Greenhouse Structures
The primary type of cooling system that the WTAMU Greenhouse uses.
What is a Fan + Pad Evaporative Cooling System?
The two wavelengths (colors) of light that are optimal for photosynthetic activity.
What are red and blue?
The four basics of deisgn
What are color, texture, form and line?
The difference between hardscaping and sitescaping.
What is sitescaping is landscaping a small part of a larger area to meet the particular needs of people while hardscaping includes all permanent landscape structures?
The definition of Earth-Kind Landscaping.
What is Earth-Kind® focuses on using environmentally friendly management practices to produce landscapes that are beautiful, low-maintenance, and sustainable?
A disadvantage of a gutter-connected (aka ridge and furrow) greenhouse.
What are gutters collect snow, hard to isolate diseases/pests, or gutters produce shadows that can affect light intensity?
Two types of overhead irrigation systems.
What are drip, boom and sprinkler irrigation?
The five principles of design
What are simplicity, balance, proportion, focalization, and rhythm/line?
Three reasons for landscaping.
What are:
- Privacy screening
- Enhance property value
- Hobby
- Therapy
- Reduce noise
- To control people & vehicle traffic
- Create beauty
- To modify a variety of environmental factors
- To create spaces for outdoor activities
- Etc...?
The recommended depth of mulch to apply in a landscape to help reduce water usage and prevent weeds.
What is 3 inches?
The mechanism of heat gain in a greenhouse via solar (sun) or infrared, typically when plants or media emit heat.
What is Radiation?
One activity that Chaparral Cactus and Succulents does in January/February to prepare for the season.
What is... In January, the east greenhouse is completely emptied and cleaned. We start planning our space and filling pots in preparation for shipments of seedling perennials that were ordered the previous fall.
In late January/February, tiny plants begin arriving. Larger plugs and bare root are planted in our cold frame, while smaller plants are planted in the east greenhouse. This takes a few days if all the prep work was done...?
The colors of plant materials that are best served in the foreground of a landscape design.
What are warm colors (red, orange, yellows)?
Three considerations to look for when conducting a site analysis.
What are...
- Permanent features
- Noise levels
- Traffic
- Poor Drainage
- Utility Placement
- City/HOA Ordinances
- Primary architectural features of the house
- House Orientation
- Soil Conditions
- Wind Patterns
- Microclimate ?
Cycle and soak watering is especially beneficial on these types of soils.
What are compacted or clay soils or landscapes with steep slopes where infiltration is slow.
A framework, typically consisting of rafters, chords, and struts, supporting a roof of a greenhouse.
What is a truss?
My Tuberous Begonias are showing signs of flowering before I want them to! This is something I can do to delay flowering on this long-day plant.
What is use blackout shades/curtains to shorten the day/lengthen the night?
The term for an asymmetrical landscape in terms of the principle of rhythm and line (hint: formal vs informal).
What is an informal landscape?
The six major steps involved in designing a landscape.
What are...
1. Assemble a base plan
2. Site Analysis
3. Client Evaluation
4. Schematic Plan
5. Site Plan
6. Final Planting Plan ?
At least 6 of the 10 Earth-Kind principles
What are...
- Mulch
- Low-volume irrigation
- Irrigation auditing/evaluation
- Cycle and Soak watering
- IPM
- Composting
- Fertilizing based on soil tests
- Rainwater harvesting
- Preparing Planting areas
- Turf management ..?
Critical Thinking Scenario:
Name one feature you would suggest when designing a greenhouse to optimize energy efficiency while maintaining optimal growing conditions for different types of plants?
Glazing Materials: You could use double or triple-glazed polycarbonate panels, which provide excellent insulation while allowing sufficient light transmission. These materials reduce heat loss in winter and help regulate temperature.
Passive Heating: Incorporate thermal curtains or concrete flooring to keep heat in during the day without overheating at night. This passive heating helps maintain a stable temperature without relying heavily on external heating systems.
Natural Ventilation: Design the greenhouse with adjustable roof vents and side openings to promote cross-ventilation. This would help cool the space during hot months without using mechanical cooling systems.
Shade Cloths: Installing shade cloths can reduce heat buildup in the summer, protecting sensitive plants from excessive sunlight and reducing the need for artificial cooling.
LED Lighting: Utilizing energy-efficient LED grow lights with timers and sensors ensures that plants receive the right amount of light without wasting energy. Lights can be adjusted based on plant growth stages, ensuring optimal light conditions.
Smart Climate Control Systems: Implementing a smart monitoring system can track temperature, humidity, and light levels. This system could automatically adjust ventilation and lighting, ensuring that conditions remain optimal while conserving energy.
Critical Thinking Scenario:
"Sunshine Greenhouse" is experiencing inconsistent light distribution in their facility where they grow a variety of herbs, including basil and cilantro. The greenhouse is equipped with overhead LED lights, but due to varying heights of the plants and some obstructions, certain areas are receiving excessive light, causing leaf burn, while other areas are too shaded, resulting in slow growth and leggy plants. The management is seeking solutions to optimize light exposure for uniform growth throughout the greenhouse.
What are:
Light Sensors: Install light sensors that can monitor and adjust the intensity of the LED lights in real time based on the plants' needs and growth stages.
Zoning Lighting: Implement a zoning system where different areas of the greenhouse have specific light settings based on the plants’ needs. This could involve using dimmers or timers to adjust light intensity.
Plant Spacing: Optimize plant spacing to prevent overcrowding and allow better airflow and light penetration. This can help ensure that all plants receive sufficient light.
Or any other management solutions that make sense! ...?
Critical Thinking Scenario:
What are some elements you would incorporate into a landscape where you want the primary focus of the garden to be a beautiful Bluey sculpture you carved yourself?
- Place warm colors around the statue (color)
- Make the statue the tallest material in the immediate area to make it the focal point (proportion)
- Utilize lines in your walkways or surrounding plant material that lead up to the sculpture (rhythm/line)
- Place the sculpture on the line of symmetry in your garden to emphasize its uniqueness and make it stand out (balance)
Critical Thinking Scenario:
Draw a very basic Schematic Plan on the whiteboard of a house in the middle of a property with indicated sections that divide up the public, private, service and play areas. Use a legend to indicate which area is which.
What is ...
- private area is backyard
- public area is front yard
- play area is region of backyard, preferably located within sight of a back/kitchen window
- service area is a small region in front or backyard for a designated utility ...?
Critical Thinking Scenario:
What are three Earth-Kind suggestions that you can implement into your project's final planting plan? Remember, you are not installing, just designing!
- Recommend adding 3 inches of mulch to all flower beds.
- Recommend a small composting service area
- Recommend a rainwater harvesting service area
- Recommend using pest and disease-tolerant plants
- Recommend turfgrass or other plant varieties that use little water