Greenhouse management | tropical-hobbies

In climates where temperatures aren't always very high, greenhouses are a great option to grow all sorts of crops. In sup-tropical and tropical climates around the equator, however, the climate isn't always optimal for greenhouse cultivation. The high night temperatures there can damage crops. This makes it challenging or impossible to grow a crop year-round, which is a key condition for local-for-local production. KUBO now has a solution for this problem: a night cooling system.

Challenges

In a number of regions, the average 24-hour day temperature was found to be too high. This includes the East coast and the South of the USA; Japan; South Korea; and also the East coast of China. In these regions, daytime cultivation is no problem, but the nights fail to sufficiently cool off. Subsequently, the night temperature is too high, combined with high humidity rates, over longer periods of time.

Night cooling system

For this purpose, KUBO developed a night cooling system that can be integrated in the existing Ultra-Clima system. This system makes it possible to cool down the night temperature to desirable levels, guaranteeing the optimal climate for the crop. This means the plants will be balanced in spite of the severe outdoor conditions, with optimised production and quality due to healthy crops. The additional advantage is that the cooling system may also be used in daytime.

The invention

Cooling is achieved based on cold water-air heat exchangers integrated in the Ultra-Clima concept air treatment units. During the cooling process, the Ultra-Clima greenhouse functions as a closed greenhouse. Based on recirculating greenhouse air, the air is gradually cooled down to the required end temperature upon nightfall. Adequate insulation of the Ultra-Clima roof and wall system ensures minimal energy input during the cooling process.

Project plan

For each specific project, KUBO examines the long-term historical climate data for the construction site. This enables them to determine the right technology for each specific site. This is followed up by a feasibility study, exploring the total cost and benefit to determine the return on investment.

Roses in Japan

KUBO is currently realising the first project with the Ultra-Clima night cooling system in Japan for rose crops. Calculations have demonstrated that the customer can grow significantly more roses locally with better quality and also with a better financial result. The system is created for growing a wide range of crops, including vegetables, fruit and horticultural crops.

Ultimate climate control with a greenhouse

courtesy to : www.gardeningsite.com/greenhouses/ultimate-climate-control-with-a-greenhouse/

Dampened by the winter? You don’t have to be. In fact, you can still carry on gardening like nothing has changed – if you have a greenhouse.

A greenhouse provides the ultimate way to override any climatic changes, and grants you the chance to grow many kinds of plants that otherwise will not survive in your local climate. You get to grow tropical plants inside a greenhouse, even as its snowing heavily outside. Basically, a greenhouse provides the best way to override external climatic factors, and carry on gardening, observing, and studying plants, without being at the mercy of the weather.

Greenhouses (also sometimes called glasshouses), are basically any type of building (it can even be a converted shed) that enables growing and cultivation of plants in a controlled climate. The walls and roof are basically made of either transparent glass or plastic, or in the high tech ones, they are supplied with artificial lighting. Many hydroponically grown plants are also grown within greenhouses, as the environment within them is just ideal for this.

History

The first workable greenhouses were built during the 16th century in Europe, although there existed various forms of rudimentary “greenhouses” even much earlier than that. Travelers and traders to Asia and Africa brought back various plants that could only continue growing in a tropical climate. How was possible? The greenhouse was born out of necessity rather any bright idea on anyone’s part. Plants can grow almost anywhere, provided you give them what they need.

To date, the most expensive and largest greenhouse ever built would be the Biosphere 2 project in Oracle, Arizona, USA, which features several ecosystems inside, ranging from rainforest to coral reef.

The usefulness of a greenhouse

A greenhouse can be as large as you want it to be, or little larger than a garden hut or shed. It doesn’t matter, as long as it functions to provide plants with suitable growing conditions.

A greenhouse is desirable when:

Establishing new cuttings and seeds which require warm, frost free environments.
Starting the planting of seeds of vegetables like tomatoes, and annuals extra early, so that they can be transplanted to the outside garden as soon the weather turns suitable.
Growing exotic tropical plants like orchids or pitcher plants, which naturally won’t grow in normal temperate climate conditions.
Nurturing plant growth out of season, especially if spring is delayed, or a spate of frosty weather is hitting your area.
Wintering tender plants which would perish under winter conditions.
Conducting your own studies on growing plants in a clean and regulated atmosphere.

