Greenhouse Management Greenhouse Structures

1
Greenhouse ManagementGreenhouse Structures

• Types and Systems of Benches

2
BENCHES

• Increase Labor efficiency
• Aid in air circulation
• Better control of
• pests
• watering
• and other production operations

3
Benching Materials

• Tops of 14 gauge wire mesh, lath wood, plastic
• Sides of wood, aluminum
• Legs of wood, cinder block, metal

4
Type of bench varies with use

• Soil filled benches
• Container benches
• Ebb and flo benches
• Carousel

5
Soil-filled benches

• Used to grow cut flowers
• In ground or raised benches
• Should hold six inches of soil and have adequate
  drainage. Slit or Ved bottoms are used on
  raised benches to help drainage.
• Raised benches make it easier to control insects
  and diseases.

6
Container benches

• Used to raise plants that are in containers
• 30 inches high
• 41 feet wide
• They do not require sides
• Wire mesh is used to allow good air circulation
  and drainage

7
Ebb and flo benches

• They are lipped and have solid plastic for a
  surface
• There is an opening to pump water in and an
  opening to let water out
• The table is flooded and the plants are irrigated
  through subirrigation then the extra water is
  drained back into a stock tank to be reused

8
Carousel

• These rotate the crop to obtain maximum light

9
Greenhouse bench arrangements

• Retail
• Standard or longitudinal
• Peninsular
• Rolling

10
Retail Benching

• Raised benches to display plants that are for
  sale
• Wide isles to allow customers to pass easily
• The bench efficiency is 50 to 60 percent

11
(No Transcript)
12
Standard or Longitudinal Benches

• Usually used for cut flower crops
• Run parallel to the length of the greenhouse
• The bench efficiency is about 70 percent

13
(No Transcript)
14
Peninsular Benches

• Usually used for potted plant production
• There are benches that run along the sidewalls
  with shorter benches that project out toward the
  middle isle
• It is like a series of peninsulas
• The bench efficiency is 75 to 80 percent

15
(No Transcript)
16
Rolling Benches

• New benching system
• The benches run parallel to each other
• There is only one isle
• The benches must be rolled to move the isle to
  where you want it.
• The bench efficiency is 85 to 95 percent

17
(No Transcript)
18
Bench Efficiency