April 17, 2026

Generated lab notebook from daily_summary, plan_journal, and setpoint audit data. It is intentionally chronological and may include in-progress cycles before validation.

🌅 Morning Cycle (2:49 AM) — iris-20260417-0246

Status

validated

Outcome score

4/10

Changed parameters

none recorded

Result: Friday Apr 17: compliance 14.1% (predicted 20-35%) — missed low end. Temp compliance 22.3% was the bottleneck, not VPD (71.9%). Zero cold/heat stress but 1.87h vpd_low stress — misting posture too aggressive for cold overcast conditions. Cost USD 7.82 (predicted USD 4-7) driven by 4.73 therms gas (USD 3.93) + 344 gal misting water (USD 1.66). Gas therms nearly 2x 7-day avg (2.57). The overcast-day misting was unnecessary and caused over-humidification. DP margin minimum 4.4°F — close to condensation risk. Saturday morning (6 AM): freeze nadir was 30°F not 25°F predicted. Indoor held 57-63°F overnight — below the tight 63.5°F band floor, accruing cold stress. Slab pre-charge experiment inconclusive — cold stress still dominated from narrow crop band, not insufficient heating.

Reflection

Validating previous cycle: iris-20260416-1940

Previous hypothesis: Two-night cold progression: tonight drops to 38°F, then Friday night plunges to 24°F (hard freeze). Primary strategy: (1) moderate heating tonight with bias_cool +4 to prevent vent oscillation, (2) Friday use the cloudy/cool day to build slab thermal mass with aggressive pre-heating (bias_heat +5) starting Friday evening, (3) ride through 24°F Saturday nadir on both heaters + slab reserves, (4) Saturday afternoon transitions to extreme dry posture (12% RH, clear) with aggressive misting. The 7,300 BTU/°F slab is the key asset — charging it Friday evening before the freeze is critical. Today’s vpd_watch_dwell_s=30s experiment was inconclusive (actual conditions 91.6°F/15% RH far exceeded the 76°F/7% criteria). Resetting to 60s for the cold period where VPD control is secondary to thermal management. Result: Friday Apr 17: compliance 14.1% (predicted 20-35%) — missed low end. Temp compliance 22.3% was the bottleneck, not VPD (71.9%). Zero cold/heat stress but 1.87h vpd_low stress — misting posture too aggressive for cold overcast conditions. Cost USD 7.82 (predicted USD 4-7) driven by 4.73 therms gas (USD 3.93) + 344 gal misting water (USD 1.66). Gas therms nearly 2x 7-day avg (2.57). The overcast-day misting was unnecessary and caused over-humidification. DP margin minimum 4.4°F — close to condensation risk. Saturday morning (6 AM): freeze nadir was 30°F not 25°F predicted. Indoor held 57-63°F overnight — below the tight 63.5°F band floor, accruing cold stress. Slab pre-charge experiment inconclusive — cold stress still dominated from narrow crop band, not insufficient heating. Score: 4/10

New finding: On overcast cold days (outdoor <45°F, cloud >60%), misting posture should be conservative (engage 1.6, gap 45s) even if VPD band is tight. Solar gain is minimal, so VPD naturally stays lower. Aggressive misting on these days wastes water and risks vpd_low stress. Save aggressive posture for clear-sky dry days. → Added to Lessons Learned

Hypothesis

Testing: Continuing slab pre-charge experiment from iris-20260416-1940. Additionally, Sunday’s vpd_watch_dwell_s=30s + gap=15s is the most aggressive misting posture tested yet on a 75°F/7% day — monitoring whether this improves VPD compliance vs the Apr 13 blowout day (where SEALED_MIST at 90°F caused the incident, now guarded by FW-7). Expected outcome: Friday: heating-dominated, compliance 20-35% (band alignment losses on overcast cold day), cold_stress 2-4h structural, cost USD 4-7 (gas-heavy). Saturday: freeze nadir 25°F — indoor should hold above 55°F via slab + gas heater, then dry rebound afternoon with 3-5h VPD-high stress, compliance 25-40%, cost USD 8-12 (gas morning + misting afternoon), water 200-350 gal. Sunday: the week’s hardest day — indoor 95°F+, VPD peaks 2.5-3.0+ kPa, heat_stress 5-8h, vpd_high 4-7h, compliance 15-25% (physics-limited), water 350-500 gal, cost USD 6-10. 72h total cost USD 20-30.

