Greenhouse cultivation of pot plants and containers

Greenhouse cultivation of pot plants and containers

1. Protected cultivation- EC-24 (2+1) PRESENTED BY: RAKESH KUMAR PATTNAIK Asst. Prof. Horticulture MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Lecture 13. Greenhouse cultivation of Pot plants and containers Dt.30.06.20

2. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Greenhouse cultivation of Pot plants and containers Container planting goes exceptionally well with certain plants and many of these plants do exceptionally well in greenhouses. Pot plants and containers are plants cultivated in greenhouse pots and that are not planted directly into the ground, or row-cropped as in a vegetable farm or backyard garden. Rather, they are grown in a soil medium within a container or pot of some sort large or small and for a number of benefits only containers provide, and which support plants in a different way.

3. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Importance of Pot plants and containers: 1. If we plans for selling whole plants as retail, pots or containers of course come in the most convenient, ready-to-transport form for customers. 2. Root systems are allowed to grow and develop unimpeded in greenhouse pots, and without any nutrient competition with other plants nearby. 3. Varieties with highly rigorous, expansive root systems — or sensitivity to water logging might not thrive on the other hand or need more care to do so. For more sensitive plants, however, containers are an elegant, ideal solution. 4. This is especially true if plants need to move crops easily throughout various parts of greenhouse for certain benefits, such as more shade, light exposure, or other elements. 5. Containers can help make all this easier while preventing disease in the meantime. When grown on growing benches, flower maintenance is also made a simpler task. More often, however, containers allow easy transport of flowering annuals inside and outside of greenhouses from season to season, as the vast majority of them die back in the winter. 6. For year-round annual blooms and especially retail potted annual flowers with showy blooms sold to customers for their own gardens, growing in containers is best.

4. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Pots and container growing plants: Seedlings and Transplants : 2. Flowers: Some perennial flowers succeed exceptionally well in other mediums besides containers, even in direct plantings underneath a greenhouse cover. This includes common blooms like gladioli, or tulips. Containers allow direct watering to the roots, pH and nutrient control, and even reduced competition of nutrients for individual crops. For those wanting to sell retail flowers as potted plants, greenhouse pots are clearly the best way to go. Ex. Orchids. 3. Succulents: A popular type of houseplant nowadays, greenhouse growers can propagate succulents in containers for successful retail sale. This includes jade plants, cactuses, aloe etc. without any nutrient competition with other plants nearby.

5. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 4. Shrubs: For obvious reasons, shrubs and containers are made for each other in a greenhouse. Shrubs tend to have specific pH requirements that are only well replicated in controlled soil mediums, such as in containers. Growing greenhouse shrubs roses and hibiscus and more require containers to be successful. 5. Strawberries: They can be lifted off the ground to avoid the interest of slugs and soil-borne diseases. Plants can be moved under cover in winter to force an extra-early crop. With some plants left outside and others housed under cover of a greenhouse or polytunnel it is possible to get a much longer harvest from exactly the same variety of strawberry

6. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES Type of Benches used inside Green house 23.1 INTRODUCTION The duration of crop in greenhouse is the key to make the greenhouse technology profitable or the duration of production in greenhouses should be short. In this context, use of containers in greenhouse production assumes greater significance. The containers are used for the following activities in greenhouse production. Raising of seedlings in the nursery. Growing plants in greenhouses for hybrid seed production of flowers. Growing plants for cut flower production. Growing potted ornamental plants 23.2 BENCHES 23.2.1 Floor as benches Growing plants directly on the floor in conjunction with ground floor heating systems using the floor for growing plants is gaining popularity, but the cement must be laid exactly level in order to achieve an even distribution of water when flooding floors. Porous concrete floors may be expanded in width to serve as “benches”. The main advantage is the porosity offered and the lowered cost from bypassing above ground structures. This system works well for some species. However, the added fatigue on employees may not be worth the initial savings when considering the strain of working at an awkward position.

7. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 23.2.2 Raised Benches 23.2.2.1 Bench arrangements Maximum utilization of growing facilities is largely based on the amount of growing area achieved. Benches in the peninsular design may result in a greater growing area than if they were in a longitudinal arrangement. The peninsular design also allows many species to be conveniently segregated, which can be a real advantage for retail growers. However, many growers have found routine tasks such as watering much easier on longitudinally placed benches. Movable benches (fig 23.2.2), known as rolling benches, can increase efficiency up to 90 percent of the floor space. Bench platforms are moved by a crank at the end of the bench from side to side. Some can be moved by hand by sliding the benches over the top of long steel poles

8. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 23.2.2.2 Bench Space Efficiency Benching efficiency is defined as the square feet of bench space to the entire greenhouse floor area. This number is expressed as a percentage. Examples: A grower chooses a longitudinal bench arrangement in a greenhouse 30' x 80' or 2400 square feet of floor area. He decides to use 3-foot wide benches and 2.5-foot wide aisles and allows four feet at the end of the benches. The greenhouse has a benching efficiency of [5 (number of benches) x 72 (length of each bench) x 3 (width of bench)] \ (30 x 80 greenhouse dimensions) x 100 = (1080/2400) x 100 = 45%.

9. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 23.2.2.3 Bench Design An alternative to conventional benching systems is the ebb and flow (flood or sub irrigation) benches (fig 23.2.3). Metal or wood benches are replaced with watertight, molded plastic trays. Trays are periodically flooded with water and desired fertilizer concentration, which can be taken up throughout the plants via capillary action. This system has such advantages as reduced and uniform applications of water and fertilizer. Excess water and fertilizer are collected after each flood and drain cycle to be recirculated later.

10. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 23.2.2.4 Materials for Benches 23.2.2.5 Wooden Benches Locust, cedar, redwood, and cypress are all woods highly resistant to decay. Paint benches before use with copper naphthenate or other preservatives to augment the natural decay resistance of the wood chosen. When redwood is chosen, iron and steel will corrode from naturally present decay inhibitors. Therefore, choose metals such as aluminum , zinc, or brass nails, screws, and bolts. Benches may be all wood or in combination with a different material for the base.

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12. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 23.2.3 Temporary/Portable Benches

13. MITS INSTITUTE OF PROFESSIONAL STUDIES 23.2.3.3 Bench Supports Cement blocks are commonly used to support bench tops, particularly if they are not intended to be permanent. Permanent benches may also be supported in this fashion. Additionally, steel poles are often used for bench support. Plastic bench supports are becoming more popular, but again they are often not as strong, and in many cases are most appropriate for temporary retail displays. When wooden supports are used, it is especially critical to chemically treat them for decay, at least the area which will be submerged in the soil. The same preservatives which may be used on the growing surface of the benches are appropriate. Also, by pouring concrete footings, the structural integrity of the bench supports may be reinforced

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