1. Growing Greenhouse Crops

2. What Type of Plants Can One Grow in a Greenhouse? Trees? Shrubs? Bulbs Herbacious? Perenials? Annuals Grass? Food? Cut flowers?

3. What are the Limiting Factors in a Greenhouse? Cost? Space? Seasons?

4. Types of Greenhouses

5. Cold Frame

6. Lean to Greenhouse

7. Topics Greenhouse Environment Containers Media Irrigation Fertilzation Controlling Plant Growth Managing Pests Schedule Specific Plants

8. Environment Temperature 55 to 65 degrees with 10-15 degrees warmer during the day is critical for most plants. Thermotropism: Plants growth in response to temperature Thermoperiodic: Flowering due to temperature

9. Environment Continued Light: Maximum intensity must be achieved with sun and lights. Light Duration: Some plants respond to day length for growth cylcles. Photoperiodism: Plants flower due to day length. Short day plants flower when days are short (less than 12 hours).

10. Environment Continued Air: One must have air flow. You can increase CO 2 levels with machines. Humidity: High humidity is good for plant growth but can increase disease levels.

11. Containers There are different containers for all different types of plants.

12. Growing Media Well drained Good Moisture holding capacity pH of 5.5-6.5 (slightly acidic) Good support Common ingredients include perlite, sand, vermiculite, bark, and peat moss.

14. Irrigation (Watering) Drainage: Medium and pot must be well drained Timing: Water just before plants show signs of water deficiency Amount: The entire medium surrounding the roots must be wet. The only way to ensure this is to have water come out of the bottom

15. Watering Continued Water in morning. Don’t get foliage wet if possible. Types of watering include hand watering, spaghetti tube, drip, ebb and flood, and capillary mat system, overhead, perimeter, and soaker hose system. Dissolved chemicals such as flouride or cholorine can be harmful to plants.

16. Fertilizers Organic Fertilizer: Natural derived from living things such as manure, blood and bone material. Inorganic: Synthetic nutrient compounds made by humans. These are most often used in greenhouse crops Application methods: Injection (through the irrigation lines, solids (top dressed or mixed with the soil.)

17. Controlling Plant Growth Pinching: Pinching off the unwanted material to create desired growth.

18. Controlling Plant Growth Continued (Growth Regulators) Hormones –Auxins: rooting hormones –Gibberellic acid: flower growth/elongates growth –Ethephon: flower growth –Height retardents: shorten stems –Chemical pinching agents: promote branching

19. Integrated Pest Management in a Greenhouse Prevent entrance of pests: inspect new plants. Weed control: they can harbor disease and compete for nutrients Sanitation: Keep it clean Crop inspection Environmental manipulation: give the plant the right conditions so that pests can’t live. Pest eradication: Pesticides/biological control

20. Scheduling Plant Growth All plants have specific schedule to get desired crop at the right time. Temp Light intensity and day length Seasons