Setpoints

Friday April 17

Primary crop-band changes:

03:00hyst 0.4

Cold overcast night, 43°F outdoor. Heating-focused, conserva

12:00hyst 0.3

Overcast midday with rain/snow, 36-39°F, near-zero solar. No

17:00hyst 0.4

Evening slab pre-charge begins. Max bias_heat +5 to warm con

Tactical tunable changes:

03:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Cold overcast night, 43°F outdoor. Heating-focused, conserva

12:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Overcast midday with rain/snow, 36-39°F, near-zero solar. No

17:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Evening slab pre-charge begins. Max bias_heat +5 to warm con

Saturday April 18

Primary crop-band changes:

00:00hyst 0.4

Freeze night. 30°F dropping to 25°F by dawn. Gas heater prim

06:00hyst 0.4

Freeze nadir 25°F (bias-corrected ~24°F actual). Hold max he

11:00hyst 0.3

Post-front dry rebound: 49°F/15% RH, 693 W/m² solar. Aggress

18:00hyst 0.4

Saturday evening. Solar fading, 58°F/9% still dry but coolin

Tactical tunable changes:

00:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Freeze night. 30°F dropping to 25°F by dawn. Gas heater prim

06:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Freeze nadir 25°F (bias-corrected ~24°F actual). Hold max he

11:00d_cool 3; engage 1.3; all 1.8; pulse 60; gap 25; wt 2

Post-front dry rebound: 49°F/15% RH, 693 W/m² solar. Aggress

18:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 35; wt 1.5

Saturday evening. Solar fading, 58°F/9% still dry but coolin

Sunday April 19

Primary crop-band changes:

00:00hyst 0.4

Sunday overnight. 40°F dropping to 34°F. Moderate heating. P

10:00hyst 0.3

Sunday morning ramp. 58°F/11% RH, 578 W/m². Pre-position max

13:00hyst 0.2

EXTREME PEAK: 70-75°F outdoor, 7% RH, 915 W/m². Indoor will

19:00hyst 0.3

Sunday evening. 68°F/14% outdoor, still dry but solar fading

Tactical tunable changes:

00:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Sunday overnight. 40°F dropping to 34°F. Moderate heating. P

10:00d_cool 3; engage 1.3; all 1.8; pulse 60; gap 20; wt 2.5

Sunday morning ramp. 58°F/11% RH, 578 W/m². Pre-position max

13:00d_cool 3; engage 1.3; all 1.8; pulse 60; gap 15; wt 2.5

EXTREME PEAK: 70-75°F outdoor, 7% RH, 915 W/m². Indoor will

19:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 35; wt 1.5

Sunday evening. 68°F/14% outdoor, still dry but solar fading

Monday April 20

Primary crop-band changes:

00:00hyst 0.4

Monday overnight. 49°F, moderate. Conservative defaults. Nex

Tactical tunable changes:

00:00d_cool 3; engage 1.6; all 1.9; pulse 60; gap 45; wt 1.5

Monday overnight. 49°F, moderate. Conservative defaults. Nex

Changed secondary parameters:

03:00bias_cool

initial 5

03:00bias_heat

initial 4

03:00enthalpy_close

initial 1

03:00enthalpy_open

initial -2

03:00fog_escalation_kpa

initial 0.8

03:00min_fog_off_s

initial 60

03:00min_fog_on_s

initial 60

03:00min_heat_off_s

initial 300

03:00min_heat_on_s

initial 120

03:00min_vent_off_s

initial 60

03:00min_vent_on_s

initial 60

03:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

initial 600

03:00mist_thermal_relief_s

initial 90

03:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

initial 15

03:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

initial 45

03:00mister_water_budget_gal

initial 500

03:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

initial 60

12:00bias_cool

5 → 4

12:00bias_heat

4 → 3

12:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.8 → 0.6

17:00bias_cool

4 → 5

17:00bias_heat

3 → 5

17:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.6 → 0.8

11:00bias_cool

5 → 3

11:00bias_heat

5 → 2

11:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.8 → 0.5

11:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

600 → 900

11:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

60 → 45

18:00bias_cool

3 → 4

18:00bias_heat

2 → 3

18:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.5 → 0.6

18:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

900 → 600

18:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

45 → 60

00:00bias_cool

4 → 5

00:00bias_heat

3 → 4

00:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.6 → 0.8

10:00bias_cool

5 → 3

10:00bias_heat

4 → 2

10:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.8 → 0.4

10:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

600 → 900

10:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

60 → 30

13:00bias_cool

3 → 2

13:00bias_heat

2 → 0

19:00bias_cool

2 → 4

19:00bias_heat

0 → 3

19:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.4 → 0.6

19:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

900 → 600

19:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

30 → 60

00:00fog_escalation_kpa

0.6 → 0.8

Full secondary parameter dump
03:00bias_cool

Value 5.

