❄ ❄ ❄ Winter is Coming!! ❄ ❄ ❄
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If you are farming this season you may have noticed the air temperatures are starting to drop, but the water temperatures are still quite warm
. It takes more energy to heat water than air, and it will take longer for the water temperatures to drop.
As we get closer to outplanting season, farmers may be tempted to put their growlines in the water too early. It is important to wait until about a week before outplanting to put growlines in the water. Biofouling growth will begin to slow as water temperatures drop. If the growlines are deployed too early, biofouling will begin to grow on the lines and this growth will out compete the baby kelp and stunt growth.
We have solved this problem by using a "dummy line". This is a smaller diameter line that is cut to the same length as the growline. It allows farmers to set up their anchors in the correct position and is essentially a place holder for the growline. The "dummy line" can be set earlier in the season to prepare the farm and biofouling can collect with no issue. This method allows farmers to keep their growlines clean until it is time to outplant.
Below I have provided a link from the GreenWave toolkit that will explain how to install a dummy line.
https://hub.greenwave.org/lms/lesson-section/install-a-dummy-line/
