Garden Update — Saturday, 21 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 | 12.1°C (feels like 12.1°C) |
| Outdoor humidity | 80% |
| Dew point | 8.8°C |
| Soil moisture (ch1) | 47% |
| Pressure | 1014.4 hPa |
7-Day Weather Forecast
🌅 Sunrise: 7:37 AM · Sunset: 7:52 PM · Day length: 12.2 hrs
| Date | Max | Min | Rain | Rain% | Wind | UV | ET₀ | Radiation |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 21/03 | 17.0°C | 9.0°C | 0.0mm | 0% | 10kph | 5.4 | 2.4mm | 16.6MJ/m² |
| 22/03 | 17.3°C | 11.4°C | 0.0mm | 13% | 7kph | 5.1 | 1.8mm | 11.5MJ/m² |
| 23/03 | 17.2°C | 12.1°C | 0.0mm | 0% | 12kph | 5.3 | 2.1mm | 15.6MJ/m² |
| 24/03 | 19.9°C | 11.2°C | 0.0mm | 0% | 7kph | 5.3 | 2.7mm | 18.1MJ/m² |
| 25/03 | 15.4°C | 10.6°C | 0.0mm | 3% | 19kph | 4.0 | 1.8mm | 13.5MJ/m² |
| 26/03 | 15.0°C | 13.1°C | 0.0mm | 27% | 34kph | 0.7 | 1.4mm | 10.3MJ/m² |
| 27/03 | 15.4°C | 13.6°C | 11.3mm | 43% | 48kph | 2.9 | 0.7mm | 1.7MJ/m² |
Generated at 7:34 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 adequately moist today, with the live soil sensor at 47%, but the moisture trend has slipped from 49–51% a week ago and no rain is due for the next 6 days. All broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage were planted 21 days ago, so they are established young plants rather than seedlings, and this is the point where a dry week can start checking steady autumn growth. With a past-7-day moisture balance of about +3.1 mm but a forecast 3-day ET₀ of 6.6 mm and 0.0 mm rain, the bed is moving from buffered to drying.
Observations
- Soil moisture fell from 50–51% on 19/03 to 47–48% today → the whole brassica bed is drying back toward the lower half of the ideal 40–60% range.
- Forecast rain for the next 3 days is 0.0 mm while ET₀ totals 6.6 mm for 21–23/03 → broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage will keep drawing the bed down even without warm weather extremes.
- Past 7 days rain minus ET₀ is about +3.1 mm, but that surplus came from earlier showers and the sensor has still drifted down from 49–51% to 47% over the week → recent plant use and surface drying are now overtaking that earlier recharge.
- Today is cooler and damper than the recent run, with 12.1°C air temperature and 80% humidity after recent daily maxima near 20°C → transpiration pressure is lower today, so watering is not yet urgent.
- Wind rises to 34.4 kph on 26/03 and 48.0 kph with 11.3 mm rain on 27/03 → the existing insect mesh will need checking before the front hits to avoid abrasion or lifting over young brassicas.
Actions for Today
-
Brassica bed — established young transplants (21 days from planting) 47% soil moisture + falling 7-day trend + 0.0 mm rain forecast through 26/03 → the bed is not dry today, but it is on a drying trajectory → do not water today; recheck tomorrow evening, and water only if the sensor drops to around 42–44% or lower with no rain arriving.
-
Broccoli, cauliflower, and cabbage — established young transplants Past 7 days moisture balance is only slightly positive (+3.1 mm), while forecast ET₀ from 21–26/03 totals 12.2 mm before the rain on 27/03 → the current buffer can be used up before the front arrives → if the sensor reaches 42–44% before 27/03, apply one deep watering of about 8–10 L/m² in the morning, equal to roughly 30–37 L across the 3.74 m² bed.
-
Whole bed under mesh — vegetative establishment Mesh was installed 21 days ago, and wind is forecast to reach 34.4 kph on 26/03 then 48.0 kph on 27/03 → unsecured edges and rubbing points become more likely than insect pressure to cause damage this week → check and tighten the netting and its anchor points by 25/03, especially where it can flap against leaves.
Skip today
- Blanching cauliflower heads — plants are only 21 days from transplanting, well before curd formation.
- Feeding again with seaweed tonic — establishment feed was given on 28/02 and there is no data here showing nutrient stress or stalled moisture uptake today.
- Any harvest planning for Side Sprouter broccoli — expected harvest is from May, and the plants are still in early vegetative growth.
Variety Watch
All broccoli (Green Dragon, Purple, Side Sprouter) — early vegetative phase — steady growth depends on holding moisture above the low-40s through the dry spell. All cauliflower (White, Cheddar, Violet) — early vegetative phase — too young for blanching; even moisture now sets up later curd quality. All cabbage (Lion Heart, Dutch Red, Cannonball) — early vegetative phase — currently safe at 47% soil moisture, but they will feel a long dry run first as leaf area expands.
Looking Ahead
The key shift is a dry six-day stretch ending in a wet, windy front on 27/03: 0.0 mm rain through 26/03, then 11.3 mm with 48.0 kph wind. Prepare for moisture drawdown first, then secure the mesh before the wind and rain arrive.
Horticulture
Young brassicas build yield potential long before they make heads or curds, because the plant is first investing in leaf area and root mass. In this phase, intermittent drying does not usually kill the plant, but it reduces cell expansion and slows the production of new leaves, which later limits the size of broccoli heads, cabbage hearts, and cauliflower curds. Brassicas are especially sensitive to uneven water because they have high leaf demand relative to their still-developing root systems after transplanting. Mulch helps by reducing evaporation from the soil surface, but transpiration from expanding leaves still drives moisture loss as the plants establish.
The bed sat cool and damp today, with the sensor holding at 47% under the comfrey mulch.
This post was auto-generated by the Garden AI pipeline. Weather data from Open-Meteo · Claude & GPT insights · Built with Astro