Welcome to a new article of Inveurop. In this post, we want to make reference to the best crops of interior and, above all, the ideal temperature for each greenhouse growing.
If you want to know more, keep reading.
What are the best vegetables to grow indoors?
It is exciting to think of all types of vegetables and fruits that you can plant. However, it can sometimes be overwhelming to decide between all the plants and varieties of each.
Where do you start? One way is to think of the plants by categories. For example:
- Easy to grow
- Big production
- Flowers
- Ornamental plants
- Plants that are just strange and interesting
Here is a quick list, summarized by category:
Easy to grow
- Tomatoes
- Strawberries
- Pumpkin
- Beans and peas
- Broccoli
- Green leafy vegetables: spinach, kale, arugula and microverdes
- Herbs
- Artichoke
High production
- Lettuce and leafy green vegetables
- Cucumber
- Arugula
- Green
- Jewish
Strawberries
Flowers
- Orchids
- Sunflowers
- Cosmos
- Calendula
- Zinnias
- Susana ojos negros
Ornamental plants
- Succulent
- Cactus
- Rare and interesting
- Venus flytrap
- Pitcher plant
- Fern spine deer
- Vegetables that grow well in a controlled environment
As you think of what vegetables would be ideal for your greenhouse, it would also be good to consider what would grow very well in a controlled environment.
Taking this into account, it is possible that you want to choose among the vegetables of cold-season and warm season, or for those who would love a specific environment, such as the heat.
For warmer temperatures, the types of plants that would grow well and produce a good crop are: varieties of peppers, such as jalapenos and sweet peppers, chili peppers, tomatoes, as well as okra.
Now, if you're thinking about having crops of the warm season, they need a lot of sun, but that require low temperatures moderate during the night, the best for these would be: eggplant, melons, beans, cucumbers, and summer squash.
In contrast, for the crops that prefer cooler temperatures, some good options are: cabbage, cauliflower, peas, turnips, leafy green vegetables, swiss chard and beets.
Requirements of ideal temperature for each greenhouse growing
We are saying that there is an ideal temperature for each greenhouse growing. Temperature is an environmental factor important influences on the growth of this type of crop.
There are three temperature points are important in the growth of the plants: the minimum temperature, the optimum temperature and the maximum temperature.
Is called the temperature cardinal. From the temperature minimum (or base temperature) we can put subjectively crops in different categories of response to temperature. These are: plant cold-tolerant plants in temperate to cold, and plants are sensitive to cold.
Also, the crops do not respond the same way to the temperatures at all stages of growth. For example, the optimum temperature for vegetative growth may not be adequate for the development of the flowers.
With a moisture and air movement is adequate, most of the crops tend to grow best if the daytime temperature is warmer than the night. Night-time temperatures are too warm or too cold tend to be much more harmful to crops that the daytime.
The actual temperature of a plant affects the slowness or rapidity with which it develops a culture. The temperature is a valuable tool to modify and regulate the time of cultivation.
How do I get it? Through changes of temperature during the day and the night (DIF) or by controlling the temperature daily average.
Temperatures cardinal for greenhouse crops
Growers should seek the optimum temperature for each variety of greenhouse growing. To do this, there are what are referred to as temperatures cardinal. These determine in what conditions it grows and develops more quickly and the crop in question. There are three temperatures cardinal for each crop.
The temperature cardinal minimum is the lowest temperature at which it can grow the crop. The temperature cardinal optimum is the temperature at which crop growth is maximum. Finally, the temperature cardinal maximum is the highest temperature that can grow the crop.
Minimum temperature
The average minimum temperature (or temperature base) is a specific temperature of the species to which a plant stops growing. The base temperature can vary between species and even the crops and it is estimated that ranges between -1°C to 12°C for the cultivation of flowers that have been investigated up to now.
For example, the base temperature for the petunia seed is about 4°C. This means that at this temperature or below it, petunias essentially stop growing.
Optimum temperature
Growers also need to know what is the optimal temperature for a culture. The optimal temperature is that at which the development of the plant is faster. The optimum temperature can be around 21°C for cool-season crops, or reach 32°C for the warm-season crops.
Plant a cool-season, they also have an optimum temperature lower than that of the warm-season crops. Therefore, they tend to suffer symptoms of heat stress at lower temperatures.
Maximum temperature
The stress maximum temperature may occur in crops when the temperature of the day, night or both exceed a specific temperature of the crop. The maximum temperatures can also reduce the photosynthesis of the plants.
Crops tolerant to cold, temperate, cold and cold-sensitive
Greenhouse crops can be divided into three basic categories:
– Cold-tolerant, those with a base temperature of 4°C or lower, and that usually grow to average daily temperatures of 16 to 18°C.
– Temperate to cold, those with a base temperature of 4 to 7°C, and that usually need to be grown at a temperature daily average of 18 to 21°C
– Crops that are sensitive to cold, those with a base temperature of 8°C or higher, and usually need to be grown at a temperature daily average of 21 to 24°C.
Temperature requirements for growth stages of crops
When contemplating the management of the temperature in the greenhouse, it is important to take into account the influence of temperature on the growth and development of plants in different stages of growth. These are formed by the germination of seeds, vegetative phase, reproductive phase and maturation phase.
The optimum temperature of a plant species changes as the plant develops from a seedling to a mature plant. In general, seed germination and early seedling growth are produced more quickly at warmer temperatures. Young plants tend to prefer warmer temperatures.
