Garden Update — Monday, 16 March 2026
Daily insights generated from live sensor and weather data, compared across 3 AI models. Sensor data from Ecowitt GW1200 · Weather from Open-Meteo · Dunedin, NZ
Live Sensor Readings (Ecowitt)
| Sensor | Value |
|---|---|
| Outdoor temp | 12.0°C (feels like 12.0°C) |
| Outdoor humidity | 84% |
| Dew point | 9.4°C |
| Soil moisture (ch1) | 49% |
| Wind | 0.0 km/h (gusts 0.0 km/h) |
| Rain today | 0.0mm |
| Solar radiation | 0 W/m² |
| UV index | 0 |
| Pressure | 1006.1 hPa |
7-Day Weather Forecast
🌅 Sunrise: 7:31 AM · Sunset: 8:01 PM · Day length: 12.5 hrs
| Date | Max | Min | Rain | Rain% | Wind | UV | ET₀ | Radiation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 16/03 | 18.1°C | 10.9°C | 0.4mm | 55% | 11kph | 3.5 | 1.8mm | 10.4MJ/m² |
| 17/03 | 16.4°C | 11.7°C | 0.0mm | 20% | 25kph | 5.2 | 2.1mm | 15.7MJ/m² |
| 18/03 | 17.8°C | 11.7°C | 6.5mm | 63% | 28kph | 5.5 | 1.7mm | 7.7MJ/m² |
| 19/03 | 15.0°C | 10.0°C | 0.0mm | 1% | 18kph | 5.5 | 1.6mm | 10.8MJ/m² |
| 20/03 | 15.7°C | 12.2°C | 0.0mm | 3% | 9kph | 4.8 | 1.8mm | 12.4MJ/m² |
| 21/03 | 17.7°C | 10.1°C | 0.0mm | 12% | 9kph | 5.1 | 2.6mm | 18.2MJ/m² |
| 22/03 | 13.7°C | 11.0°C | 3.3mm | 28% | 15kph | 5.0 | 0.9mm | 5.6MJ/m² |
Generated at 7:25 AM NZDT
AI Model Comparison
⚠️ 2 model(s) did not respond:
claude-opus-4-6,claude-sonnet-4-6
🟢 OpenAI — gpt-5.4
The brassica bed is not dry today, but it is carrying a modest hidden moisture deficit from the past week. Soil moisture is 49%, which sits in the ideal 40–60% range for these young broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage transplants, so no irrigation is justified right now. At 17 days from planting, all plants are still in establishment phase, with roots likely settling in rather than pushing rapid top growth.
Observations
- Soil moisture has held tightly at 48–49% from 12/03 to 16/03 → the bed is stable rather than drying fast, so the brassicas are not under immediate water stress today.
- Past 7 days rain totaled 42.1 mm while ET₀ totaled 14.8 mm → despite the recent dry spell after 13/03, the bed is still running a net moisture surplus of about 27.3 mm since the historical window began.
- No meaningful rain fell on 10–12/03 and only 0.2 mm on 14/03, yet the sensor stayed near 49% → compost-amended soil and recent comfrey mulch are helping buffer the root zone for the transplants.
- Forecast rain over the next 3 days is 6.9 mm against ET₀ of 5.6 mm for 16–18/03 → likely near-balance conditions mean watering can probably be deferred unless the sensor drops sharply.
- Live air temperature is 12.0°C with 84% humidity and no wind → cool, still, damp conditions favour slow transpiration, so young brassicas should hold moisture well through today.
Actions for Today
-
Whole brassica bed — establishment phase (17 days after planting)
Soil moisture 49% → root zone is in the ideal band for brassicas → do not water today; reassess after the 18/03 rain event or sooner only if the sensor falls below 40%. -
Whole brassica bed — establishment phase
Forecast 6.5 mm rain on 18/03 with 28.2 kph wind, and insect mesh has been on since 28/02 → wet wind can loosen or flap netting over young leaves → check mesh tension and anchor points today or tomorrow so it stays off the plants before Wednesday’s weather arrives. -
Whole brassica bed — early vegetative establishment
Seaweed tonic was applied 17 days ago at planting, and the plants are still pre-heading juveniles → establishment feeding window has passed but heavy feeding is not yet urgent in cool autumn growth → hold off on another liquid feed today and review in about a week if growth looks active and soil moisture remains stable.
Skip today
- Blanching cauliflower — plants are only 17 days from planting; no curd-forming stage is indicated.
- Harvesting any broccoli, cauliflower, or cabbage — all crops are still in early establishment, well before the stated May–July harvest window.
- Adding more mulch — comfrey leaves were already applied on 12/03, and the sensor is steady at 49%.
Variety Watch
Broccoli (Green Dragon, Purple, Side Sprouter) — establishment — moisture is adequate, so the main job is rooting in, not feeding or harvesting
Cauliflower (White, Cheddar, Violet) — establishment — still far too young for blanching; steady soil moisture matters more than curd care
Cabbage (Lion Heart, Dutch Red, Cannonball) — establishment — cool, humid weather should suit leaf expansion if the bed stays near current moisture
Looking Ahead
The key change is the 18/03 rain band: 6.5 mm is forecast with stronger wind at 28.2 kph, after two drier days with ET₀ of 1.8–2.1 mm. If that rain arrives as forecast, the bed should stay comfortably supplied; if it misses, the sensor reading after Wednesday will matter more than the forecast did.
Horticulture
Young brassica transplants spend their first weeks rebuilding the root-to-shoot balance disturbed by planting out. Cool autumn conditions slow leaf expansion but also reduce transpiration, which lets roots colonise surrounding soil without the plant losing water too quickly. Soil that stays evenly moist, rather than swinging between wet and dry, encourages finer root branching and better access to nitrogen, calcium, and boron later in the season. Brassicas are particularly sensitive to interrupted water supply because uneven uptake can distort later head or curd development long before any visible symptom appears.
The bed sat cool and still today, with the mesh over young brassicas and the soil moisture barely moving.
This post was auto-generated by the Garden AI pipeline. Weather data from Open-Meteo · Claude & GPT insights · Built with Astro