Just like people, plants can experience sun damage. Excess light exposure can cause the leaf tissue to burn up, causing discolouration that can be particularly damaging to young plants.
While plants need the sun as part of the photosynthesis process, it is also vital to give them protection from the sun. A glasshouse can protect plants from harmful UV rays, provide shelter from direct sunlight, and offer ventilation and irrigation.
Shade and ventilation are vital factors when purchasing a glasshouse, as ventilation controls the environment by boosting air circulation, which prevents a dry atmosphere and stops the plants overheating.
Griffin Glasshouses recommends each glasshouse has the equivalent ventilation to 25% of the floor area. Bespoke glasshouses from Griffin are designed to maximise ventilation using the best ventilation systems in the industry. By utilising ridge and eaves gutter design, the company can tailor ventilation needs to the exact requirements of each customer – and their plants. For example, full-length ventilators can be installed to both the side and roof to maximize the openings and provide a through-flow of air. There is also the option of hand or fully automatic ventilation to give peace of mind that air is always circulating, even in your absence.
Glasshouses were originally created to create a warm climate to replicate the temperatures and natural surroundings that tropical plants were used to, and these hot temperatures mean that watering is vitally important within a glasshouse. When the leaf temperature rises, it can cause tissue damage, which can be easily prevented with regular watering that lowers the temperature by keeping water moving through the plant. Another method is to create a humid atmosphere by damping down, which is the process of pouring water onto the glasshouse floor. If done first thing in the morning, the water will then evaporate, creating humidity throughout the day.
With more than 50 years’ experience in the industry, glasshouse specialist, Griffin Glasshouses offers low-maintenance, unique-design glasshouses from lean-to and free-standing to its NGS collection. Each glasshouse is hand-crafted at the company’s Hampshire site.
www.griffinglasshouses.com