Although warmer temperatures cause an increase in the rates of photosynthesis and respiration, promote the photosynthesis and the net growth in young plants. This is because there is less tissue of stem and root compared to older plants.
Influence of the temperature of the greenhouse crops in the quality of the product
There is often a compromise between the high quality of the crop and the time of the same. The cold temperatures tend to produce plants of higher quality (especially crops tolerant to cold), but take longer to reach maturity, and the energy consumption for cultivation can be increased.
In contrast, the crops to warmer temperatures develop more quickly. Therefore, have times growing shorter and require less energy to heat it. However, the quality of the plants is usually not so high.
For example, transplants, and plugs grown at cold temperatures tend to have thicker stems, better rooting and increased branching.
Temperature of the plant
It is important to take into account the actual temperature of the plant during the production, and not just the air temperature. During the day, the temperature of the air, the short-wave radiation and transpiration are the factors that most influence the temperature of the plant.
The heat can pass from the air to the ground, or vice versa, through a process called convection. The short-wave radiation that is not absorbed by the leaves for photosynthesis is reflected or transmitted through the sheet and can increase the temperature of the plant.
As that increases the sun's radiation, the temperature of the plant is increased unless the blades can dissipate the heat through perspiration or convection.
The temperature of the plant can also increase above the temperature of the air if the light comes from a high-intensity lighting, such as lamps high-pressure sodium or metal halide.
Temperature differential day-night (DIF) to control the growth of plants
The habit of growth and the time of flowering of many plants and ornamental cultivation in greenhouse can be changed quite drastically by the alternation of day and night temperatures (DIF).
DIF refers to the difference between day and night temperatures. The DIF affects the elongation of the internodes (or the part of the stem between two nodes, where there is another branch), at the height of the plant, the orientation of the leaves, the orientation of the outbreaks, the content of chlorophyll, the lateral branching and elongation of the petiole and on the flowering stem.
The response of plants to the relationship between day and night temperatures varies according to the species and the crop.
Influence of the DIF in the height of the plant
The principle of the DIF can be applied in the greenhouse to control the height of the plants and reduce the need for the use of growth retardants chemicals. The main effect of the DIF is to influence the elongation of the internodes.
The height of the plant can be reduced by decreasing the daytime temperature or increasing the temperature of the night, or both. So it makes a DIF close to zero or negative. Conversely, to increase the height of the plant, you should increase the diurnal temperature or decreasing the temperature of the night, or both. This is achieved by making a DIF close to zero or positive.
Side effects of DIF negative
The use of a DIF-negative has some side effects. These include:
- The reduction of leaf area
- The change of the orientation of the leaves (plants exposed to a DIF positive tend to have a foliar growth upright while plants exposed to a DIF negative tend to have a growth foliar horizontal)
- The curling of the leaves down
- The orientation of the outbreaks
- The reduction of chlorophyll content
- The nutrient composition of the leaves
- The lateral branching
- The partition of the carbon.
Limitations of the application of the DIF
The main limitation of using a DIF close to zero or negative for the control of the height are the climatic effects on the environment of the greenhouse during the summer months.
During the hot weather it is very difficult, if not impossible, to maintain the ideal temperature for each crop in a greenhouse during the day and that is fresh enough to apply a DIF close to zero or negative.
For example, if the daytime temperature is 33°C, the night temperature should be at least of the same temperature to achieve the height control (in this case, 0 DIF). This night temperature would be excessively warm and could cause serious damage to the plants.
In general, should be avoided night-time temperatures above 24C because many crops are negatively affected by high temperatures. For example, some crops and flowers not to bloom at all, and the plants may be stunted.
Computer Control of the DIF
The control of the DIF can be managed by means of thermostats and manual settings. However, this can be difficult to control if you manage multiple growing areas that require different values of DIF.
In this case, the best option is to rely on computer software to greenhouses that includes the control of the DIF and to be able to calculate the average temperature daily as needed to control the date of maturity of the crop.
Decrease in temperature
An alternative way to manipulate the temperature to control the elongation of the plants is to lower the temperature during the first hours of the morning. This is known as the decrease of the temperature.
The temperature decrease is the practice of lowering the temperature, typically 2.8 to 8.3°C, before dawn during a period of two to three hours. The fans should be turned on for the temperature of the air in the greenhouse to descend down enough before sunrise.
In general, the greater the magnitude of the decrease of the temperature, the greater will be its effect on the height of the plants. To obtain the most consistent and best results, the decrease of the temperature must be achieved before the plants perceive the beginning of the day.
Average temperature daily for greenhouse crops
The average temperature daily is an important concept in the management of the temperature of the greenhouses. When we design our air temperatures, we set a day temperature and night temperature.
As its name indicates, the daytime temperature is when there is light, and the temperature at night is when there is darkness. Although both temperatures influence the growth and development, the main factor that controls the speed or the pace of growth is the average temperature daily.
The mean daily temperature is the average mathematics of the air temperature during a 24-hour period. Plants make up the day temperature and night temperature during a 24-hour period. In addition, the growth and development are strongly influenced by this average temperature built-in.
Up here is the article from today about how to achieve the ideal temperature for each greenhouse growing. We hope it has been interesting and help you to know the ideal temperature for the crop you want. For any doubt or query, do not hesitate to get in touch.