03:00bias_heat

Value 4.

03:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

03:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

03:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.8.

03:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

03:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

03:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

03:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

03:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

03:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

03:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

03:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

03:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

03:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

03:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

03:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

12:00bias_cool

Value 4.

12:00bias_heat

Value 3.

12:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

12:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

12:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.6.

12:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

12:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

12:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

12:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

12:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

12:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

12:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

12:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

12:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

12:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

12:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

12:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

17:00bias_cool

Value 5.

17:00bias_heat

Value 5.

17:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

17:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

17:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.8.

17:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

17:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

17:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

17:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

17:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

17:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

17:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

17:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

17:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

17:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

17:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

17:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

00:00bias_cool

Value 5.

00:00bias_heat

Value 5.

00:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

00:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

00:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.8.

00:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

00:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

00:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

00:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

00:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

00:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

00:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

00:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

00:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

00:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

00:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

00:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

06:00bias_cool

Value 5.

06:00bias_heat

Value 5.

06:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

06:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

06:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.8.

06:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

06:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

06:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

06:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

06:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

06:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

06:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

06:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

06:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

06:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

06:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

06:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

11:00bias_cool

Value 3.

11:00bias_heat

Value 2.

11:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

11:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

11:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.5.

11:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

11:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

11:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

11:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

11:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

11:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

11:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 900.

11:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

11:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

11:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

11:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

11:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 45.

18:00bias_cool

Value 4.

18:00bias_heat

Value 3.

18:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

18:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

18:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.6.

18:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

18:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

18:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

18:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

18:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

18:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

18:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

18:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

18:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

18:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

18:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

18:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

00:00bias_cool

Value 5.

00:00bias_heat

Value 4.

00:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

00:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

00:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.8.

00:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

00:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

00:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

00:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

00:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

00:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

00:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

00:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

00:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

00:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

00:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

00:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

10:00bias_cool

Value 3.

10:00bias_heat

Value 2.

10:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

10:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

10:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.4.

10:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

10:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

10:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

10:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

10:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

10:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

10:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 900.

10:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

10:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

10:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

10:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

10:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 30.

13:00bias_cool

Value 2.

13:00bias_heat

Value 0.

13:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

13:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

13:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.4.

13:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

13:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

13:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

13:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

13:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

13:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

13:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 900.

13:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

13:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

13:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

13:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

13:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 30.

19:00bias_cool

Value 4.

19:00bias_heat

Value 3.

19:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

19:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

19:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.6.

19:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

19:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

19:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

19:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

19:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

19:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

19:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

19:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

19:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

19:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

19:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

19:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.

00:00bias_cool

Value 4.

00:00bias_heat

Value 3.

00:00enthalpy_close

Value 1.

00:00enthalpy_open

Value -2.

00:00fog_escalation_kpa

Value 0.8.

00:00min_fog_off_s

Value 60.

00:00min_fog_on_s

Value 60.

00:00min_heat_off_s

Value 300.

00:00min_heat_on_s

Value 120.

00:00min_vent_off_s

Value 60.

00:00min_vent_on_s

Value 60.

00:00mist_max_closed_vent_s

Value 600.

00:00mist_thermal_relief_s

Value 90.

00:00mist_vent_close_lead_s

Value 15.

00:00mist_vent_reopen_delay_s

Value 45.

00:00mister_water_budget_gal

Value 500.

00:00vpd_watch_dwell_s

Value 60.


End-of-Day Summary

Climate

Temperature

51.6–78.4°F; avg 64.4°F

VPD

0.26–1.49 kPa; avg 0.72 kPa

Relative humidity

46.0–85.4%

Stress Hours

  • Heat stress (>85°F): 0.1h
  • VPD stress (>2.0 kPa): 2.9h
  • Cold stress (<55°F): 18.3h

Economics

Electric

USD 0.07

Gas

USD 6.92

Water

USD 1.660

Total

USD 8.65

Equipment Runtimes

Fan 160 min

Primary exhaust runtime.

