What Does Greenhouse Mean?
A greenhouse, more commonly called a glasshouse in Europe, is an outdoor structure that is used to house plants. Often a simple frame covered by glass or plastic, greenhouses work by insulating the environment, to a point, in order to extend the growing season.
Greenhouses can create an adequate growing temperature in summer and winter alike. They often are used for growing plants and trees that require strictly regulated climatic conditions. While these structures vary in terms of size and purpose, commercial greenhouses can be significantly large and boast high-tech equipment designed to boost lighting, cooling, heating, and different types of screening installations.
Maximum Yield Explains Greenhouse
Greenhouses are very beneficial to large-scale agricultural crops since the plants are sheltered from drastic weather changes like high winds, torrential rains, blizzards and dust storms, soil erosion, flash floods, and more. Crops grown in greenhouses are additionally protected from rodents and insects.
According to the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, trees and plants that are growing in a sealed and caulked greenhouse are also protected from several types of plant pathogens, provided that the airflow is properly controlled.
As far as the design and structure is concerned, greenhouses are often dome-shaped but they can also display an arched roof. Materials for the walls, known as glazing, can be made of acrylic, PVC, double-layered polyethylene, plastic, fiberglass, or glass.
The idea of growing plants in a controlled environment originated in Rome under the reign of Emperor Tiberius. According to ancient Roman author, Pliny the Elder, cucumbers destined for the emperor’s table were planted and wheeled out in the sun during the day so they retained their warm temperature at night.
