A greenhouse (also called a glasshouse or hothouse) is a building where plants are cultivated. Amsterdam (pronounced) is the capital and largest city of the Netherlands, located in the province of North Holland in the west
A greenhouse is a structure with a glass or plastic roof and frequently glass or plastic walls; it heats up because incoming solar radiation from the sun warms plants, soil, and other things inside the building. A solar greenhouse works by letting in Solar radiation to warm the ground with the structure then trapping the energy to increase and maintain the temperature at a higher level Air warmed by the heat from hot interior surfaces is retained in the building by the roof and wall. These structures range in size from small sheds to very large buildings.
Greenhouses can be divided into glass greenhouses and in plastic greenhouses. Plastics mostly used are PEfilm and multiwall sheet in PC or PMMA. Commercial glass greenhouses are often high tech production facilities for vegetables or flowers. The glass greenhouses are filled with equipment like screening installations, heating, cooling, lighting and may be automatically controlled by a computer.
The glass used for a greenhouse works as a selective transmission medium for different spectral frequencies, and its effect is to trap energy within the greenhouse, which heats both the plants and the ground inside it. This warms the air near the ground, and this air is prevented from rising and flowing away. This can be demonstrated by opening a small window near the roof of a greenhouse: the temperature drops considerably. This principle is the basis of the autovent automatic cooling system. An autovent is a device for maintaining a greenhouse or conservatory within a range of temperatures Greenhouses thus work by trapping electromagnetic radiation and preventing convection. Convection in the most general terms refers to the movement of molecules within Fluids (i A miniature greenhouse is known as a cold frame. In Agriculture and Gardening, a cold frame is a transparent -roofed enclosure built low to the ground used to protect Plants from cold Weather
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Uses
Greenhouses are often used for growing flowers, vegetables, fruits, and tobacco plants. Floriculture, or flower farming, is a discipline of Horticulture concerned with the cultivation of flowering and Ornamental plants for gardens and The term " vegetable " generally means the edible parts of Plants The definition of the word is traditional rather than Scientific, however The term fruit has different meanings dependent on context and the term is not synonymous in Food preparation and Biology. Tobacco is an Agricultural product recognized as an addictive drug processed from the fresh Leaves of plants in the genus Nicotiana. Bumblebees are the pollinators of choice for most greenhouse pollination, although other types of bees have been used, as well as artificial pollination. A bumblebee (or bumble bee) is any member of the Bee Genus Bombus, in the family Apidae; there are over 250 known species primarily A pollinator is the biotic agent ( vector) that moves Pollen from the male Anthers of a Flower to the female stigma of a flower to accomplish Pollination in angiosperms and Gymnosperms is the process that transfers pollen grains, which contain the male Gametes (sperm to where the female Bees are flying Insects closely related to Wasps and Ants Bees are a Monophyletic lineage within the superfamily Apoidea This helps the plants to produce more plants for future plantations.
Besides tobacco, many vegetables and flowers are grown in greenhouses in late winter and early spring, and then transplanted outside as the weather warms. Hemingway is a town in Williamsburg County, South Carolina, United States. Started plants are usually available for gardeners in farmers' markets at transplanting time. A gardener is any person involved in the growing and maintenance of plants notably in a Garden. Farmers' markets, sometimes called greenmarkets, are Markets usually held out-of-doors in public spaces where Farmers can sell produce
The closed environment of a greenhouse has its own unique requirements, compared with outdoor production. Pests and diseases, and extremes of heat and humidity, have to be controlled, and irrigation is necessary to provide water. A pest is an organism which has characteristics that are regarded by Humans as injurious or unwanted A disease is an abnormal condition of an organism that impairs bodily functions and can be deadly Irrigation is an artificial application of water to the soil usually for assisting in growing crops Significant inputs of heat and light may be required, particularly with winter production of warm-weather vegetables. Special greenhouse varieties of certain crops, like tomatoes, are generally used for commercial production.
