Seigrid,
This sounds like a great system for you, but I grow 99% orchids and I
do not think they would like the extreme changes of temperature the
very cold air we have in January and February. From your website it
looks like you are in southeast Michigan which is cold, but I am not
sure you get the wind we do here in Iowa. We can have an outside air
temperature of 30 one day and be at -30 the next with winds of 30 to
40 mph. This does not gently move cold air into the greenhouse it
pushes large volumes of very cold air into the greenhouse if you have
a vent open.
Otherwise I do very similar things to what you are doing. I have a
under bench misting system that keeps my humidity between 60 and 70
in the winter. I have an overhead misting system I start up in April
or May that keeps the humidity up and helps cool the plants in the
summer. I have lots of fans circulating the air in the greenhouse. My
Vanda's and all my mounted orchids love the misting I give them most
mornings. I have been putting in automated systems where I can to
control my greenhouse as I work all day, so I can not go out during
the day to mist, water, or enjoy my orchids.
thanks,
Tom Hillson
On Mar 23, 2007, at 1:32 AM, Bromeliad Queen wrote:
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
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_______________________________________________
the OrchidGuide Digest (OGD)
[email protected]
http://orchidguide.com/mailman/listinfo/orchids_orchidguide.com
