Tropical plants brighten spaces of all shapes and sizes. With a greenhouse to grow tropical plants not only adds diversity to your botanical collection, it also will help to bring a bit of heaven to climates where tropical plants don’t typically grow. From flowering and fruiting to lush botanical leaf, greenhouses can help guarantee tropical plants thrive all year long.
Why Use a Greenhouse?
Greenhouses give gardeners the opportunity to grow a wide variety of plants that under ordinary conditions wouldn’t be able to survive outside their native environments. Most tropical plants like the African violet, bird of heaven, elephant’s ear, sago palm and baby rubber plants thrive in always warm, humid climates and are often grown outside in specific locations. However, seasonal changes, outdoor temperatures and weather patterns are not always suitable for tropical plants in nontraditional spaces. A greenhouse may be used to provide plants with protection from the elements and also make year-round gardening of ornamental and edible plants potential.
Maintenance & Care
While greenhouses are intended to simulate the heat, humid native surroundings that foster the development of many tropical plants, routine maintenance is still needed to ensure that plants will grow and prosper. A greenhouse should keep an excellent daytime temperature of 75 to 80 degrees Fahrenheit, with a night temperature of 60 to 70 degrees Fahrenheit. Although some tropical plants, like the sago palm, are recognized to tolerate fairly moderate temperatures, most doesn’t endure frost or temperatures below 40 F. Some mysterious varieties thrive in sunlight, while some can only grow in indirect sunlight or partial shade. To ensure plants receive proper amounts of humidity and sunlight, gardeners might need to put money into heaters, cooling and ventilation systems, tinted or frosted window films, shade cloth and lights.
Other Factors
Greenhouses are available in a number of sizes and models, from simple cold frames to walk glass structures. The growth potential of the plants, in addition to the area in which the greenhouse is going to be found, should be considered before choosing which type of greenhouse will suit your needs. When some plants like bird of heaven, snake plants, and baby rubber plants are hardy and easy to grow, others, like several species of impatiens, Boston ferns and African violets require more special care and are highly prone to damage, disease and pests if greenhouse conditions are not adjusted to satisfy their demands. A heater, fans, irrigation program, benches, shelves, flooring and artificial lighting might also be required improvements to be sure the greenhouse provides the plants with a climate conducive to growth.
Factors
Humidity, in combination with night temperatures in the summer, in addition to in cooler months, causes condensation in a greenhouse. Condensation is a major threat to a lot of greenhouse plants because moisture may result in bacteria and fungus growth. While many tropical plants like African violets require moist soil to boom, the leaves are highly susceptible to damage if they are always exposed to moist and water conditions. Most tropical plants also require periodic usage of fertilizer and well-drained dirt to reach maximum growth possible. Because greenhouses maintain heat temperatures, plants that require constant soil moisture might need to be closely monitored to ensure the plants are getting sufficient quantities of water and drainage. Succulents, like the sago palm and baby rubber plant, should also be closely monitored to prevent overwatering.