Plants
Plants
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Springfield, Missouri has a continental, temperate climate, so growing tropicals in a greenhouse is a necessity. We are in USDA hardiness zone 6a with an average annual low temperature of zero to minus five, though winters don't last all that long. Normal highs in July and August are in the upper 80’s to low 90’s. We get over 100 now and then but it’s usually with winds from the southwest and relatively dry. In summer we use a misting system (see below) using de-ionized water and several interval timers (essentially evaporative cooling). The dryer the outside air is, the better it works.
The PVC pipes running the length of the greenhouse have misting nozzles every five feet and are timed to “fire” from 4-10 seconds every 3-15 minutes. The timings are adjusted seasonally to match ambient conditions. Greenhouse humidity is critical whenever outside temperatures are over 90 or the outside air is much colder than inside the greenhouse. The key to growing rainforest plants (or any plant for that matter) is to mimic the natural conditions where the plants grow in nature. The tricky part is when you try to grow plants from disparate natural conditions. Growers who can succeed under these conditions are good! We have an on-line list of
our Bromeliads (now non-Bromeliads too). To view what we have, including pup
availability, click here. The big one in the
left picture is Aechmea floribunda. One of these days it’s gonna bloom.
Actually, mature Bromeliads can be induced to bloom by exposing ethylene
gas to the growing point of the plant. Those with connections can purchase
small pellets that will give off the gas when placed in the cup. An
ripening apple will also give off ethylene. Click here for some Bromeliad links... We believe in bottom heat for propagation! Click here to see how to build one yourself. Here is a picture of our de-ionized water treatment tanks, timers, and the result.
For a page of succulent pictures click here.
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