Who knows anything about greenhouses?

[rebeccmeister]

There's a chance we might be getting a greenhouse going on our campus - fun!

But there's a lot to learn about installing and maintaining greenhouses in the northeastern US. This one will have access to electricity through the winter.

But how does one identify a high-quality greenhouse, and how do winter backup heating systems work for greenhouses?

So many questions.

Still, it's exciting to think there's a reasonable possibility we'll get one here. It really expands the possibilities for our department.

Comments

[moodyduck]

I know next to nothing about greenhouses, but when I was in AP Biology and had to do a "science symposium" project, I got to work in the UAF greenhouse and that was an AMAZING place to go every week during January and February in Fairbanks. Light, warmth, and humidity = heaven!

[threemeninaboat]

Exciting! Do you have state extension office? Do any of the other universities have greenhouses? All of ours get obliterated by hail.

[twoeleven]

Yeah, I was gonna recommend the NYS ag extension also. New York has a lot of speciality (non-grain) agriculture, so some of it must be in greenhouses.

[rebeccmeister]

This is a great idea. I'll look into it! Thank you both!

[twoeleven]

IIRC, you have your choice of heating systems: electric baseboard heat (since the greenhouse will be wired for electricity), natural gas (if the university is piped for gas and will run a line to the greenhouse), or propane/white gas/something similar.

Probably back in the bad old days people used steam heat as well, but I doubt anybody uses that now.

[shalpacafarm]

My mom was the emergency contact for the greenhouses for the ARS. She was called constantly by the fire department to drive in, in the middle of the night because alarms were going off.

[rebeccmeister]

Oh geez, that sounds terrible!