We want HCC's distance learning courses to be the best they can be. Your early feedback will help us reach that goal. Please take a few minutes to complete a brief evaluation of this course. You will have until 11 p.m. Friday, September 7 to complete the evaluation.
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Jonathan Vester, Coordinator of Research and Institutional Effectiveness
Effective and economical greenhouse heating is the union of an appropriate heat source and an efficient heat distribution system. The best greenhouse heat source in the world is useless if the heat cannot be transferred to the plant environment. Likewise, an efficient heat distribution system is useless if an adequate heat source is not used. The most efficient greenhouse heat source and the most efficient heat distribution system can continue to work well -- only when properly maintained.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
* Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of different types of heating systems * Calculate the heating requirements for a greenhouse. * Operate greenhouse heating systems in a safe manner. * List standard maintenance requirements of greenhouse heating systems.
TERMS TO KNOW
greenhouse effect convection solar heat radiant energy boiler LP gas solar energy perforated polyethylene tubing natural gas Btu horizontal unit heater central heat thermostat a^2 + b^2 = c^2 aspirated thermostat area of a right triangle = 1/2bh infiltration finned pipe zoned heating exhaust unit steam heater carbon monoxide heat exchanger sulfur dioxide
1. Watch heating slide show embedded in blog post.
2. Watch the Crossroads Farm (VT) 'Heater Problem' video. Describe what happened to Tim and Janet Taylor when they expanded their greenhouse. (5 pts)
3. Submit use the internet to determine what the record low is for each month where you live (you may need to use a town near you if you live in a rural area). HINT: The Weather Channel has such records available for public viewing. (5 pts)
4. Use the Virtual greenhouse to run the following three simulations (don't adjust any additional settings that will come later):
* Burlington, VT; Winter; double poly, quonset style house, no heater, with set points. * Burlington, VT; Winter; double poly, quonset style house, 1 heater, with set points. * Burlington, VT; Winter; double poly, quonset style house, 2 heater, with set points.
Describe what happens in each setting. Make sure you pay close attention to the y-axis on the Air temperature graph. (10 pts)
STUDY QUESTIONS
1. Compare and contrast unit heaters and boilers. Explain the advantages and disadvantages and what types of operations might use both. (10 pts.)
2. Unit heaters are very common with growers who have relatively small amounts of production space. However safety is always an issue. (10 pts)
a. describe the appropriate positioning of the exhaust pipe. b. why does a grower have to insure a constant source of fresh air when the heater is running. c. what are two potential byproducts of a poorly functioning heater that are damaging to plants d. what is a byproduct that can be extremely dangerous to humans e. What must you do first if you get an alarm in the winter that a heater is off in your ornamental greenhouse?
3. Explain the advantages of an infrared heating system. (5 pts).
4. You have a single a-frame greenhouse with the following dimensions. (You may want to start by drawing yourself a picture). The dimensions are 50 ft (length) X 24 ft (width) X 8 ft (eave height). The ridge is 19 ft high. The glazing material is twin-wall polycarbonate. You want to be able to hold an inside temperature of 55 F even when the temperature outside is 0 F and winds are 20 mph There is no curtain wall. (25 pts)
a. calculate the heat loss/hr (show all your work. HINT: you may want to work through the problem on pages 137-139 STEP-by-STEP. USE THE SAME STEPS FOR THIS PROBLEM. (call me if you have difficulty we will work through it together). If you have difficulty showing the math on Google Documents you can mail me hand written sheets, just make sure they are postmarked by the module due dates.
b. search the internet and locate a unit heater(s) that will supply the amount of heat you calculated. Explain your choice. Don't worry about brand names and cost just BTU output. Please put the website in your answer so that I can check it.
5. You have a gutter connected a-frame (each bay roof) greenhouse with 3 bays and the following dimensions. (You may want to start by drawing yourself a picture). The dimensions are 100 ft (length) X 72 ft (width, each bay is 24 ft in width) X 20 ft (eave height). The ridge at the center of each bay is 26 ft high. You want to be able to hold an inside temperature of 55 F even when the temperature outside is -10 F. The material covering this metal greenhouse is single pane glass. Your greenhouse happens to be located in a very windy area. So count on 35 mph winds on this -10 F winter night you are planning for. (30 pts).
a. calculate the heat loss/hr (show your work)
b. you have decided to have a boiler installed and you will use 2" iron plain pipe (no fins) to deliver the heat to your greenhouse. How many feet of pipe will you need to deliver the amount of heat required on the cold night that you designed the heating system for? How many feet will you need of finned pipe? (see page 79 in your text for a hint).
EXTRAS
I was fascinated by this greenhouse gallery. The ingenuity these people displayed in creating their own local controlled environments was awesome. Most folks were novices. Imagine what you will be able to accomplish once you have successfully completed the course. Imagination + Knowledge = Success
Make sure you have turned in your HOP Assignment. All students must turn in the HOP Assignment by August 24th or they will be dropped from the course.
