Students in Irmo Sell Poinsettias Starting Dec 5

Poinsettias in Instructor Greenhouse

On Monday, December 5, students at The Center in Irmo will begin selling poinsettias they planted and grew in an Instructor greenhouse provided by The Greenhouse Company. 

Students in the Agricultural Education program at The Center work together to grow the plants. There are three pathways at The Center in the Agricultural Education program, BioSystems, Environmental and Natural Resources, and Vet Science.

All three pathways use the funds from the sale to support The Center’s FFA chapter and the activities the organization participates in throughout the year.

Click here to read the article by Briasia Russ. 

How to Prepare Your Greenhouse for a Hurricane

 

Our Engineer compiled the following list of suggestions assuming the worst-case scenario of extremely high winds from Hurricanes. The extent of the preparations will depend on your location and will ultimately be a judgement call on your part.

Close roof and any other type of vents. Turn off fans and shutters. To reduce the chance of a fire starting, turn off the main breaker. Cutting plastic is a big judgment call. If the winds are high enough the plastic may come off with no damage to frame, but there is no way to know for sure. If the shade cloth is expensive, you may want to remove it since it is not attached as well as the plastic.

  1. Close roof and any other types of vents
  2. Remove hanging basket plants
  3. Turn off fans and shutters
  4. Consider cutting plastic
  5. Close all venting equipment
  6. Turn off power
  7. Turn off the main breaker
  8. Turn off water
  9. Remove small objects that could blow into greenhouse
  10. Secure greenhouse doors
  11. Remove shade cloth or add more ropes to keep in place
  12. Cover exposed glass with wood panels
  13. Brace or remove tall heater vent pipe stacks
  14. Tighten and secure brace cables
  15. Open inflation blower damper as wide as possible
  16. Cover outdoor motors with plastic
  17. Cover heaters, HAF fans & electrical boxes with plastic
  18. Check that all polyethylene fasteners (clips) are in place and secure. Polyethylene beyond fasteners (clips) should not be more than 3”-4”, trim if needed.
  19. Add ropes or straps across polyethylene roof and secure tightly to baseboard.
  20. Check for loose polycarbonate panels and missing fasteners (screws).

Please contact us if you have any questions or problems 800-258-7171.

 

Gas Heater Service Checklist for Fall

Gas Heater Service Checklist for Fall

Be Sure To Do The Following Preventive Maintenance Before Starting Your Heaters Each Fall:

  1. Turn gas and electrical service off before servicing unit.
  2. Inspect the flue pipe and vent cap for holes or blockage. Make sure all joints are tight.
  3. Check draft diverter opening in the top of the heater for blockage.
  4. Inspect exterior of heat exchanger for holes and cracks.
  5. Unscrew bottom pan, hinge down and remove. Remove pilot assembly. Unscrew burner rack retaining plate and alignment guide. Hinge down burners.
  6. Inspect burners for blockage: insect nests, rust build-up, webs, cocoons.
  7. Look into interior of heat exchanger tubes and check for holes, cracks and blockages (webs, nests, flaking rust, cocoons.)
  8. Check burner and pilot orifices for blockages from insect nests.
  9. Inspect all wiring for cracked insulation and loose connections.
  10. Replace all cracked or worn wiring.
  11. Clean out all blockages with compressed air or soft bristled brush. Be careful not to damage burner or orifice openings. Do not use sharp, hard or rough tools for this cleaning.
  12. Reinstall burner rack.
  13. Reattach retaining plate and alignment guide.
  14. Reattach pilot and bottom pan.
  15. Blow or wipe dust and dirt off of fan blades and motor.
  16. Turn on gas and electrical service.
  17. Check for gas leaks at joints with liquid soap. If bubbles are found, tighten gas connections and test again with liquid soap. Continue until no bubbles appear.
  18. Make sure pilot light is working.
  19. Adjust thermostat to start heater.
  20. Allow heater to run through a complete cycle to check normal operation of burners, fans, venting and shutdown.
  21. If a problem occurs, refer to the trouble-shooting guide in the heater manual.