Fan 257 min

Secondary exhaust runtime.

Vent79 min

Intake vent runtime.

Fog0 min

Fogger runtime.

Heat 1 electric1254 min

Electric heater runtime.

Heat 2 gas667 min

Gas heater runtime.

Grow lights96 min

Supplemental lighting runtime.

Mister south1.95h

South mister runtime.

Mister west0.10h

West mister runtime.

Mister center0.80h

Center mister runtime.

Water

  • Total: 232 gal
  • Mister: 322 gal

Crop Health (Gemini Vision)

Canna Liliessouth · health 70% · 4 obs

Observation notes are collapsed below to avoid publishing partial vision snippets.

Vanda Orchidscenter · health 68% · 4 obs

Observation notes are collapsed below to avoid publishing partial vision snippets.

lettuceeast · health 58% · 4 obs

Observation notes are collapsed below to avoid publishing partial vision snippets.

peppereast · health 68% · 4 obs

Observation notes are collapsed below to avoid publishing partial vision snippets.

strawberryeast · health 60% · 4 obs

Observation notes are collapsed below to avoid publishing partial vision snippets.

Vision observation notes
Canna LiliesGemini Vision notes

Difficult to assess health accurately in the dark, but plants appear upright.

Vanda OrchidsGemini Vision notes

Hanging orchids appear stable, though low light and humidity could be a concern.

lettuceGemini Vision notes

Seedlings appear healthy and are establishing well.

pepperGemini Vision notes

Pepper seedlings look relatively healthy but could benefit from more light.

strawberryGemini Vision notes

Seedlings are growing steadily, no visible signs of stress.

Hourly Pattern

12:0080.0°F; VPD 1.26 kPa

RH 64.1%.

13:0079.3°F; VPD 1.11 kPa

RH 67.9%.

14:0086.4°F; VPD 1.85 kPa

RH 56.7%.

15:0082.5°F; VPD 1.42 kPa

RH 62.8%.

16:0075.9°F; VPD 0.86 kPa

RH 72.1%.

17:0074.3°F; VPD 0.76 kPa

RH 73.8%.

18:0071.1°F; VPD 1.11 kPa

RH 56.8%.

19:0067.2°F; VPD 0.94 kPa

RH 59.0%.

20:0065.3°F; VPD 0.88 kPa

RH 58.8%.

21:0063.4°F; VPD 0.70 kPa

RH 65.1%.

22:0062.6°F; VPD 0.49 kPa

RH 75.1%.

23:0061.5°F; VPD 0.47 kPa

RH 74.8%.

00:0060.3°F; VPD 0.50 kPa

RH 71.8%.

01:0059.9°F; VPD 0.50 kPa

RH 71.9%.

02:0060.4°F; VPD 0.49 kPa

RH 72.5%.

03:0061.0°F; VPD 0.53 kPa

RH 70.9%.

04:0060.5°F; VPD 0.51 kPa

RH 71.9%.

05:0060.8°F; VPD 0.51 kPa

RH 72.2%.

06:0062.7°F; VPD 0.66 kPa

RH 66.1%.

07:0065.8°F; VPD 0.71 kPa

RH 67.1%.

08:0068.1°F; VPD 0.86 kPa

RH 63.6%.

09:0069.2°F; VPD 0.91 kPa

RH 62.2%.

10:0065.2°F; VPD 0.96 kPa

RH 54.9%.

11:0065.5°F; VPD 1.03 kPa

RH 52.3%.

7-Day Stress Context

2026-04-11Heat 4.6h; VPD high 10.8h

Cold stress 2.6h.

2026-04-12Heat 8.3h; VPD high 4.2h

Cold stress 4.3h.

2026-04-13Heat 9.2h; VPD high 5.4h

Cold stress 1.1h.

2026-04-14Heat 0.8h; VPD high 2.2h

Cold stress 11.6h.

2026-04-15Heat 6.6h; VPD high 7.6h

Cold stress 13.8h.

2026-04-16Heat 7.3h; VPD high 5.9h

Cold stress 10.6h.

2026-04-17Heat 0.1h; VPD high 2.9h

Cold stress 18.3h.