The effectiveness of a pad and fan system will not only depend on the design, but also on the wet bulb temperature outside the greenhouse. It is not the relative humidity, as many grower think that determine the effectiveness of the pad and fan system. The wet bulb temperature will determine to what temperature the [...]

Cooling a greenhouse can be just as expensive as heating, well almost. There are some very practical methods that you can use to save money.  One of the cheapest methods are spraying the surface of plastic tunnels with soluble lime. Here is how. The surface of the greenhouse cladding should be sprayed [...]

Insect screens or thermal screens are designed to reduce heat in summer and increase temperatures during the night, but also to reduce the number of insects entering the production area. Various designs are available and each type is designed to keep certain insects out by varying the size of the holes and thickness of the material. All insect [...]

Heat is always a problem in greenhouses during summer months and even during winter in some areas. Extreme high temperatures cause stress in plants and reduce yields, quality and increases pest and disease pressure thereby increasing costs. Overall, the economic viability of a greenhouse decreases if temperature is not controlled sufficiently. One of the latest [...]

Pad-and-fan systems, also called evaporative pad-and-fan systems, is the most common method of cooling a greenhouse in warm weather regions. Although not optimal, it is better than no cooling at all. Using an evaporative pad-and-fan requires a fan mounted opposite the evaporative pads. Evaporative pad-and-fan systems are referred to as “pad and fan” systems because the [...]

Many growers have tried reducing temperatures (cooling) with fogging nozzles. The concept of spraying the air with microscopic water droplets which absorb the heat in the air sound right. However, fogging does not just decrease the temperature, it increases the humidity as well. A fogging system cannot operate efficiently if it does not have a very [...]

Solar radiation is the most important factor affecting plant growth. Without light plants will not grow. Plants require a very narrow spectrum of solar light to grow. All other light that falls on plants are transformed into heat and has to be removed by the plant which uses up energy. Selecting the right cladding material [...]

There are a huge number of types of greenhouse structures available. The structural design will mainly depend on various factors such as: Crops that will be grownThe climate of the areaMaterial that will be used for the structureFinance available for the capitalPersonal preferences Most people that start opt for erecting a shade cloth structure since [...]