Growers: How Are you Dealing With the Heat?

[Eric Muehlbauer]

Well, when I got back from LI today (where it was only 98) I saw that it was 103....it will be interesting to see what gets affected. Hosed everything down...paphs still look good, phrags look like they were in a toaster oven.

 

[paphioboy]

Minimum 29°C at wake-up this morning in my house. I've become a real fan of the man who invented the fan.

Excuse me, that's what we people who live in the tropics wake up to almost every single day... oke:

 

[Rick]

Excuse me, that's what we people who live in the tropics wake up to almost every single day... oke:

And that's why you guys are running around NAKED, while the Canadians are still running around in their parkas!!

In Southern US that's not uncommon during the summer too, but in the winter you can still get freezing temps.

Must be nice never to worry about having a heater blow out and freeze your collection in the winteroke:oke:

However, we see on this website that more than not most people in the tropics live at lower elevations that are considerably warmer than the higher elevations where many of our favorite paphs are found. And I've seen plenty of comments that one plant or another doesn't grow good for them because it gets too hot.

Comparing what is trouble free for me compared to our northern friends I see some differences too. The most obvious seems to be how trouble free they grow Pleurothalids, (which I can only keep indoors in air conditioning) while my Bulbophyllums are like monster weeds with no effort at all.

Overall its really good to have all these international viewpoints to share. We can see how much we can "stretch" our plants and figure different strategies to compensate.

 

[mormodes]

Excuse me, that's what we people who live in the tropics wake up to almost every single day... oke:

I agree. Who was it who said orchids aren't wusses. They can take this heat. A few weeks ago I posted about how the swamp cooler went out in my GH. I totally freaked. I wound up learning not to depend on these contrivances. I took a panel off the greenhouse thereby negating the Greenhouse effect. The heat did not build up so the orchids didn't steam in the ambient 98F temps. Had I left the wall intact it'd have been 113 if not higher inside the GH, higher still at the roofline.

I haven't put the siding back on since June 21 even though the swamp cooler is now operational. Ambient high temps are 95F or so. Low temps are 62F. [shrug] Jerry Rodder used to say these temperature differentials pull more air through the pots. Maybe yes, maybe no. But I'm happy with the better air quality inside the GH.

My challenge has become ambient humidity (20-40%) - which you guys in the rest of the USA have plenty of. So take a wall off the GH and let the breezes blow through it. Shade cloth keeps out larger bugs, pets and other nocturnal animals.

I suppose my point is that I learned something from the heat wave. I learned to give up and stop trying to control everything. Stop trying to provide the perfect temps etc. The weather at this point in time isn't really *that* bad. Its just shaking us out of our complacency.

BTW a Paph Constance that has never bloomed for me is putting up a spike. A happy coincidence. A Paph Armeni White that never bloomed for me did too. Again a coincidence. I think what's actually going on is that I have to go out to the GH and damp down the floor. Not that this is what's helping the orchids either. Its getting me out looking at them. Paying attention wheres I used to just think they were OK out in the GH. Instead I'm looking at them daily. Kind of like what Bill Thoms says about having a friend put 10 pennies someplace in teh GH and seeing how long it takes you to find all 10.

I await your vocal disagreements. LOL! (easy for me to say as I sit in my pajamas on my patio sipping coffee, barefoot... ain't life in the San Fran Bay Area grand?)

Don't worry. Be happy. - Meher Baba

 

[Shiva]

Excuse me, that's what we people who live in the tropics wake up to almost every single day... oke:

Would you rather have -35°C in the dead of winter? That's the range of temps we have here over the year. I'm not complaining though. I like the glorious seasonal changes. Of course, I consider -35°C a tad too cold. oke:

 

[Rick]

.

My challenge has become ambient humidity (20-40%) - which you guys in the rest of the USA have plenty of. So take a wall off the GH and let the breezes blow through it.

I await your vocal disagreements. LOL! (easy for me to say as I sit in my pajamas on my patio sipping coffee, barefoot... ain't life in the San Fran Bay Area grand?)

Don't worry. Be happy. - Meher Baba

Tennesse humidity ain't what it used to be. Right after a good rain it will jump up to the 50-60% range (probably >70% at night), but I've been here since 96 and for the last couple/few years, the RH has been in the 30-40% range just like out where you are. It used to rain a little almost every day in the summer, but now it goes for weeks without a drop (almost as bad as when I lived in Oklahoma). Maybe its more humid farther south and north. But in the middle of the country, we went from record rains to drought in about a 2 month period. I still do a fair amount of work in Oklahoma and monitor stream flows. This spring in Tx Ok, Ks there was mega rains and widespread flooding. Now its so dry that farmers and ranchers are going under. The primary stream I monitor went from well over 100cfs to under 10 cfs in about 2 months.

I don't have time, space, money to build a second structure that's open air. My greenhouse isn't designed for easy removal of walls since I needed maximum sealing for winter humidity and heat savings, and need to save my resources to up-grade my winter heating system. So shade/ventilation and fogging has been the strategy for me.

 

[cnycharles]

it's interesting to read about how people all over deal with the heat, and also the cold (and everyone's perspectives). at work, we have small greenhouses and very big ones; others that are all forced-air cooling and others that the roof opens up. the big open-roof houses are very nice right now while the forced-air ones are very toasty. black cloth is a killer in the small houses where mums and asters are being shaded for daylight length control (to make them flower later) while aluminet really helps to cut the heat. having small peak vents in your greenhouse no matter if it's large or small, is a great way to dump out some heat!

in my apartment I have to turn off some of the fluorescent lights when it gets hot since I live in a second-floor apartment with most of the windows on the south side so my apt and plants don't get too hot. more fans around and especially in the windows to pull in cooler air (if it cools off at night) from outside makes a difference, though I have a/c in my bedroom and sometimes when it's really hot crank it up and put a fan in the doorway to push some cold air out into the living room

 

[SlipperFan]

I have to add an addendum to my note.

