Ag Technical Expert Tyler Simmons explains what recent research tells us about nitrogen tapering, plant metabolism, and why genetics play such an important role in determining the response. You'll also learn why flushing isn't the same as nitrogen tapering, why excess nitroge...

Why is Front Row built as a 3-part fertilizer system? It comes down to basic fertilizer chemistry. In this clip, Bryan explains why calcium and phosphorus concentrates should always remain separate, why clogging is one of the most common issues new customers experience, and the difference between chemical and biological clogs. He also explains how feed solution pH and EC affect the likelihood of c...

Labor overhead, irrigation strategy, and equipment maintenance are critical variables that dictate commercial cannabis profitability. In this episode, experienced commercial cultivator Drew Greco breaks down the operational strategies that make large-scale facilities successful. Drew explains why implementing a strict preventative maintenance schedule is just as critical as managing a harvest cale...

Why do CO₂ levels rise after the lights turn off in a sealed grow room? Many commercial cultivators notice CO₂ climbing overnight, even when CO₂ injection is disabled. In this episode, Tyler Simmons explains why this happens, what plant respiration has to do with it, and why elevated nighttime CO₂ is usually normal in sealed environments. You'll also learn when high CO₂ readings may indicate a...

Most fertilizer companies stop at product delivery. At Front Row Ag, that's where the work begins. In this episode, we discuss how commercial customer onboarding helps identify operational challenges before they become expensive problems. From water chemistry and sanitation to irrigation infrastructure and facility workflows, our team works to establish a clean baseline before implementing a n...

In this episode, Matthew breaks down an upstream supply chain issue that many growers may not realize is affecting fertilizer manufacturing worldwide: sulfuric acid availability. Sulfuric acid plays a critical role in producing many of the raw materials used throughout the fertilizer industry, including phosphoric acid, potassium sulfate, mono potassium phosphate, and other key ingredients. As glo...

Two facilities. Same canopy size. Same yield target. Completely different electrical bills. In this episode, we break down the lighting math most growers skip: watts per square foot PPFD and uniformity fixture spacing mounting height PPE efficiency under canopy lighting why some facilities massively overspend on LEDs This conversation explores how modern lighting design affects yield, operational...

What happens when you stress plants on purpose? In this video, we break down university research from Dr. Jose Leme’s lab on plant stress, trichomes, water deficit, and biostimulants. Topics covered: Stress signals vs real stress Trichome development and plant defense Water deficit strategies (dry back vs dry out) Biostimulants like seaweed, humic acid, chitosan, and silica How timing, environment...

Most facilities make the same hiring mistake: choosing a head cultivator based on plant knowledge instead of leadership ability. In modern controlled environments, success depends less on hands-on growing and more on managing systems, people, and performance. This video breaks down: Why designing around one cultivator is risky What actually matters in a lead role How to avoid costly hiring mistake...

Light interruption is one of the most overlooked risks in indoor facilities—and it often shows up after a build is “complete.” In this breakdown, Egan O’Keefe (Co-Founder of Front Row Ag, VP of Cultivation at Story of Maryland) explains: Why commissioning doesn’t end when the building is handed over Where light leaks actually come from (doors, ductwork, equipment) How even small LEDs can impact se...

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 matters Week 1–3 flower VPD and day/ni...

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,...

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 repe...

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 communicatio...

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...

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 drill...

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 be The real logistical difference between seed...

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 aro...

Front Row Ag formulator explains why our fertilizer is made with purified, prilled calcium nitrate. It provides stable nitrate nitrogen in “exceedingly high abundance,” supports protein formation, improves metabolic consistency, and avoids the volatility that can derail steering and crop uniformity. Ammonium isn’t “bad” - it’s just less predictable for high-value crop production. Purified CalNit l...

Most irrigation problems we troubleshoot trace back to one thing: pH management mistakes. The most common? Trusting an inline meter and ignoring what’s happening in the batch tank. When pH Up hasn’t finished reacting, the real pH continues to drift upward—pushing the solution past 6.2, triggering calcium-phosphate precipitation, and eventually clogging filters and emitters. In this episode, Matt a...