Greenhouse Advice

From: Don Burns <burns at mobot.mobot.org> on 1999.03.22 at 02:03:42(3129) Les, As a follow-up to Scott's comments on humidity, everything down here starts growing when the RH starts hitting the 65%+ mark at 77 or 78degF in the evenings. I wish I could maintain this condition year 'round. At present the RH is at 45 outside. But in another three to four weeks summer will be with us. On your next trip down this way you should stop to visit Ron Gagliardo at Atlanta Botanical. They have succeeded in creating an extremely well regulated tropical environment in the Conservatory there. Its worth a look and you might learn a few simple "tricks". Don +More Don Burns Plantation, FL USA Zone 10b

From: Lester Kallus <lkallus at earthlink.net> on 1999.03.22 at 15:04:27(3130) Thanks for the advice, all. I'm relieved to hear the humidity is OK. No, the fans are not yet set up. There will be two ceiling fans. I have planned to have them blow upwards so that there's no direct draft on the plants but rather just some gentle air motion. I hope that's the right way. As for watering, yup, I've probably over watered some of those pots. I'm using a general soilless mix but the peat in it might be further degenerating. One of those pots (the only one I'm really concerned about) is the one holding the tuber of the Manihot exculenta which I had hoped to resurrect. So far the tuber still seems pretty solid but there isn't even a hint of growth. Anyway, thanks for the advice; I'll close the door and allow the humidity to remain in the 60s. I had worried about the high daytime temperatures but apparently they're not too worrisome. I'll keep the nights at 70 for now. The heated floor will hopefully stimulate some of the dormant tubers to start growing. I'll also have to put some coating on some of the unfinished wood before it succumbs. Les

From: Jmh98law at aol.com on 1999.03.24 at 18:05:14(3137) In a message dated 3/22/99 6:52:05 AM Pacific Standard Time, lkallus@earthlink.net writes: < +More the fans are not yet set up. There will be two ceiling fans. I have planned to have them blow upwards so that there's no direct draft on the plants but rather just some gentle air motion. I hope that's the right way.>> Les, If you will send me your snail mail address [or a telefax number if you have one], I will send you some pages from a publication on installation of fans in greenhouses for circulating air properly. You don't mention what your vent situation is -- ridge vent, window vents, etc. You might want to look at www.charleysgreenhouse.com for wall vents, which I use for intake at the bottom of the greenhouse -- we use a ridge vent at the top for the hot air to escape. Another consideration is shade cloth, which is also available from Charley. Reducing the strength of the sunlight by 65% or more is not a bad idea. Here, the spring is our most difficult time in terms of temperature control, and on a sunny day, the greenhouse can get up to 90 or 100 degrees F if we do not watch it. The deciduous trees that shade the greenhouse during the summer, being bare, let lots more light in in spring and fall. [My Night-blooming Cereus is sunburned!] Jeanne Hannah Traverse City MI USDA Zone 5b

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