One the day it was supposed to get to 97ºF and sunny, and that morning the coolest (!) it got in the greenhouse was 81º, I decided I'd better not take a chance. I had some remay material from my vegetable garden, so I draped that over the rods I hang my plants from and added an extra fan. It got to 96º inside -- a degree or two cooler than outside, and the leaves didn't fry from the sun.

So I'm a believer, and will probably be getting some aluminet to put over the outside, if I can figure out how to attach it!

 

[mormodes]

Tennessee humidity ain't what it used to be.

I don't have time, space, money to build a second structure that's open air. My greenhouse isn't designed for easy removal of walls since I needed maximum sealing for winter humidity and heat savings, and need to save my resources to up-grade my winter heating system. So shade/ventilation and fogging has been the strategy for me.

I find that very interesting. I guess I gotta travel more. Perhaps in light of climate change we all have to be less rigid and more flexible. I have wondered if the prolonged rainy season we had this year - if it were to continue for a decade or so - what effect that'd have on the Golden State... [sigh].

Why isn't it ever easy, *G*!

 

[paphioboy]

And that's why you guys are running around NAKED, while the Canadians are still running around in their parkas!!

Me no run around nekkid at home...

I suppose my point is that I learned something from the heat wave. I learned to give up and stop trying to control everything. Stop trying to provide the perfect temps etc. The weather at this point in time isn't really *that* bad. Its just shaking us out of our complacency.

True for all the control freaks with greenhouses...

Would you rather have -35°C in the dead of winter? That's the range of temps we have here over the year.

:crazy: No thank you.

 

[Eric Muehlbauer]

OK...so I'm checking out the damage here. I have several decidous azalea's, a rhododendron, and a red horse chestnut with seriously burnt leaves...all that occurred within the past 24 hours. With my orchids, nothing worse than before...except for a Bepi cattleya that looks pretty toasted...but interestingly, it was far more shaded than the other untouched orchids.

 

[Rick]

I have to add an addendum to my note.



So I'm a believer, and will probably be getting some aluminet to put over the outside, if I can figure out how to attach it!

You can order it with grommets all around so you can tie it off to the GH or stakes on the ground (just need rope). There are also shade cloth clips that can be attached to the GH roof.

Some super high-tech folks probably have automatic ways to drop shade cloth curtains from the ridge of their GH's.

 

[T. migratoris]

I need to update my auto start generator. Mine is a dinosaur! Could you tell me more about yours, please?

I recently installed a Generac auto start generator for backup GH power. I bought the smallest one available - 8KW - and delivered it was just a hair over $2K. Came with a pre-wired transfer switch & great installation instructions; the battery was an extra $80 or so. Mine runs on natural gas. It has a little computer in it that allows you to program start delays, the weekly exercise schedule, etc. It starts & runs for 12 minutes once a week to keep the battery juiced up. I only needed one circuit for the GH so I used several of the other transfer switch circuits for our house so now I have backup power for a couple of house circuits as well - refrigerator, chest freezer, couple of lights, couple of receptacles, water heater (I hate cold showers), etc. I've had mine operating for a little less than a year now & it's already operated once during a power outage.

 

[John M]

That sounds nice. I'll google Generac and have a look. Thanks.

 

[Bob in Albany N.Y.]

Hi John

I got beat to the punch. I went outside today and check our generator. Mine said Guardian by Generac. Works for me. It was pricier than the one just quote but mine does the Green house, garage, and most on my home with the exception of the A.C., drier and a couple of odd lights. I love mine. It tests once a week at a time you pick and comes on in about 5 seconds. I started out getting a smaller one. But by the time you start adding the furnace, well, and fridge it turned out it wasn't' all that much more to do most of the house. It even does the electric stove top and oven. If I was able to go back and do it all over again. I would have upgraded to the next size and done everything except the A.C. I really didn't chose the specific brand. I called and few people in and went with the best price.

 

[SlipperFan]

We have a Generac, also. It automatically comes on if power is off for 5 seconds, and goes off when power is restored. It tests itself once a week, as Bob said, at a time of your choosing. It does need to be serviced once a year, and it's a little pricey. But we have the greenhouse, our furnace, freezer, refrig, stove, water pump and heater and a bunch of lights attached to it. When the power went off recently, it was worth it's weight in gold! (Well, almost.)

 

[John M]

Thank you again all! I'd like to get something that will also run stuff in my house too. That would be VERY convenient!

 

[SlipperFan]

You can order it with grommets all around so you can tie it off to the GH or stakes on the ground (just need rope). There are also shade cloth clips that can be attached to the GH roof.

Some super high-tech folks probably have automatic ways to drop shade cloth curtains from the ridge of their GH's.

I just saw your post, Rick. I'm doing some research -- thanks for the suggestions.

 

[SlipperKing]

I'll add a little bit about my conditions here in South Texas. Here is the weather we have to deal with

Shading that I currently need because of tree loss.

Next is how well the wet wall works during these 95 degree plus days with no rain.
Outside Temp in the shade today.

the water pump running for the wet wall

Here I'm checking the water temp of the wet wall reservoir before it starts

Here is the drop in temp after it has ran a few minutes.

This is the temp in the first third of the GH closest to the wet wall.

Here is the temp 2/3 of the way from the wet wall closer to the exhaust fans.

About 10 degrees difference from end to end. The Greenhouse is 32ft long.

 

[Ross]

Very effective cooling!