greenhouse

Bob,

I live here in Memphis and I have a clear roof enclosed greenhouse and 
have little problem growing in the summer in the greenhouse. I have had 
it since 1978,. While nature has added some shading from foliage in the 
summer, cool cells and exhaust fans have done the job admirably. There 
have been summers where I did not have the cool cells working and have 
survived quite well. I added a few years ago, a rather inexpensive mist 
system that goes off for 10 minutes 6 times a day, summer and winter, 
and it has made a great difference to the plants. Most love it and of 
course, there are those that now and then say too much water. Happens to 
the best of us. The tropical ferns tend to love it. It is 20' x 48'.

I learned a long time ago, a bit of ingenuity and patience can often 
solve or lesson a problem. The cool cells even with our high humidity 
help a great deal. The exhaust fans obviously make that more efficient. 
I replaced an old exhaust fan that was not working at prime last summer 
and it made a huge difference. I added the mist system and was amazed 
how much that helped with the cooling and the growing. The thin layer of 
moisture on the leaves, quickly evaporating and cooling the plants and 
the atmosphere, added a new dimension to the success rate. I also have a 
circulating jet fan that keeps the air moving summer and winter.
Now all of this said, a small greenhouse and lots of equipment gets very 
expensive for the space. It might be good to take the plants out in the 
summer. The problem there is taking them back in and slugs and snails 
and bugs............ Always some challenge to deal with.

Betsy

Bob Carroll wrote:

>Summer heat in a greenhouse is a real problem almost anywhere. Two
>alternatives would be high density shade cloth  or growing a fast
>growing vine on netting over the greenhouse that dies back in the
>winter.  I have a friend who solved the problem by having a normal roof
>and clear side walls. Hers is the only greenhouse I've seen that is
>really useable in the summer. Here in Memphis with both temperature and
>humidity in the nineties frequently a clear roofed closed green house is
>just about unusable in the summer.
>
>Bob Carroll 
>
>-----Original Message-----
>From: owner-ferns@hort.net [o*@hort.net] On Behalf Of
>Jan Jddeloh
>Sent: Wednesday, September 29, 2004 11:31 PM
>To: ferns@hort.net
>Subject: RE: [ferns] Constructing a greenhouse
>
>I have a greenhouse of twin wall polycarbonate.  The long side faces
>west
>(no choice but to use this layout on our property) and it gets REALLY
>hot in
>late spring and summer.  And yes, it has vents.  I empty it out about
>July
>because it gets so hot. I don't think double glazing would make it
>cooler;
>if anything it would make it hotter in my experience.
>
>Jan Jeddeloh in Portland, Oregon, USA where it really doesn't get all
>that
>hot
>
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