Dealing with Texas heat in a hobby greenhouse - Orchid Board

JMLand · #1 07-23-2013, 02:02 PM

Hi all. It's my first summer growing in a greenhouse in Texas. I was wondering if anyone here grows in a greenhouse in a similar climate that might have some tips on lowering the heat.
I'm working with a 6x8 harbor freight gh. I have 60% aluminet shade cloth, a windowsill swamp fan rated for 400-600 square feet and a pond fogger. All of those seem to help lower the heat pretty well but thanks to ALLOT of rain recently we have slightly higher humidity which makes the swamp cooler work not so well. I'm still able to keep the temps under 90 with the swamp cooler and fogger on but i'm looking to drop it down to something a bit lower.
Any ideas?

Orchidflowerchild · #2 07-23-2013, 02:13 PM

I never really have much worried about getting things terribly cooler in the greenhouses I have had over the years, just keeping the shade and air movement and adequate watering up. And not trying to grow anything but hot and warm growers. THere's really only so much fighting nature you can do short of air conditioning. I always just make sure I have the GH as open and as much air flow as possible.

-Ceci

JMLand · #3 07-23-2013, 02:18 PM

I'm a multufloral paph kinda guy. And some of the ones I griw don't really like the heat too much.

BettyE · #4 07-23-2013, 05:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMLand

I'm a multufloral paph kinda guy. And some of the ones I griw don't really like the heat too much.

I too tried to bring my paphs down here from Minnesota. They all eventually died. I am in N. East Tx. with a 9X14 ft. GH. I have a 62% shade cloth on during the Summer months. Now, I only grow orchids which like it hot /very warm. I run a fan in the GH. 24/7 & have a misting system. I try to keep the humidity between 55 & 65%. When the sun gets lower in the Fall, the 50%, then 40% shade clothes will go back on. Yes, it's a hassle, but I believe it's worth the work...Just my opinion.....BettyE

JMLand · #5 07-23-2013, 05:41 PM

Well I have found that my swamp cooler seems to cool fairly well. Its 85 in my gh right now but 95 outside. So far only one paph shows struggle. But I want to plan for the worst of day time highs.

Orchidflowerchild · #6 07-23-2013, 06:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMLand

Well I have found that my swamp cooler seems to cool fairly well. Its 85 in my gh right now but 95 outside. So far only one paph shows struggle. But I want to plan for the worst of day time highs.

If you want a real long-term cooling solution, you may look into a larger evaporative urface than just a fan. I have known people to put a 2' tall wet wall at bench height all the way down one short side, and a strong exhaust fan on the other end.

The issue is we live in a place with LOTS of heat and enough humidity that evaporative cooling is less efficient than it might be.

Have you cosidered a whitewashing of the greenhouse roof rather than shade cloth? Reflecting the heat so it never has a chance to get into the GH could perhaps help.

-Ceci

JMLand · #7 07-23-2013, 06:18 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflowerchild

If you want a real long-term cooling solution, you may look into a larger evaporative urface than just a fan. I have known people to put a 2' tall wet wall at bench height all the way down one short side, and a strong exhaust fan on the other end.

The issue is we live in a place with LOTS of heat and enough humidity that evaporative cooling is less efficient than it might be.

Have you cosidered a whitewashing of the greenhouse roof rather than shade cloth? Reflecting the heat so it never has a chance to get into the GH could perhaps help.

-Ceci

Well I have started using aliminet which seems to reduce the heat as well as light. I'm not too thrilled with the idea of paint on shade since my gh uses polycarbonate walls. I fear the sratching from adding and removing might reduce the long term life of the walls.

Orchidflowerchild · #8 07-23-2013, 06:53 PM

*sigh* Oh the tribulations of growing plants in North Hell. LOL

-Ceci

JMLand · #9 07-23-2013, 10:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Orchidflowerchild

*sigh* Oh the tribulations of growing plants in North Hell. LOL

-Ceci

UHG Tell me about it. I'm a transplant from Boston MA. I honestly think dealing with the extreme cold might be easier. I can forget about my TRUE orchid loves. Draculas and other pleurothallids. I would grow inside but the house stays at a constant 85 in the summer and about 79 winter. All of it dry as a bone. I just dont have the patience to build a proper terrarium for them right now

Orchidflowerchild · #10 07-27-2013, 03:49 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JMLand

UHG Tell me about it. I'm a transplant from Boston MA. I honestly think dealing with the extreme cold might be easier. I can forget about my TRUE orchid loves. Draculas and other pleurothallids. I would grow inside but the house stays at a constant 85 in the summer and about 79 winter. All of it dry as a bone. I just dont have the patience to build a proper terrarium for them right now

In high school, I built a cold wardian case around a window unit air conditioner and grew the entire subsection coccinea of the genus Masdevallia. In Houston, TX. When the power went out with rolling blackouts, one summer, i was misting the damn things with ice water all day.

I even packed them in ice chests with dry ice in the bottom and a layer of cardboard between them, once, because the power was out for days after a tropical storm. Heh. Tropical storm Allison.

The things we do....

-Ceci