Some may be equipped with Solar Energy and some may have water reservoirs
Benefits of Greenhouses
Climate Control
Pest Control
Longer Harvest Season
Higher Yields
Less Water Usage
Energy Efficient
Let’s take a closer look:
Climate Control: Greenhouses protect plants from extreme weather conditions such as frost, heavy rain, strong winds, and hail, reducing the risk of crop damage.
Pest Control: The enclosed environment of a greenhouse helps in controlling pests and diseases, reducing the need for chemical pesticides and creating a healthier growing environment.
Longer Harvest Season: Greenhouses allow for the extension of the growing season by providing a controlled environment where temperature, humidity, and light can be managed, enabling year-round cultivation of crops.
Higher Yields: By optimizing growing conditions such as temperature, light, and humidity, greenhouses can lead to higher crop yields compared to open-field farming.
Less Water Usage: Greenhouses can be designed to conserve water through irrigation systems that deliver water directly to the roots, minimizing evaporation and water waste.
Energy Efficiency: With the use of solar energy and advanced technology, greenhouses can be energy-efficient, reducing the need for artificial heating and cooling systems.
Diverse Crop Production: Greenhouses provide the ability to grow a diverse range of crops, including those that are not native to the local climate, offering more variety and options for consumers.
Improved Plant Growth: Controlled environments in greenhouses allow for the optimization of CO₂ levels, light, and nutrients, leading to healthier and faster plant growth.
Resource Management: Greenhouses facilitate better management of resources such as space, water, and nutrients, leading to more efficient and productive farming practices.
Buying the Materials
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Dave Mascatello, owner of Planetary Farms Nursery (right) with his construction managerThe excavation must be deep enough to lay the foundation – remember The Greenhouse is a permanent structure and must be engineered for safety and functionality
Energy and Water Usage Efficiency
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Retaining walls are structures designed to hold back soil and prevent erosion.A hoophouse is a simple, tunnel-shaped greenhouse made of flexible metal or plastic hoops covered with plastic sheeting, used to extend the growing season by protecting plants from the elements.The foundation is crucial to the stability of the structure. Planetary Farms dug approximately 10 ft underground and put in 20 ft tall rebars followed by some cinder blocks and cement. The rain catchment system is very beneficial because it reduces dependency on the current well system. The geotubes that go underground are placed in the beds about 4 ft .deep after the remaining walls are constructed and filled with soil.
Colder climates such as Colorado or Nebraska will require additional geotubes outside of the greenhouse. Since temperatures will not generally get below zero in Virginia, it’s not required to have geotubes outside the greenhouse. The blower circulates the air from the tubes into the greenhouse.The propane heater in Greenhouse #1 is currently set to 55 Fahrenheit. This is only used during some of the coldest times of the year. Where a regular (non geothermal) greenhouse could require as much as $5,000 a year worth of propane, Planetary Farms may only spend a few hundred dollars a year. That is the Geothermal Effect!Airflow is necessary for the health of the ecosystem within the greenhouse. The fans and louvers allow for not just prevention of fungus and mold, but also to help regulate the temperature. Here, two fans were installed on the back wall and a louver on the front wall. Each of them have a thermostat set at a different temperature to allow for cooling. For the Greenhouse owner, it’s important to find a good place to rent out heavy machinery and to bring on someone who is qualified to operate it. The person who operates the machinery may only have an 8 hour window to use it before the cost starts going up quite a bit, so it’s important to be time efficient.
USDA Growing Zones
LED lighting refers to the use of light-emitting diodes (LEDs) to produce illumination. It is highly energy-efficient, long-lasting, and customizable in terms of color temperature and intensity. LED lighting is widely used in various applications, including residential, commercial, industrial, and horticultural settings, offering benefits such as lower energy consumption, reduced heat output, and the ability to create specific lighting conditions tailored to different needs.Like any project, there is always room for improvements.
Fruit of the Labor
Lessons in Science, Technology, Engineering, Arts and Mathematics