If you have turned in your HOP Assignment you be wondering how you will turn in other assignments. Below is a video to help get you started. I know it is a bit fuzzy, but watch the mouse pointer and try to create a document on your own e-mail account. Please contact me if you have any questions. I would be happy to help out. MODULE 1 is due August 28th by midnight.
Welcome to Fall Semester 2007 at Haywood Community College. You are enrolled in the online section of HOR 134 Greenhouse Operations. I hope you find this material as exciting as I do. Understanding the fundamental principles of greenhouse operations will help you produce floriculture crops more efficiently and economically.
Please take time to familiarize yourself with the Blogger Environment. If you are new to Blogger an easy way to start is by following all the links in the Course Menu at the right. Also be sure to read the announcement concerning the HOP Assignment. The HOP Assignment must be completed by August 24th or you will be dropped from the course. This is a simple assignment that serves as a record of you having signed onto the course.
Please also read the syllabus thoroughly. If you have any questions please contact me. I would be happy to answer them. My physical office is at Haywood Community College in 1105 at the Nix Horticulture Complex. My office phone is 828-565-4275. The e-mail I want you to use to contact me is buddy.tignor@gmail.com .
Make sure you sign up for a free gmail account at http://mail.google.com I will be using this e-mail to contact you and we will be using other google applications during the semester.
Thank you for your interest in horticulture technology and I look forward to a successful course this semester. I am always happy to assist students, so if you have any questions, concerns or constructive criticism please contact me.
In order to remain enrolled in your online classes, you must complete the Haywood Online Prep (HOP) assignment for each course you are registered to take. Students who have not "hopped" by 4:00 p.m. Friday, August 24, 2007 will be marked as a "no show" and dropped from the course.
Go to http://mail.google.com and sign up for a free google account. This will be the e-mail you use exclusively for this course.
Choose the Save Target As option (Save Link As in Firefox).
In the Save in box, select the location where you wish to save the document on your computer.
In the File name box, change the file name to your full name.
In the Save as type box, verify that the file type is Rich Text Format.
Open the HOP Assignment file on your computer using your word processing program.
Type your answers to the eight (8) questions in the file. Be sure to Save the changes.
After you complete the work, log into your Gmail account and send an e-mail to me (buddy.tignor@gmail.com) with the RTF file you created as an attachment.
When your instructor acknowledges receipt of your file, a check mark will appear next to your name in the online gradebook.
*A file saved in Rich Text Format (RTF) is a text file that contains formatting instructions that most word processing software applications can understand. Saving files in this format ensures that your instructor can open your assignments even if he or she uses a different word processing program. For help saving files in Rich Text Format, click here.
INTRODUCTION In many cases students will be planning to construct new greenhouses or purchases existing greenhouses when considering a new horticulture business venture. One often overlooked process is the planning involved with site selection.
There are many decisions to made in a business plan prior to the construction or purchase of a greenhouse. These are critical to economic success. I have met more than one gifted enthusiastic horticulturalist that met economic hardship by diving headlong into production without first spending the necessary time to come up with a thoughtful business plan.
New greenhouse construction in Chicago, IL. Image Source: clare and ben
Choosing the type of greenhouse you need for production is a complicated process. Sometimes a simple structure will suffice and may result in positive economic returns. Other times labor costs combined with a target wholesale market may be decision drivers in choosing a more complex structure such as that shown in the image above. This house below is a high profile gutter-connected range. Sometimes rolling benches are added to further maximize the utilization of light for crop production.
Large glass greenhouse range in Holland. Image Source: akbar1947.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Understand the importance of a business plan prior to making any decisions involving greenhouse operations or management.
List what decisions have to be made before the greenhouse business plan can begin.
List and explain a dozen factors that are integral to greenhouse site selection.
Be able to recognize and name different types of greenhouse structures.
Identify the various components of a greenhouse.
Discuss the advantages and disadvantages of different types of glzing materials.
Discuss economic factors to consider when constructing a greenhouse.
TERMS TO KNOW
growing period growing media annual production marketing system investement capital zoning property value slope grade labor law H2A Visa building code low tunnel high tunnel water quality freestanding gutter connected orientation high profile glass snow fence low profile safety glass plastic resins gutter connected polycarbonate bench washing machines sawtooth acrylic sill quonset polyethylene rafter even span fiberglass uneven span float glass multi-bay tempered glass ridge metal truss wood purlin PVC sash ebb and flow bar cap rolling benches chord galvanized metal strut expanded metal
Watch the Site Selection microlecture. This mini-presentation is about 22 minutes, so depending on your Internet Connection Speed it could take anywhere from 5 to 50 minutes to download. I would start the download process and then read your texbook while you wait.
Watch the Greenhouse Construction microlecture. This presentation will walk you through the basics of greenhouse construction to supplement your textbook reading.
Watch the Greenhouse Benching microlecture. This lecture covers the variety of benching material that you may find in the world of greenhouse operations.
