Maximum Yield Australia/New Zealand March/April 2019 | Page 33

THE GOLDILOCKS
GREENHOUSE
When dialling in the climate in
your greenhouse, think about
Goldilocks. The temperature
shouldn’t be too hot or too cold,
the air shouldn’t be too moist or
too dry, and the air shouldn’t be
too stagnant or too breezy. Here’s
how to get everything just right.
G
reenhouses are an excellent way to extend your
growing season. They allow you to enjoy a warm
oasis and eat fresh vegetables throughout the winter.
However, if your greenhouse’s climate is not dialled in,
you’ll have nothing more than a hot house full of shriveled
plants with moisture dripping from the walls. When
growing in a greenhouse, you take on Mother Nature’s job
of creating the correct temperature, humidity, and air flow.
Optimising the climate in your greenhouse is essential,
and there are many options and techniques to help you
create this ideal environment.
Temperature
Greenhouses capture heat efficiently, even in the cold
winter months. Your goal is to keep the temperature in the
proper range for growing. In the summer, you’ll want to
maintain your daytime temperature at about 24-29˚C and
nighttime temperature at about 15-24˚C. In the winter, keep
temperatures between 15-20˚C during the day and as low
as 7-10˚C at night. The exact temperatures you maintain
depend on the crops you grow and their preferences.
Many factors influence the temperature in your green-
house, including light, outside temperatures, and air flow.
Four methods commonly used for cooling your green-
house are shading, evaporative cooling, fogging systems,
and thermal mass reservoirs.
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