Greenhouse Page

Some History

In 1987, when I was recruited for my current position, its facilities were limited to a 12' x 17' lean-to glasshouse adjacent to a laboratory building. This mini-house was (unbelievably) situated in the shadow of the building for most of each day. As part of my "recruitment package" I was promised suitable greenhouse space which I defined as a 40' x 60' greenhouse in full sun.

The Houses Finished

In January 1994 new greenhouses were finally finished so that they could be occupied. Lacking the luxury of a capital project funded by the State, "temporary" facilities were built. These consist of two 20' x 44' hoop houses (about 1800 sq ft) with a nine-foot peak and polyethylene glazing. The end walls are wood and include one entrance. The substrate is pea gravel with concrete pavers for aisles. The benches are Structural Plastics 2'x8' modular units with PVC pipe for legs. The greenhouses are located approximately three blocks away from our laboratory building on a bluff within a parking lot. Due to vandalism of the polyethylene, a cyclone fence was erected completely surrounding the two units. The houses are wheelchair accessible, include wheel-chair work stations, and the parking lot has an adjacent parking space for wheelchair unloading. The buildings that were torn down to make room for the greenhouses were "temporary" classrooms (portables) that had been in place for more than 25 years. I suspect that these greenhouses will be "temporary" for the rest of my career.

Temperature Regulation

The greenhouses are heated with natural gas forced-air, and cooled with electrically operated vents and exhaust propeller fan. Both units have air circulation fans and blowers to keep the two layers of polyethylene separated. Summer cooling is enhanced by shade cloth thrown over each house and lashed in place. One house is covered year-round and thermally regulated to make a "tropical rain forest" environment (warm/humid). The other is covered May to October for cooling and is kept cooler and drier than the other unit. The units are equipped with Sensaphone security equipment to phone my office, home, and the physical plant staff should temperatures exceed set limits.

Watering System

The watering system is run by a zoned timer to water both houses twice each day. The zones vary in how much water is delivered. The water is injected with fertilizer to keep approximately 100 ppm nitrogen in the lines. The fertilizer used varies but typically is Peters soluble 20-20-20 (or equivalent) with some micronutrients. The irrigation system uses bench runs of polypropylene pipe from which "octopus" fittings connect to "spaghetti" tubing to each pot. At the end of the tubing is an emitter stake that provides drip irrigation to its pot. Larger plants have more than one emitter, or the emitter can be adjusted slightly to increase the watering at each interval.

Potting Media

The potting medium is typically Fafard #2 or Pro-Mix BX. This might be amended with vermiculite or, more typically, perlite depending on the species being potted. Obviously plants needing better drainage and more soil oxygen get the perlite, those needing wetter soil get the vermiculite. Plants are grown in a variety of pots, but I try to standardize on 4.5" geranium pots for "typical" plants. Part of our collections include large specimens, and many course plants are grown in standard plastic flats. Aquatic plants are grown in Rubbermaid polypropylene storage bins, and a water-filled "pallet topper (4' x 4') is maintained for rooting cuttings, and keeping a thriving culture of Daphnia alive.

Pesticide Use

Pesticide use is kept to a minimum. Severe cases of mealy bug and white fly are dealt with by discarding plants, and in rare cases of irreplaceable plants with Orthene. Sunspray oil leaves our plants too slimy for common use. Safer soap is used for minor infestations. We have had considerable success with biological controls for mealy bugs and white fly.

Projects

These greenhouses are primarily for teaching and secondarily for research and outreach.

The teaching collection is growing and includes an increasingly wide range of plants from algae, to bryophytes, ferns, gymnosperms, and angiosperms. Classroom projects for Plants and Human Affairs, Biology of Plants, and Plant Physiology are present each semester. Plants are raised as basking substrates for reptiles in the Animal Behavior class. Daphnia are cultured for feeding salamander larvae. Typically there are two to four independent study projects underway in the greenhouse.
Greenhouse tours have been popular with the local middle school (one block away) and nearby day care facilities. Science fair projects in elementary school and middle school are carried out in the facilities each year. The eighth grade (middle school) science classes had a spring planting unit and raised plants for a huge plant sale. The proceeds were invested in research stocks and proceeds help fund the science program in the school. Biology students from Windham High School's Experimenta program have had projects in the greenhouses.
The greenhouse has also produced plants for the Windham Community Organic Garden (sponsored by the Windham Area Interfaith Ministry and the Puerto Rican Outreach Program); 100 dozen plants were donated in 1994 and 50 dozen were donated in 1995.
The greenhouse is also the plant "hospital" for the campus and plants needing some light, water, and fertilizer are routinely brought in for R&R. Plants are brought "back to life" for the President's office and for "major" financial donors.

Staffing

This facility is maintained personally by Dr. Koning with fewer than 5 hours per year of work-study student assistance. Recently some volunteers from the community are assisting and having a good impact on the appearance and "health" of the greenhouse. Dr. Koning is also president of the local faculty union chapter, and a full-time faculty member. Obviously this greenhouse thrives on neglect. Thank goodness for the automated watering/fertilizing system! Thank goodness for volunteers!

Arranging Tours

If you are local to the Willimantic, CT area, a greenhouse tour can be arranged by calling Dr. Ross Koning (860-465-5327). Tour groups are limited to 25 or fewer people and can only be arranged around Dr. Koning's schedule.

More to come as I get time and finances to add things...eventually I hope for a guided virtual tour of the greenhouses. Sorry...my summer course did not run this year so no money to add images in 1997. :-(

Go to the Plant Physiology Information Homepage.

Send comments and bug reports to Ross Koning at rkoning@snet.net.