Greenhouse Company New Catalog Now Available

The Greenhouse Company Catalog

The updated catalog is available for download, or we can mail you a hard copy. We feature Hyams Garden & Accent Store in Charleston, SC as the cover story and include new greenhouse products and accessories to choose from.

  • Greenhouse Frames
  • Accessories and Add-Ons
  • Replacement Components
  • Photos of Greenhouses
  • Specifications of Houses

Visit Our Virtual Booth at Cultivate ’20

Cultivate '20 Virtual

Visit Our Booth at Cultivate ’20 from July 13 – 16

Although Cultivate looks a bit different this year, the goals are the same:

  • World-class education sessions
  • In-depth peer to peer engagement
  • Online connection with exhibitors

Cultivate '20 Virtual

Classic Gutter connect greenhouse

Retail & Grower Greenhouses

  • Industry’s BEST warranty
  • Protection for plants & profits
  • Custom built applications
  • Innovative & functional

 

Greenhouse quote

Featured Project: Hyams Garden Center

The Greenhouse Company recently completed a project for Hyams  Garden and Accent Store in Charleston, South Carolina.  The 3 greenhouses in the first photo were replaced with custom Appalachian greenhouses from The Greenhouse Company.

The new structure is an Appalachian style gutter-connected greenhouse.  There are 3 bays connected together in the retail garden area consisting of a 38′ bay connected to a 22′ wide bay connected to another 38′ wide bay.

The total retail display space covered by the 3 Appalachian style greenhouse bays is 98′ wide by 120′ long. To learn more about Hyams Garden and Accent Store, visit their website at www.HyamsGardenCenter.com.

Hyams Before new greenhouses
Before new greenhouses

 

 

 

 

 

Hyams with new greenhouses
After new greenhouses

Featured Product: The Carolina Cooler™

The Carolina Cooler™ Evaporative Cooling system is the most cost effective greenhouse cooling method
  • Innovative and efficient design prevents leaking
  • Distributes water effectively
  • Lowers greenhouses temperatures even in the hottest climates
  • Less shading required to maintain cool temperatures
  • Minimizes water loss
  • Reduces watering due to elevated humidity

Learn more about the Carolina Cooler™ by clicking here.

Carolina Cooler Greenhouse CoolingCarolina Cooler Greenhouse Cooling

 

Cooling and Ventilation Tips from NGMA

With Spring upon us and Summer right around the corner, now is the time to inspect and test your cooling and ventilation systems in preparation for warmer weather.

The National Greenhouse Manufacturers’ Association (NGMA) offers tips for cooling and ventilation of greenhouses – click here to read their tips.

Contact us for assistance in determining the ideal cooling and ventilation needed for your greenhouse.

New Hose Trolley Videos Available

The hose trolley is used to suspend a water hose above obstructions on the floor of a greenhouse. Hose trolleys allow the hose to be stretched out for the purpose of watering plants without snagging on objects in the path.

Click here to watch our hose trolley system videos to see how the new hose trolley works in use.

  • Keep hoses out of the way
  • Reduce tripping & falling
  • Store hoses conveniently
  • Move hoses easily

greenhouse hose trolley

Featured Greenhouse: The Classic Gutter Connect

The Jāderloon® Classic Gutter Connect Greenhouse is The Greenhouse Company’s premier growing structure.

Strong and Economical Growing Greenhouse

  • Ideal for all types of growers
  • Premier growing structure
  • Best warranty in the industry

Jāderloon® Gutter Connect Greenhouse

Versatility Provides Functionality & Efficiency

  • Easy to add on
  • Various sizes available

Classic Gutter connect greenhouse

To learn more about the Jāderloon® Classic Gutter-Connect greenhouse, click here.

Fayetteville Tech Community College Celebrated New Greenhouse

For over a year, the Wesley A. Meredith Horticulture Center at Fayetteville Tech was without a greenhouse due to natural disasters.  On December 5, 2019, the college celebrated the new state-of-the-art greenhouse provided by The Greenhouse Company.

Some of the greenhouse’s features include a double-door entrance, evaporative cooling system and a sidewall rollup with motorized curtains. The size of the greenhouse increased from 30 by 50 feet to 30 by 72 feet, providing more growing and teaching space for students.

