Air exchange during the winter

Good morning, Armando.

I do not own a greenhouse, I grow in a spare bedroom and my GA winter's are cool too.

Fresh air is vital to orchids, in my opinion. Moving air is important but fresh air is VITAL. I have a window in that room cracked open a few inches all year, much to my dh's dismay. I have not always done that and I cannot impress upon you enough the difference this makes with my plants. The are all-around healthier.

As I said, I do not utilize a greenhouse so I can not help you with that aspect of your inquiry.

And now that I realize I didn't tell you something you already know , I will just say that I hope someone sees your question and helps you out shortly. LOL!

Thanks for posting!

 

Armando, I've got a fresh air intake vent right near my gas heater. And I used to have lots of gaps around the bottom of my g.h. It was built on footers so wherever the gravel had sloped or rats had dug to get in there were openings. So, I imagine I've had lots of fresh airflow. But, at a cost to my heating bill I'm sure. This year hubby applied some new landscape insulation foam around the bottom of my g.h. sealing it up tight. It's not the ugly orange stuff, but is grey. I'm sure the rats could eat their way through, but so far haven't. I've noticed the g.h. has been kept warmer and should also lower my gas useage. I guess the major trade-off is that I won't have any air intake except for the gas vent and whenever I happen to open the door to go in and out.

I think in a happy world (think tropical) air exchange is much better than not, but we have to worry about the bills..I'll have to settle for lots or air movement from fans.

 

The bigest thing you have to worry about during the Winter months when the heater is on for an extended period of time is the humidity. You might want to get a meter to keep a check on it to make sure it does not get too low. They sell small humidifiers that will help keep moisture in the dry air. Big thing is to keep the air moving. This will help to maintain a constant temp throughout the greenhouse and eliminate "cold areas" Also, make sure none of your plants touch the outside wall and if at all possible keep a small distance between the walls and plants so air can get all around the plant. Fortunately, in our part of the world the amount of time we run the heaters is only for brief periods like overnight when a cold front blows through. Also with the cooling pads there is a source for incoming air. I only cover the cooling pads completely when the temps are down for several days at a time. You may also want to take advantage of the cooler temps to move plants like Cymbidiums to a cooler spot in the greenhouse. Down here, if I want a Cymbidium to bloom I have to leave it outdoors when the temps drop into the low forties in order to trigger the spikes.

just tom