Oct 29 2018
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An Introduction to Vapor Pressure Deficit

How well do you understand temperature and relative humidity? By Harry Connor Vapor Pressure Deficit (VPD) is used by growers to assess how dry the air is at a given moment. If the air is too dry, photosynthesis will stop in order to protect the plant from exhaustion. Photosynthesis is the process of converting sunlight,…
Jun 27 2018
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Choosing The Right Contractor For Your Greenhouse Project: During The Build

Once you have chosen a contractor, your involvement in the building process is far from over. There are several things that you should be diligent about when your project is underway. Please read “Choosing The Right Contractor For Your Greenhouse Project Part 1” for helpful information to consider before you decide on a contractor. Current…
May 10 2018
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How to Reduce Heat in Your Greenhouse with Shade Paint

Summer is almost here! As outdoor temperatures begin to rise, greenhouse temperatures rise as well. Luckily, there are a few methods for reducing the amount of heat that enters your greenhouse. Here at Ceres, we think that shade paint is a great way to reduce greenhouse temperatures. Shade paint can be applied once your greenhouse…
water wall passive solar greenhouse
Mar 13 2018
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Water Barrels vs. Phase Change Material

  Innovation plays an important role in every industry. Bulky, inefficient methods are catalysts for new-age technology. Since traditional greenhouses lack insulation, thermal masses can provide extra heat. Thermal mass materials absorb heat during the day and release the heat back into the greenhouse at night. Water barrels are widely used to maintain temperatures in…
custom year round greenhouse
Jul 26 2017
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Is My Plant Getting Enough Light?

The following is an excerpt from The Year-Round Solar Greenhouse, with additional content provided by expert greenhouse grower Paul Alaback. Year-round greenhouse growers, and all gardeners, often wonder whether plants are getting sufficient light. As we’ll explain further below, whether your garden gets enough light is somewhat subjective -- it depends on your expectations. Fortunately,…
Jun 12 2017
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5 Tools for Planning an Energy Efficient Commercial Greenhouse

With demand for local food continuing at a strong pace, a year-round greenhouse is often a good business venture. You can greatly improve your chances for a successful greenhouse business with proper planning. Planning for a greenhouse business requires basic business planning -- thorough research and usually spreadsheets. Here are five essential tools to aid that process, based…
Greenhouse Controls for GAHT system
Jun 02 2017
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Setting Controls in a GAHT System or Climate Battery

A climate battery is a ground to air heat exchanger, which provides year-round heating and cooling of solar greenhouses and other structures using the thermal mass of the soil underground. Ceres’ patent-pending Ground to Air Heat Transfer (GAHT™) is a high-performance climate battery specialized for year-round greenhouse growers. For more on how a GAHT™ system…
Commercial Aquaponics Greenhouse_Flourish farms
Feb 19 2017
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Free Resources on Commercial Aquaponic Greenhouses

Interested in starting an aquaponics business? Though you will probably want to take an in-depth aquaponics course if you do not have experience (and are not hiring a professional grower), there are also a multitude of free and low-cost introductory resources. This is not a stand-in for further education and is by no means a complete…
Commercial aquaponics greenhouse
Feb 19 2017
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Can a Commercial Aquaponics Greenhouse Be Profitable?

This is a common question that circulates in forums, and for good reason. Aquaponics is a more environmentally sustainable method of growing than conventional agriculture, but if it’s not financially sustainable as well, it is not a viable venture for most growers. Before we evaluate data on this question, two caveats. First, growers’ expected financial…