The Heat is On!

This fall, winter, and spring have been notably warmer and drier than what we’ve experienced in recent years. This spring marks my first attempt at managing the higher temperatures in the greenhouse. During the warmer winter, one exhaust fan and a louver functioned fairly well, though there were instances when temperatures exceeded 100 degrees, indicating that a second exhaust fan would have been beneficial on several occasions. With outside temperatures on some days above 80 degrees this spring, it became clear that I needed additional cooling solutions installed soon. I had anticipated this need and purchased extra fans last fall when setting up the initial ones. They were both installed within days of each other, and they have significantly contributed to lowering the temperature inside. Given the high temperatures, I realize I will need to implement further measures for the summer. This will likely involve shade cloth and possibly adding a third, more powerful exhaust fan, along with utilizing automatic roof windows on particularly hot days if the wind allows.

Just like I did with the first louver, I installed a bug screen followed by a 1/4″ wire mesh to prevent rats and mice from entering the greenhouse.