Mechanics of a typical greenhouse

Infrared light, which is part of the sunlight spectrum, doesn’t get out through the glass panes as easily as visible wavelengths. This causes the air inside the greenhouse to warm up, and since a greenhouse only allows a portion of the warm air to escape, it ensures the air temperature within – is constantly kept warm .

Anyone sitting in a closed car in the summer sun can attest that the temperature inside can be pretty hot. That’s why greenhouses used to be called hothouses. By letting a portion of the hot escape, they can maintain the temperature consistently. In addition, wind, amount of sunlight, and pests can be monitored and controlled.

Let’s not forget the comfort factor too. It’s a whole lot easier to do gardening inside a greenhouse rather than outside! Planting, watering and potting plants is less messy than the outdoor garden, simply because plants are often grown in pots while inside a greenhouse. If it gets too bright and hot, you can use shutters or screens to tone down the light. Isn’t that convenient? And nowadays, anyone can own a greenhouse, because they come in pop up types as well! Setting up is super fast and easy.

Works of art

Fancy “showing off” your greenhouse to your visitors? Well designed greenhouses like The Royal Greenhouses of Laekenand the Kew Gardens, show just how good a greenhouse can integrate within properly landscaped surroundings, and stand as architectural attractions unto their own, notwithstanding the splendid showcase of plants they contain within.

Tips For Growing Tropical Plants In The Garden Greenhouse

courtesy to : www.coolgarden.me/tips-for-growing-tropical-plants-in-the-garden-greenhouse-993/

June 17, 2012

If you are living in a cooler region and want to grow tropical plants then the best option is to grow them in greenhouse so that you can control their environment.The splendor found in tropical plants is one that many people will look to recreate when growing plants at home. Nevertheless, tropical plants need a warm environment to thrive.

The greenhouse can help grow indoor plants of all varieties, and specifically in this case, tropical plants that you might not normally find yourself able to grow in certain chillier areas. If you’re new to greenhouse gardening or are testing your greenhouse gardening skills with a few tropical plants, here are some suggestions to help get you going.

1. Make sure to take special note of which plants need sunshine or shade. Utilize trays that will allow you to move your plants around the garden greenhouse as you need to, and also allow for proper water drainage.

2. Taking care of tropical plants in a garden greenhouse requires special focus on the necessary growing temperatures and the required air flow to keep the air damp without growing molds. You might find this tricky to handle, as you need to keep the backyard garden greenhouse at a certain temperature, typically between 65-85 degrees Fahrenheit while in no way dropping beneath 40 degrees, while also providing satisfactory air flow.

3. A mister system could also come in handy when looking to care for your tropical plants at the correct dampness and sustain the required rain-forest environment.

4. Growing tropical plants in the greenhouse will also take consistent watering. Typically, every other day, but distinct watering needs will depend on the kinds of plants you are trying to grow. Here it’s imperative that you pay attention to your greenhouse temps and how quickly it takes for the soil to dry. Higher temperatures mean soil has to be watered more regularly to keep a moist growing medium.

The golden trumpet (Allamanda cathartica)

5. Leave space in your greenhouse to maneuver your tropical plants in and out of sunshine. Also remember that some tropical vegetation, like the Ficus, Palms, or Banana Trees, need lots of space in order to grow.

6. It’ll be imperative that you keep your plants clean. Manage plants appropriately to trim any dead material that may come about. Additionally, be certain you inspect for any pests or bugs. Control these problems quickly to prevent them from spreading disease to the other plants in the garden greenhouse. Molds can be an especially difficult problem when trying to grow tropical plants in the garden greenhouse, and should be removed instantly when seen.

The bird of paradise (Strelitzia reginae)

7. It may also be beneficial to try many different lighting options in your garden greenhouse. Some tropical plants like artificial or indirect lights, and some are great with the filtered natural light created by green house panels. Do your homework before selecting different species of tropical plants to discover a combination that works the best in your green house garden.

Mandarin citrus

There’s a lot to deal with when attempting to raise tropical plants in a greenhouse environment, but the reward in the long run will be the pleasure that is included with growing gorgeous plants that aren’t often observed in cold weather conditions.

