Help converting patio to Greenhouse/Sunroom

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

How does the UV rating on the glass effect the growing of the plants? Do you need to supplement due to the reduced uv's getting through and the plants need them?

Originally Posted by greenthumbomaha

Bumping for the evening crowd. I have the same question as Carolyn.

The photos of local homes I saw in the presentation had mostly low light tropical houseplants. One person had a geranium in bloom. All had snow in the background or a pool to highlight the marketing. The cover photo of the sales brochure had a potting bench in the sunroom and it didn't look local. The sales person didn't know what it was.

Cost wise the sunroom is about 200 per sq ft. Much more than vinyl windows but wood is still pretty pricey. A stand alone greenhouse is prohibited by covenants.

- Lisa

Plants do not need UV light if they do it sure as heck isn't much.
This is why we have to harden off plants that have been inside under artificial lights.
So they can get used to UV the same way we do or get sun burned.

Worth

[clkeiper]

Worth, they need the light spectrum that is not available with the uv window covering. That is my question... can you get anything to grow correctly without the "natural "daylight that is produced by sunshine. I cant reproduce it with a regular lightbulb... which is why the light fixtures for greenhouses cost a boatload of $$. Can you repurpose sliding/patio/large windows without having to supplement the light spectrum?

[Worth1]

Originally Posted by clkeiper

Worth, they need the light spectrum that is not available with the uv window covering. That is my question... can you get anything to grow correctly without the "natural "daylight that is produced by sunshine. I cant reproduce it with a regular lightbulb... which is why the light fixtures for greenhouses cost a boatload of $$. Can you repurpose sliding/patio/large windows without having to supplement the light spectrum?

Okay I am awake a little I stayed up watching old steam trains on You Tube last night.
Lets break this down.
What is your UV window covering.
You can get things to grow correctly without natural daylight produced by sunshine it is easy.
Now the next statement is a little more complected.
""I cant reproduce it with a regular lightbulb... which is why the light fixtures for greenhouses cost a boatload of $$.""
What do you mean by a regular light bulb?
The green houses use these fixtuers they are called ballasts and here is why they have to use them.
Those are Metal Halide and High Pressure Sodium lights.
What the Ballast does id control the electrical input to the light.
The light would work in a regular socket but it would get brighter and brighter until it destroys itself.
The reason some but not all green houses use them is because of the Watts they put out.
I use the term watt because yes watt is energy and it is a better way to measuer light energy than lumens in my opinion.
Lumens are measured by visible light that plant for the most part dont need.
These high powered lamps due to there wattage can be placed farther away from the plants.
This is why they are used there is nothing special about them other than this.

Next.
"Can you repurpose sliding/patio/large windows without having to supplement the light spectrum?"
Absolutely there will be no problem at all.

Remember plants cant see green the light reflects right back off of them.
Here is something you can do with a CD.
Hold it up to the light coming through the glass.
If you move it around you will get a rainbow of colors reflected off of it.
This is the light you and the plants are seeing.
What you wont see is the many wave lights of UV and infrared light the human eye cant see.
A black light puts out a wave length of UV light it is known as UVA.

Did I get off track?

Worth

Here are some plants growing under LED grow lights.
This is what the world would look like to us if only light that plants needed were available.

[dfollett]

Originally Posted by Worth1

Plants do not need UV light if they do it sure as heck isn't much.
This is why we have to harden off plants that have been inside under artificial lights.
So they can get used to UV the same way we do or get sun burned.

Worth

I'm not a scientist, but I'm with Worth on this. I have had very good results growing tomatoes inside without any supplemental lighting, and just a south-facing window wall. Most varieties don't blossom well from mid November through January (some varieties do), but I believe that is due to the short day length. The plants sure don't seem to lack for light, but they still need to be hardened before going outside full time.

[reddeheddefarm]

We closed in a south and west facing corner porch a couple years ago with vinyl windows and it works great.for the last 2 years we have had well over 1500 starts out there with a supplemental heat source. We found the windows at a home depot for a blow out price as they were a custom order that was returned. I framed the walls to accept them. To go further on the concept, I'm currently collecting used windows/insulated glass to build a 12x20 green house with a wall of glass facing the south.

[clkeiper]

Thanks, I was just wondering. I don't have much luck growing my over-wintering plants in front of the basement windows (which is walk out level) but maybe the window just isn't big enough. It sure doesn't do much for them and it is 4' wide. I am always chomping at the bit for warm enough to get to the greenhouse temps.