Hi,
whenever it gets too hot during the afternoon, I just open up a few sliding
windows a little bit and let the cold air blow in. This practice does not hurt
any orchids or other exotics. They can handle this cold blast very well. I
don't have any flowering plants sitting in the cold air path though.
The hot air just mixes with the cold air and the overhead fans circulate the
air throughout the greenhouse.
My humidity is always over 60 %. If it is extremely cold outside and the
furnace runs continuously I simple take the hose, set it on mist and mist the
whole greenhouse a few times a day. The humidity goes up immediately. I also
provide humidity by having a 100 gall. pond with stream and a 100 gallon fish
tank in the greenhouse. The air pump is set at max. and sprays water
continuously into the air. The roots of the Vanda's love the stream. I have
several orchids sitting in there as well (no soil). They seem to like 'wet
roots'.
Of course, when I open up, I loose the humidity and have to mist again.
I use two overhead fans all the time, 24 hours a day set on low to provide a
gentle but constant movement of air.
During the hot summer months I open up everything. I use a large humidifier
at the maximum setting (from Sears, refill with hose) to supply humidity and I
mist as well. This works very well for me.
I use 2 large portable exhaust fans sitting at opposite ends to exhaust the hot
air. The greenhouse temperature is about 5 degrees higher than the outside
temperature. If necessary I can use a ceiling exhaust fan as well.
My greenhouse is 30 ft by 18 ft. I grow orchids, bromeliads, jungle cacti,
tillandsias and other exotics. I grow regular cacti as well and they thrive in
my greenhouse.
I just ordered new glass for my roof and will experiment with 3 different
shadings of glass:
clear glass with shade cloth, 44 % shade glass and 84 % shade glass.
Hopefully this will eliminate all this ugly shade cloth over the top. I will
describe the results.
Siegrid Stern
http://orchids.gardenwebs.net
http://rainforest.gardenwebs.net/
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