Greenhouses have become important tools in plant cultivation. They provide much needed growing rooms for places which are not very conducive for the development of certain plants. They allow the cultivation of plants in places which could grow these plants normally.
There are many factors which can affect the development of plants inside a greenhouse. The proper balance of air circulation, ventilation, humidity, shading and heating will provide the plants with an optimum environment.
Misting
Other factors will such as ventilation and shading, are important for prevention of overheating in the greenhouse. However, proper misting or the control of humidity is the main factor which maintains a comfortable environment for the cultivation of plants. Evaporation uses up heat when it turns water from liquid into a gas. When the venting process is done, much needed moisture is lost from the greenhouse because it escapes into the air. Misting is one of the ways to replace the lost moisture inside the greenhouse.
The amount of moisture which is needed to be maintained by the greenhouse is dependent on several factors such as the amount of shading and ventilation that is provided, the status of the local climate and the fluctuations in the daily weather. The rule of thumb is that for each 10 square-ft of area, there must be 1-2 gallons/hour of moisture. A misting system will effectively distribute moisture evenly to all the parts of the greenhouse. A good misting system can disperse water in a fine mist, this will prevent the plants from being soaked.
Misting systems reduce temperatures by as much as twenty-five degrees F which is about 14 degrees Celsius.
Here are some facts about misting systems
-Misting systems can be used to disperse water in an ultra fine mist or a very coarse spray. The size of the droplets can depend on the nozzle type, the spacing of the nozzle and the operating pressure.
-Misting systems are used for many different kinds of applications aside from its normal greenhouse chores. They can be used from dust suppression, controlling static electricity control and concrete curing.
-Misting systems utilize pumps which are designed for intermittent or continuous duty. Intermittent pumps are designed to sprinkle water for five minutes and rest for a minute in between misting.
-Misting systems now come with electronic timers which can be programmed to mist 1-14 times a day with each misting ranging from 1 minute to 24 minutes. Other systems can be programmed to mist in shorter durations but more often.
-Nozzles are made from brass or plastic materials. The brass nozzles can be easily affected by minerals that abound in the water supply. The plastic nozzles can tolerate these minerals and can actually repel lime and other deposits.
-The amount of water which is needed to maximize the efficiency of the misting system can be calculated by multiplying the rate of the nozzle flow per minute by the number of nozzles in the system and the result will then be multiplied again by the minutes that the misting system will be in operation each day. This result will be a good estimate of how much water is needed by the system.
-Most misting systems today offer pumps which are almost noise-free. They will not affect the plants and especially the people near the greenhouse.
-Misting systems can be supplemented by an evaporative cooler. They work very well in dry climates (where humidity is below 50%). The air is cooled by around 10-20 degrees by the water which is evaporated because they are drawn through the cooler and then into the greenhouse. Too much humidity can be a problem and this is why people should water the plant only when they need it.
-The use of tools which can measure humidity can also be very helpful for greenhouse enthusiasts.
There are other factors that need to be considered in greenhouse plant cultivation. Misting is just one of them. Misting provides the plants with much needed cooling for the plants.
There are many tools out there that are available for greenhouse plant cultivations which can immensely increase the quality of their greenhouses especially in terms of misting. A cultivator just needs to find out what kind of misting system should be employed for his plants.
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