Greenhouses are increasingly important in the food supply of high latitude countries. On of the largest greenhouse complexes in the world is in Almeria, Spain where Greenhouses cover almost 50. 000 Acres and where almost 5% of Spains salad vegetables are grown. [1]
Greenhouses protect crops from too much heat or cold, shield plants from dust storms and blizzards, and help to keep out pests. Light and temperature control allows greenhouses to turn inarable land into arable land. In Geography, arable land (from Latin arare, to Plough) is an agricultural term meaning land that can be used for Greenhouses can feed starving nations where crops can't survive in the harsh deserts and Arctic wastes. Hydroponics can be used in greenhouses as well to make the most use of the interior space. Hydroponics (from the Greek words hydro (water and ponos (labour is a method of growing Plants using mineral Nutrient solutions without
Biologist John Todd invented a greenhouse that turns sewage into water, through the natural processes of bacteria, plants, and animals. Dr John Todd (born 1939) is a Buckminster Fuller 2008 Challenge-winning Biologist working in the field of ecological design Phytoremediation describes the treatment of environmental problems ( Bioremediation) through the use of Plants The word's etymology comes from
History
The idea of growing plants in environmentally controlled areas has existed since Roman times. The Royal Horticultural Society 's garden at Wisley in the English County of Surrey south of London is one of the three most visited Ancient Rome was a Civilization that grew out of a small agricultural community founded on the Italian Peninsula as early as the 10th century BC The Roman emperor Tiberius ate a cucumber-like[1] vegetable daily. Tiberius Julius Caesar Augustus (or Tiberius I) born Tiberius Claudius Nero (November 16 42 BC – March 16 AD 37) was the second Roman The Armenian cucumber, Cucumis melo var flexuosus, is a type of long slender fruit which tastes like a Cucumber and looks somewhat like a cucumber The Roman gardeners used artificial methods (similar to the greenhouse system) of growing to have it available for his table every day of the year. Cucumbers were planted in wheeled carts which were put in the sun daily, then taken inside to keep them warm at night. [2] The cucumbers were stored under frames or in cucumber houses glazed with either oiled cloth known as "specularia" or with sheets of mica, according to the description by Pliny the Elder. The word "mica" is thought to be derived from the Latin word la micare, "glitteren" in reference to the brilliant appearance of this mineral (especially Gaius or Caius Plinius Secundus, ( AD 23 – August 25, AD 79 better known as Pliny the Elder, was an ancient Author [3]
The first modern greenhouses were built in Italy in the thirteenth century[4] to house the exotic plants that explorers brought back from the tropics. Italy (Italia officially the Italian Republic, (Repubblica Italiana is located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe, and on the two largest They were originally called giardini botanici (botanical gardens). The concept of greenhouses soon spread to the Netherlands and then England, along with the plants. The Netherlands ( Dutch:, ˈnedərlɑnt is the European part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, which consists of the Netherlands the Netherlands England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Some of these early attempts required enormous amounts of work to close up at night or to winterize. There were serious problems with providing adequate and balanced heat in these early greenhouses.
Jules Charles, a French botanist, is often credited with building the first practical modern greenhouse in Leiden, Holland to grow medicinal tropical plants. "Leyden" redirects here For other uses see Leyden (disambiguation.
Originally on the estates of the rich, with the growth of the science of botany greenhouses spread to the universities. Botany, plant science(s, phytology, or plant biology is a branch of Biology and is the scientific study of plant Life The French called their first greenhouses orangeries, since they were used to protect orange trees from freezing. As pineapples became popular pineries, or pineapple pits, were built. A pineapple pit is a method of growing pineapples in colder climates Experimentation with the design of greenhouses continued during the Seventeenth Century in Europe as technology produced better glass and construction techniques improved. The greenhouse at the Palace of Versailles was an example of their size and elaborateness; it was more than 500 feet long, 42 feet wide, and 45 feet high. The Palace of Versailles, or simply Versailles, is a royal Château in Versailles, in France 's Île-de-France region
In the nineteenth Century the largest greenhouses were built. The conservatory at Kew Gardens in England is a prime example of the Victorian greenhouse. The Royal Botanic Gardens Kew, usually referred to simply as Kew Gardens, are extensive Gardens and botanical glasshouses between Richmond and Although intended for both horticultural and non-horticultural exhibition these included London's Crystal Palace, the New York Crystal Palace and Munich’s Glaspalast. The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and Glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the Exhibition of the Industry of All Nations was a World's Fair held in 1853 in New York City, in the wake of the highly successful 1851 Great Exhibition in Munich (München; Minga is the capital city of Bavaria, Germany. Joseph Paxton, who had experimented with glass and iron in the creation of large greenhouses as the head gardener at Chatsworth, in Derbyshire, working for the Duke of Devonshire, designed and built the first, London's Crystal Palace. History The area that is now Derbyshire was first visited probably briefly by humans 200000 years ago during the Aveley Interglacial as evidenced by a Middle Duke of Devonshire is a title in the Peerage of England held by members of the aristocratic Cavendish family The Crystal Palace was a cast-iron and Glass building originally erected in Hyde Park, London, England, to house the A major architectural achievement in monumental greenhouse building were the Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (1874-1895) for King Leopold II of Belgium. The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (in Dutch: Koninklijke Serres van Laken, in French: Serres Royales de Laeken) are a vast complex of monumental Leopold II (Léopold Louis Philippe Marie Victor Leopold Lodewijk Filips Maria Victor (9 April 1835 – 17 December 1909 was King of the Belgians.
