Controlling The Greenhouse Environment

The temperature inside a green house can quickly rocket out of control on sunny days in spring and summer, sometimes soaring to over 120 degree Fahrenheit. Equally, in winter it can drop low enough to cause damage to frost tender plants. Use the following strategies to keep the temperature in the greenhouse under control. There are three basic methods you can use to prevent overheating in the greenhouse, ventilation, shading and damping down. Providing ventilation is the best way to control temperatures during the early days of spring. Opening a roof vent and a vent in the side of the greenhouse will allow the hot, humid air that has risen to the top of the greenhouse to escape, while at the same time drawing cooler, dryer air through the side vents.

This is known as the chimney effect, and it is an extremely effective cooling technique until the temperatures outside start to rise in late spring. You can take the hard work out of opening the vents by installing automatic vent openers throughout the greenhouse. This mechanism opens the greenhouse windows as soon as a specific pre set temperature is reached. You can increase the flow of air through the greenhouse by opening more and more vents and even the door but eventually, in the hottest weather, this method alone will not be sufficient to cool your greenhouse to the correct temperature.

A maximum and minimum thermometer is ideal for keeping track of the temperature inside a greenhouse, warning you to adjust the conditions before the plants start to suffer. It is vital not to let greenhouse overheat. Opening the windows at the right time is not always possible if you are not at home during the hottest part of the day, but automatic vent openers will do the job for you.

It is important to keep the sun out of the greenhouse during the hottest part of the year. Shading, in the form of temporary netting, helps to keep the temperature down and also protects the plants from the scorching effects of the sun. Splashing or spraying water over the greenhouse floor helps to create a humid atmosphere. This traditional technique is known as damping down. It is especially beneficial for crops, such as eggplant, and cucumbers, but most plants appreciate a moist atmosphere on hot days. Carry out damping down frequently on very hot days as the humidity helps to reduce the temperature.

Article Source: EzineArticles.com