Keeping Our Cool
Visiting the Solexx greenhouse headquarters, Beverly gave me a tour of the various greenhouse styles they offer. She also showed me growing and cooling techniques they are currently trialing. One such cooling method caught my curiosity, so I decided to test it in my own greenhouse.
Bev demonstrated how she took plastic Rubbermaid® trugs filled with water to lower and maintain the ambient temperature inside the greenhouse. The containers are low tech and not very sexy looking. I’m happy to report however, they seem to be working. Amazingly enough, the water in the containers remains cool.
Summer heat has been causing the trugs to expand sideways causing the lids to pop off. I’m concerned about possible future mosquito populations if the lids are not secured. I have been removing water as the trugs expand.
Have you employed any temperature reducing techniques in your own greenhouse?
I would love to hear about them!
2 responses to “A low cost greenhouse cooling technique to try”
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The cool thing about using water mass is that it both heats and cools. In the winter we heat the water to 80° with aquarium heaters and it keeps the ambient temp up. In the summer we remove the heaters and the water stays cool, keeping the ambient temp cooler. I need to do some comparative studies of the temp inside the GH with water mass and 1 with no water mass. We have had no problems with the greenhouse overheating so far and with no shade cloth!
It is true about the tops popping off, though. It is important to reduce the water level enough to keep the lids on. The open water not only is a breeding ground for insects, but also encourages algae and mildew to form.
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[…] to add to our carbon footprint or add more dollars to our electric bill this summer. Try this low-tech cooling approach that seems to be working just fine. Leave a […]