Electricity, fans etc VERSUS all natural? - Orchid Board

daemondamian · #1 04-03-2007, 06:38 AM

Hi folks,
I'm in the process of planning a GH that I hope to build in the spring [I'm in Australia so it's Autumn here right now].

My friend up in Queensland has 5 GH's all made of arc-mesh covered in green shadecloth- the benches inside are of the same arc-mesh. There are those whirly things on top with closable [by rope] vents, 'windows' on each side [that can be covered with roll down window flaps] and solarweave covering on two of them.

He doesn't have any electricity- ie fans etc at all- it's all natural venting air flow [he says roof height is critical] and he grows things extremely well- if not indeed perfectly!

On the otherhand I have been growing things in a little plastic covered, black pvc pipe kit GH with a big desk fan in there, a 150 Metal Halide watt in there as well as two 45 watt daylight compact fluorescents.

I think I have been doing ok so far. I just visted the GH of a member of my local orchid club. His greenhouse- pipe frame, covered with opaque/white polyflute [Polyflute is a one-piece process extruded sheet consisting of two flat skins connected by vertical ribs. Made from polypropylene co-polymer, it has physical durability and chemical resistance properties that make it ideal for a range of uses. It is UV stabilised.]. He has shadecloth over the polyflute roof.

Inside he has two circulating fans, an evaporative cooler and misting on thermostat/timers additional lighting in case he is up at 5am and wanting to do something when it's still dark out

.

He has side window vents but doesn't use them- because they let out humidity...

My Queensland friend says you don't need electricity- is he right?

Which way is better and why?