In Japan, the first greenhouse was built in 1880 by Samuel Cocking, a British merchant who exported herbs. Samuel Cocking (1842 in Ireland - 26 February 1914 in Yokohama, Japan) was a British trader in Yokohama arriving in 1869
In the Twentieth Century the geodesic dome was added to the many types of greenhouses. A geodesic dome is an almost spherical shell structure based on a network of Great circles ( Geodesics lying approximately on the surface of a Sphere
Sources
- Woods, May (1988)Glass houses: history of greenhouses, orangeries and conservatories Aurum Press, London, ISBN 0-906053-85-4 ;
- Cunningham, Anne S. (2000) Crystal palaces : garden conservatories of the United States Princeton Architectural Press, New York, ISBN 1-56898-242-9 ;
- Vleeschouwer, Olivier de (2001) Greenhouses and conservatories Flammarion, Paris, ISBN 2-08-010585-X ;
- Lemmon, Kenneth (1963) The covered garden Dufour, Philadelphia;
- Muijzenberg, Erwin W B van den (1980) A history of greenhouses Institute for Agricultural Engineering, Wageningen, Netherlands;
- Enoshima Jinja Shrine Botanical Garden
See also
- Biosphere 2
- Conservatory (greenhouse)
- Greenhouse effect
- Lord & Burnham (greenhouse manufacturers)
- Royal Greenhouses of Laeken in Belgium
- Solar greenhouse (technical)
- Vertical Farming
- Seasonal thermal store
References
- ^ Annals of Botany, doi:10.1093/aob/mcm242 The Cucurbits of Mediterranean Antiquity: Identification of Taxa from Ancient Images and Descriptions. Jules Janick1, Harry S. Paris and David C. Parrish
- ^ Richmond Oak: An Update On Our History of Conservatory Glass
- ^ rogueclassicism: Roman Greenhouses? Cartilaginum generis extraque terram est cucumis, mira voluptate Tiberio principi expetitus. Biosphere 2 is a 314-acre (127 ha) structure originally built to be an artificial closed ecological system in Oracle, Arizona ( USA A conservatory is a Glass and Metal structure traditionally found in the Garden of a large house The Greenhouse effect refers to the change in the Thermal equilibrium temperature of a planet or moon by the presence of an Atmosphere containing gas that absorbs Lord & Burnham are noted American Greenhouse manufacturers and builders of major public conservatories in the United States The Royal Greenhouses of Laeken (in Dutch: Koninklijke Serres van Laken, in French: Serres Royales de Laeken) are a vast complex of monumental A solar greenhouse works by letting in Solar radiation to warm the ground with the structure then trapping the energy to increase and maintain the temperature at a higher level Vertical farming is a proposal to perform Agriculture in urban High-rises These building have been called "farmscrapers A seasonal thermal store (also known as a seasonal heat store or inter-seasonal thermal store) is a store designed to retain heat deposited during the hot summer months nullo quippe non die contigit ei, pensiles eorum hortos promoventibus in solem rotis olitoribus rursusque hibernis diebus intra specularium munimenta revocantibus
- ^ Italian Government Tourist Board: Botanical Gardens in Italy "the first structures of this kind were already founded in the 13th century at the Vatican in Rome and in the 14th century at Salerno, although both are no longer in existence. "
External links
- Planning and Building a Greenhouse
- North Carolina State University Greenhouse Food Production website
- Organic Greenhouse Tomato Production
Dictionary
greenhouse
-noun
- A building traditionally made of glass, but now also made from plastics such as polyethylene, in which plants are grown more rapidly than outside such a building by the action of heat from the sun, this heat being trapped inside by the glass or plastic.
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