One of the best ways of taking care of plants is by caring for them inside a greenhouse. The controller environment inside a greenhouse allows you to give your plants a better environment to grow in. But how does a greenhouse work, exactly?
A greenhouse stores solar energy
A greenhouse collects solar energy from the sun. It does this by capturing sunlight through the roof and walls, which are made with a transparent material, usually glass or a clear type of plastic. The materials inside the greenhouse – especially those that have a dark color – slowly absorb the solar energy and give it off as heat. Since there is no wind or breeze to move the air inside the greenhouse the interior gets warm rather quickly. The temperature is ideal for plants to grow optimally.
Materials of a greenhouse
To make a greenhouse efficient, materials that easily absorb heat is usually placed inside. These are materials that will easily store the heat energy that is converted from exposure to sunlight. Bricks are a common material used in greenhouses that are excellent storage of heat energy. Moist soil, which is abundant in a greenhouse is another excellent material. Water is also a great candidate. These materials absorb the thermal energy and then slowly gives it off. The thermal energy is usually released when there is little to no sunlight.
How a greenhouse regulates temperature
Of course, a greenhouse will be ineffective if there is no way to regulate the temperature inside. An inefficient or nonexistent temperature control system will make the greenhouse extremely hot, which will have a bad effect on the plants growing inside it. Ventilation and controlled or timed air circulation is the most common way of controlling the heat inside the greenhouse. Misting and fogging are also very popular ways of temperature control inside a greenhouse, which also doubles as a method of providing additional moisture to the plants growing in the greenhouse.
Benefits of a greenhouse
A greenhouse is not only useful in providing the optimal temperature for growing plants. It also provides plants protection from exterior factors that can be bad for them. For example, a greenhouse can protect plants from insects and other parasites. Even though it cannot completely keep insects off, it can still limit the number of insects that can eat the plants. A greenhouse can also protect plants from the elements like excessive rain, direct sunlight, strong winds, snow, and hail. The greenhouse provides an artificial climate and temperature that can be kept the whole year round.
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