Ventilation is probably the most important part of a successful greenhouse. Without proper ventilation, the greenhouse and its plants are prone to numerous problems. This is because ventilation has four main purposes in the greenhouse. First, it helps to regulate the temperature. It can also ensure that your plants get enough fresh air for photosynthesis. In addition, good ventilation can prevent pests and promote important pollination in the greenhouse. If you find that your plants are struggling in any of these areas, choosing the right fans and vents for your greenhouse can help alleviate this problem.
Without good ventilation, any greenhouse can become too hot, even in relatively cool weather. Believe it or not, more plants die from overheating in the greenhouse than from cold. Many plants are extremely sensitive to heat and will wither, stop growing or die. Placing vents throughout the greenhouse will help keep the temperature more uniform and allow some heat to escape naturally. If the heat in the greenhouse is a particularly big problem, please consider using exhaust fans to exhaust the stale air out of the greenhouse and encourage fresh air to flow in. Combining an evaporative cooler with an exhaust fan is the best way to cool the hot climate in a greenhouse.
All plants need carbon dioxide for photosynthesis. If your greenhouse does not have good air circulation, the plants will not be able to obtain the carbon dioxide needed to produce sugar for food. Your greenhouse needs vents to let in fresh air, but you should also have some kind of circulating fan to keep the air flowing throughout the greenhouse so that it will reach all your plants.
Many people don't realize how ventilation affects pests in greenhouses. Poor ventilation will not only cause plants to get sick and become victims of opportunistic insects, but if the air does not circulate normally, many insects will find your greenhouse too comfortable. In fact, by placing fans like this blower near plants that are plagued by pests such as white flies, you can keep these pesky populations out of your greenhouse altogether.
In nature, wind continuously causes pollination to occur. Because your greenhouse does not naturally have this kind of wind, it is important to replace it with a good fan. The flowing air gently shakes the plants, allowing pollination to occur. This is especially important for plants such as self-pollinated tomatoes. If you notice that your favorite plants have no results, this indicates that you need to increase the air flow in the greenhouse. The slight pressure on the plants caused by the airflow will also encourage the plants to grow stronger stems and roots, thereby improving their overall health. You may also want to consider using a hand pollinator to increase pollination like Vegibee.
Choosing fans and vents
Exhaust fans are an important way to help reduce the greenhouse temperature and increase the overall success rate. Ideally, the exhaust fan should face the roof of the greenhouse, opposite the door. If your particular greenhouse does not allow you to add exhaust fans, be sure to add additional circulating fans.
Depending on your specific model, your greenhouse may already have a base or roof vents. These are very important and should always be kept open in warm weather. It is best to add solar openers to these vents so that they automatically open and close when necessary. If your particular greenhouse can add additional vents, this is usually advantageous, and it is strongly recommended to use it in warm climates. Ideally, at least one large vent should be placed near or on the roof of the greenhouse for heat dissipation. Several vents should also be set up around the greenhouse and close to the base. This allows the best and most natural type of ventilation-cross ventilation.
In cross ventilation, cold air enters the greenhouse freely through the vent near the bottom, and then flows through the greenhouse to the vent near the top of the greenhouse. Heat escapes most efficiently in this way, while your plants will continue to receive a fresh supply of carbon dioxide. Natural convection causes cross ventilation, which maximizes the circulation that can be achieved only through the vents.