It is important to do proper research into the particular plants you want to grow, along with the distinctive needs of those particular plants. Keeping these aspects in mind, you will find you will be able to grow tropical crops in the green house with ease with modest adjustments to create the desired atmosphere for trying to grow tropical plants in the greenhouse.

Trotec high-performance humidifiers create the most favourable conditions for exotic plants and for mushroom growing.

Warm temperatures and a high humidity level – those are the key factors required by tropical and subtropical plants, if you want them to grow and thrive. Mushroom farms also prefer warmth and moisture. Regular watering is not sufficient, for the majority of exotic plants absorbs moisture from the ambient air. Required for the generation of this special climate is not only a systematic heating concept but also modern technology, which is to enrich the air with plenty of moisture. Trotec offers several solutions: Particularly well suited for the use in large hothouses and cultivation halls as well as tropical greenhouses in zoological gardens are the effective humidifiers. In smaller greenhouses and tropical sections of halls the compact air washers may be used.

Plants and trees that originally came from tropical or subtropical areas need special care in our latitudes. The most important factor for perfect growth and a successful cultivation is the climate in which they are kept. Tropical plants and mushroom cultures flourish best in constantly damp and warm surroundings. Vital for a successful cultivation and lush growth are relatively constant temperatures ranging between 28 and 31 degrees Celsius and a particularly high humidity level. On these grounds exotics such as orchids, the mulberry family, citrus and palms growing in hothouses or tropical greenhouses should be provided with a tropical or subtropical climate by making use of technical appliances.

Trotec – for a tropical climate

The rain forest has a high precipitation all through the year. The result is a high relative humidity of at least 70 and right up to 100 per cent. Exotic plants from tropical areas need this kind of humidity to survive. They draw most of the water from the air. Humidifiers from Trotec may be used to generate such a climate in hothouses and tropical greenhouses.

Moist and clean air

The mobile evaporation humidifiers from Trotec serve two purposes for optimum climate conditions in greenhouses. For one thing, they ensure a high humidity level at the push of a button. For another, they free the air from dust and pollutants.

And this is how it works: Set the desired humidity value, push the button and the hygrostat-controlled humidifier operates automatically regulated. All of Trotec's humidifier models operate based on the reliable evaporation principle, so both lime deposits and the formation of condensate are ruled out. Neither the plants nor the greenhouse walls are sprayed with water vapour in this process. The humidification takes place indirectly as the water is released to the air. The Trotec product range holds several humidifier models – including the B 200 eco, the small but mighty masterpiece, that can deliver up to 43 litres of water per day and more, as well as the B 400, the powerful and reliable professional when it comes to humidification in larger greenhouses. It impresses with a humidification performance of 800 cubic metres per hour, a two-stage fan and an optimum air circulation ensured by an integrated wall spacer. The humidifier B 300, which scores with a superb design and of course prime technology, is also amongst these devices.

What all devices have in common: Owing to the built-in filter absorbed pollution particles, dust and bad smells are collected and bound.

For smaller quantities :

Clean, moist air for smaller tropical greenhouses or just hothouse sections, equipped for the cultivation of mushrooms and tropical plants: With that in mind you best use Trotec air washers. The following three factors also play a key role for these compact devices of the AW-S series: optimum humidification, good looks and fresh air. The air washers of the AW-S series both purify and humidify the room air. The sucked-in room air is guided past rotating humidifier disks; there the air is charged with moisture. At the same time dirt particles such as pollen, animal hair and dust cling to the disk and are bonded in the collection container. This applies to the AW 10 S and the AW 20 S. And better still... Depending on the operating mode, this air washer provides an additional thorough HEPA filtration of the humidified air. This way you can offer your plants the very best of germination and growth conditions.

The benefits of mobile humidifiers from Trotec :

-reliable and effective humidification for good health and the ability to concentrate

-automatic hygrostat-controlled regulation of the humidity level

-mode for low-noise operation

-compact, appealing design

-optimum value-for-money ratio in every appliance class

The benefits of air washers of the AW-S series

3-in-1 devices for combined air purification, humidification and odour elimination
display of relative humidity
plasma generator for the elimination of odours and pollutants in the air
various operating modes plus mode for quiet operation
a large water reservoir (9 litres) for long maintenance-free operations
only tap water required (not distilled water)
variable fan control for need-based room adjustment