Watch the structure videos from each of the greenhouse locations we will be highlighting this semester. (at the bottom of this section)
Watch the video from Kraft Gardens in Florida entitled "Building for Hurricanes." (Below)
Review greenhouse construction by viewing the following slides.
Last week you were asked to visit a greenhouse and take some pictures (if you have access to a camera...don't worry about images if you don't have a camera). Please post the name and location of the greenhouse you visited to the discussion board. In additional include the following on the discussion board: Briefly describe the business (i.e. wholesale, retail, bedding plants, mass market, specialty, etc.) Briefly describe some of the site characteristics. What do you think worked about the layout of the greenhouse or greenhouse range? Was there anything you might change? (10 pts)
for the purposes of this question imagine that you are going to start a new greenhouse business at your current place of residence. In this imaginary scenario the area of land you have is not limiting nor is capital for investment. (10 pts)
Discuss the Environmental, Land, and Resource Considerations for your site.
Do you think your site would be more suitable for a retail or wholesale business? Explain why.
What do you think the most limiting factor would be at your site? There is no right or wrong here, but explain the reasoning that lead you to your answer.
Which side of a greenhouse should the headhouse be located on? Why? (10 pts)
How is producing plants different from a manufacturing business such as making furniture? What are some similarities? (5 pts)
List three federal government offices that have free information available that would assist in site selection for a new greenhouse. (5 pts)
Compare and contrast 3 different types of greenhouse glazing materials that are commonly found commercially. Be sure to thoroughly cover the strengths and weaknesses of each. (10 pts)
Describe the strengths and weaknesses of wood framed greenhouses as compared to metal framed greenhouses. (5 pts)
What are the advantages of a high profile greenhouse? low profile greenhouse? sawtooth style house? (5 pts)
What is the primary advantage of a gutter connected greenhouse? (5 pts)
Describe 3 different types of benching. (5 pts)
Describe important considerations for greenhouse directional orientation. (10 pts).
What are some of the special features of the Florida greenhouse in the video that allow it better withstand damage from hurricanes? (10 pts)
In what situations do you think a glass covered greenhouse would be appropriate? Are there situations where double poly might be preferred? (10 pts)
INTRODUCTION Over the past decade, floriculture and nursery crops have been one of the fastest growing U.S. agricultural sectors. Of the estimated $45 billion in U.S. horticulture sales in 2003, floral and nursery crops contributed a third, or $15 billion, less than vegetables' sales receipts of $17 billion, but more than fruits and nuts' $13 billion. ERS analyzes conditions and trends that influence supply, demand, trade, and prices in the domestic floriculture and nursery markets. -ERS 2006
It is important to remember that overall trends are based on regional components. A bright outlook for the industry as a whole may not translate to every greenhouse production area in the United States. LEARNING OBJECTIVES
List and Describe the areas of major greenhouse flower and food crop production in the United States.
List the ten highest value florist crops.
List the top 5 states in floriculture production.
Explain why tomato producers located in Mexico may be increasingly competitive with greenhouse tomato producers in the United States.
List 8 sources of recent greenhouse horticulture information.
Read Chapter 1 in your textbook. Floriculture a Global Industry. pages. 1-38. (We won't spend a lot of time on this, but this is useful information to know).
ACTIVE LEARNING EXERCISES Watch the following videos.
Visit a local greenhouse and be prepared to answer some questions concerning your visit. If you have a digital camera take some pictures of your visit (always ask the manager/owner for permission prior to taking any photos).
STUDY QUESTIONS (Answer in complete sentences)
What are the top five floriculture crops produced in the United States? (10 pts)
What are the top five floriculture production states? (10 pts)
What are some of the advantages that growers have in California and Florida that make their greenhouse industries so large? Despite these advantages why are so many companies moving some of their operations off-shore (for example Ecke). (10 pts)
Theoretically, why would the USDA be a better source of factual information than a trade journal? Why would I use the word theoretically in the previous question? (10 pts)
Differentiate between the greenhouse industry in Florida and California as introduced in the videos (20 pts) You will have to search the web for information regarding the California industry. The USDA ERS is a good place to start.
Differentiate between the greenhouse industry in Ohio and Vermont as covered in the videos (20 pts)
Why is it important to get the most recent news and be involved in the professional organizations of your chosen field of study? (10 pts)
Describe one greenhouse related horticulture career that you find interesting (10 pts).
This course covers the principles and procedures involved in the operation and maintenance of greenhouse facilities. Emphasis is placed on the operation of greenhouse systems, including the environmental control, record keeping, scheduling, and production practices. Upon completion, students should be able to demonstrate the ability to operate greenhouse systems and facilities to produce greenhouse crops.
All these images were obtained from Flickr under a Creative Commons License. By going to Flickr.com and searching the member name found next to the image source you can find the image and more by the same photographer.
We want HCC's distance learning courses to be the best they can be. Your early feedback will help us reach that goal. Please take a few minutes to complete a brief evaluation of this course. You will have until 11 p.m. Friday, September 7 to complete the evaluation. 
