Garden Update — Friday, 20 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 | 13.2°C (feels like 13.2°C) |
| Outdoor humidity | 76% |
| Dew point | 9.1°C |
| Soil moisture (ch1) | 49% |
| Pressure | 1013.8 hPa |
7-Day Weather Forecast
🌅 Sunrise: 7:36 AM · Sunset: 7:54 PM · Day length: 12.3 hrs
| Date | Max | Min | Rain | Rain% | Wind | UV | ET₀ | Radiation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 20/03 | 15.5°C | 11.8°C | 0.0mm | 0% | 10kph | 4.2 | 1.8mm | 11.9MJ/m² |
| 21/03 | 17.6°C | 9.1°C | 0.0mm | 0% | 8kph | 5.5 | 2.6mm | 18.1MJ/m² |
| 22/03 | 17.8°C | 10.9°C | 0.9mm | 23% | 6kph | 5.1 | 1.9mm | 11.6MJ/m² |
| 23/03 | 18.0°C | 10.1°C | 0.0mm | 3% | 13kph | 5.3 | 2.5mm | 18.1MJ/m² |
| 24/03 | 18.5°C | 11.6°C | 0.0mm | 3% | 8kph | 5.3 | 2.6mm | 17.9MJ/m² |
| 25/03 | 16.2°C | 10.8°C | 0.0mm | 5% | 13kph | 3.7 | 1.9mm | 14.6MJ/m² |
| 26/03 | 15.0°C | 13.5°C | 2.1mm | 33% | 40kph | 2.5 | 0.7mm | 3.7MJ/m² |
Generated at 7:42 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 still in the safe moisture band at 49%, but the weather pattern has shifted toward drying and the next three days bring only 0.9 mm of rain against several higher-ET₀ days. At 20 days from planting, the broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage are still in early establishment, so the key job today is preserving even moisture rather than doing any maturity-stage work.
Observations
- Soil moisture moved from 45–46% on 17–18/03 to 50–51% on 19/03, then sits at 49% today → the bed recovered from recent rain but is no longer gaining reserve, so the young brassicas are entering a drying window rather than a recharge period.
- Past 7 days rain totals 24.9 mm while ET₀ totals 15.1 mm → the bed has a calculated short-term moisture surplus, which explains why the sensor remains comfortable despite several upcoming dry days.
- Forecast rain for 20–22/03 is only 0.9 mm while ET₀ for 20–24/03 runs 1.8, 2.6, 1.9, 2.5, and 2.6 mm → moisture loss is likely to outpace incoming rain, so establishment growth in all brassicas will depend on stored soil water.
- Today is cooler at 13.2°C with humidity 76% and light wind, after maxima of 17.4–25.7°C earlier in the week → transpiration pressure is lower today, so watering is less urgent now than it may become by the weekend.
- Netting has been on for 20 days, and a 39.8 kph wind is forecast for 26/03 → the insect mesh may become a physical stress point for the bed if not checked before the stronger wind arrives.
Actions for Today
-
Brassica bed — early establishment (20 days from planting)
[Soil moisture 49% and brassica ideal range is 40–60%] → [the bed is adequately moist right now, so watering today would add little benefit] → Do not water today. -
Brassica bed — early establishment (20 days from planting)
[Forecast rain in the next 3 days is only 0.9 mm, while ET₀ is 1.8 mm today and 2.6 mm tomorrow] → [the current moisture buffer is likely to be drawn down over the weekend] → Recheck soil moisture on the evening of 22/03; if it has fallen to 40% or below, water deeply on 23/03 morning with about 8–10 L across the 3.74 m² bed. -
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage — early vegetative establishment
[Netting has been in place since 28/02 and 39.8 kph wind is forecast for 26/03] → [young transplants can be rubbed or flexed if mesh sags or lifts] → Before 26/03, tighten the mesh, secure all edges, and make sure it is not touching the leaves or stems.
Skip today
- Blanching cauliflower heads — 20 days from planting means the cauliflower are still far too young for curd protection.
- Feeding again with liquid tonic — the bed was fed on 28/02 and the plants are not showing a sensor-backed moisture or weather stress that justifies another application today.
Variety Watch
Broccoli (Green Dragon, Purple, Side Sprouter) — establishment — moisture is still adequate, but the next dry spell will matter more than today
Cauliflower (White, Cheddar, Violet) — establishment — too young for blanching; steady moisture matters most
Cabbage (Lion Heart, Dutch Red, Cannonball) — establishment — in the safest position today while soil moisture holds near 49%
Looking Ahead
The important shift is a run of dry, higher-demand days from 21/03 to 24/03, with ET₀ mostly between 1.9 and 2.6 mm and almost no useful rain. Prepare to water early next week if the sensor slips toward 40%, and secure the netting before the 39.8 kph wind forecast on 26/03.
Horticulture
Young brassicas build yield potential by expanding leaf area first, and that depends on uninterrupted root activity in cool soil. When soil moisture fluctuates from comfortably moist to repeatedly dry, the plant narrows its stomata to conserve water, which slows photosynthesis and reduces the steady production of new leaves. In broccoli and cauliflower, that early leaf-building phase matters because the eventual head is supported by the plant’s ability to intercept light over many weeks. Even before visible wilting occurs, repeated mild water stress can reduce final head size and make growth less uniform across a planting.
The bed sits cool and still today, with the mulch holding and the brassicas not asking for water yet.
This post was auto-generated by the Garden AI pipeline. Weather data from Open-Meteo · Claude & GPT insights · Built with Astro