The Orchid Garden

Carbon Dioxide Enrich

Question:

r rI recently read an article that touted the establishement of a compost rheap in the greenhouse.  Not only did it generate CO2, which they rclaimed enhanced growth of plants, but it generated heat too, lowering rbills! Hi Ray, CO2 I can perhaps believe. Heat? From a commercial standpoint, you have to make a given square foot pay for itself or it’s a losing proposition. It seems to me that a compost heap would have to be very large to impact a greenhouse with enough heat to make the square footage involved worthwhile. A grower, commercial or hobbyist, may have to allocate 50% of the available space..not too attractive an option. Doesn’t a compost heap also generate Methane? -Rod- Rod & Susan Venger, Venger’s Orchids Homepage address http://www.usa.net/venger/ Listings Available – Email us for your copies Order Line 1-800-483-6437 —

Response:

I would agree with you,Rod.  Without a doubt, the best passive heating arrangement I’ve had was in South CArolina:  All my benches stood on 55-gal drums, painted black, filled with water. In the SC sun, they absorbed quite a bit on energy, and in February, when week or so spells of temp-in-the-teens was not rare, my heater rarely came on. — Orchid plants (Check out the list): http://www.voicenet.com/~raybark

Response:

It would rather depend if orchids are C3 or C4 plants. I gather that at least some are at least somewhat C4-ish (I’m in a definitive mood this morning) and elevated CO2 would therefore be counterproductive. I also gather that carnation growers and others who use elevated CO2 in glass houses do so by returning the exhaust gases of the boiler to the feedstream of the glasshouse, something to be undertaken with great care on the safety front and, where orchids in particular are concerned, with great concern for the residual ethylene content cracked into the exhaust stream. A Dutch commercial grower told me that the ethylene vented by a house full of ripening tomato plants was enough to blast the buds on a houseful of Phalaenopsis a hundred metres away, so one is in the field of extreme sensitivity when oen tries this!   Oliver Sparrow

Response:

CO2 I can perhaps believe. Heat? From a commercial standpoint, you have to make a given square foot pay for itself or it’s a losing proposition. It seems to me that a compost heap would have to be very large to impact a greenhouse with enough heat to make the square footage involved worthwhile. A grower, commercial or hobbyist, may have to allocate 50% of the available space..not too attractive an option. Doesn’t a compost heap also generate Methane? -Rod-

        Actually Rod, if you put the compost heaps under the bench, you wouldn’t be wasting any space.  Unless, of course, you grow plants under your benches, in which case never mind.  I don’t think compost heaps generate significant amounts of methane, that would probably be more significant if there was anaerobic decomposition going on (if you treat your compost right, it should be aerobic).  I’m not entirely sure what you would do with enough compost to heat a greenhouse.  You had better have a large garden, or someone who wants to get truckloads of compost to haul it out of there. Rob  Rob’s rules to live by:                            |  Send me seeds!    (1) There is always room for one more orchid.    |    (2) There is always room for two more orchids.   |    (3) There is no rule 3.                          |  Hey kid, wanna buy a     (3a) When one has insufficient credit to buy    |     Paph?          more orchids, obtain more credit.          |

Response:

r        Actually Rod, if you put the compost heaps under the bench, ryou wouldn’t be wasting any space.  Unless, of course, you grow plants runder your benches, in which case never mind.  I don’t think compost rheaps generate significant amounts of methane, that would probably be rmore significant if there was anaerobic decomposition going on (if you rtreat your compost right, it should be aerobic).  I’m not entirely rsure what you would do with enough compost to heat a greenhouse.  You rhad better have a large garden, or someone who wants to get truckloads rof compost to haul it out of there.   rRob Hmm. I don’t think that would work here, since we rely on the under bench space for humidity. My meager understanding of compost heaps leads me to think that if I kept it wet enough to keep the humidity up, the compost would be too wet for proper decomposition. Then there’s the added problem of sow bugs, slugs, worms, centipedes and such that love a good compost heap but dislike the gravel under the benches. -Rod- Rod & Susan Venger, Venger’s Orchids Homepage address http://www.usa.net/venger/ Listings Available – Email us for your copies Order Line 1-800-483-6437 —

Response:

Filed under: Orchid Plants

Related Posts