The Greenhouse Company was pleased to provide the new and improved greenhouse for the Horticulture Center.

Learn more about the new greenhouse at Fayetteville Tech by clicking here.

SC Greenhouse Growers Association Names Scholarship in Honor of Donald F. Looney, Sr.

The South Carolina Greenhouse Growers Association recently announced the naming of a scholarship in honor of Jāderloon® founder Donald F. Looney, Sr.  An excerpt from the announcement is below:

“Don’s dedication to the greenhouse industry was immeasurable.  His innovative ideas created equipment and supplies that have become standards in our industry. His generosity and willingness to share was known by all, and so many of our members have benefitted from his knowledge.

Don and Jāderloon® are known far beyond Irmo, Columbia, and South Carolina. We are so very proud to have known Don as a businessman, an innovator, and a friend.

Don was respected and beloved by the greenhouse industry and we are honored to be able to name a scholarship after him.  The first Donald F. Looney, Sr. memorial scholarship will be given to a Clemson University Horticulture student at the end of this year.”

Ark Encounter in Williamstown, KY Chooses The Greenhouse Company

Ark Encounter FloralsOver the last several years, Ark Encounter in Williamstown, Kentucky has purchased seven greenhouses from The Greenhouse Company.  Tim Schmidt, the Senior Director of Site Development and Horticulture at Ark Encounter, stated that they currently grow about 20,000 six-inch annuals yearly as well as several thousand tropicals for their own use and for use at their sister attraction, Creation Museum.  Schmidt anticipates an increase in these numbers as they continue to expand.  In addition to florals and plants for landscaping, they also use greenhouses from The Greenhouse Company to grow fodder and barley hydroponically for their zoo animals.

Ark Encounter Landscaping

The photos show some of the greenhouses on site at Ark Encounter as well as some of the landscaping where their plants are used.

Greenhouses at Ark Encounter

Mark McLane Returns to The Greenhouse Company Sales Team

A University of South Carolina graduate, photographer, and skilled guitar player, Mark offers customers of The Greenhouse Company a wealth of knowledge in helping to design the best greenhouses tailored to their unique needs.  He began in the industry in the early 1980’s and has experience in greenhouse manufacturing, shipping, and sales.

 

Mark has worked on hundreds of greenhouse projects over the years.  He will be covering the Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Tennessee, and Kentucky regions and will be reaching out to you soon.

Contact Mark:
Ph: 803-960-3569
mark@thegreenhousecompany.net

 

Prepare Your Greenhouses Now for Spring Weather!

Tips to Avoid Spring Headaches and Product Losses

Exhaust Fan Belts:
• Re-adjust belt tension after 8 – 10 hours of operation.
• Check for proper belt tension by pushing on belt between blade pulley and motor pulley with index finger. Belt should move about ½ inch with 5 pounds of pressure.
• Keep replacement belts on hand.
• Check belts at beginning of cooling season and several times throughout year.
• Look for polished sides and cracked, dry, and/or brittle material.
• Replace belt if any signs of deterioration or if in use for several seasons.
• Clean fan blades and louvers as needed.
• Remove foreign material from inside fan housing.

Versa-Vent:
• See installation manual for adjustment of drive motor limits
• Rack and pinions may be adjusted by loosening nuts on vent shoe where rack attaches to vent door
• Shift rack shoe left or right to improve alignment
• Check the alignment with the vent door open
• Clean the entire vent including the cover with soap and water
• Remove accumulated debris in the lower track of vent door

Carolina Cooler™:
• If float valve is unable to shut off, cut off water supply, disassemble and rinse float valve, reassemble and install
• If after above (if float valve still will not shut off), order a rebuild kit or new valve
• Rinse out reservoir and fill with clean water at the beginning of the season
• Do not leave in ground tanks empty
• Clean the filter as well and several times throughout the year
• Check the filter if flow seems restricted
• Check the header for clogs
• Rinse out the header at the beginning of the season – remove the plug opposite the pump and then run the pump to flush out foreign material
• Add chlorine bleach or any good algaecide to the reservoir on a regular basis to keep pads clean
• Maintain a pH between 5.5 and 8.5 in the reservoir
• Allow pads to dry completely each night by keeping the thermostat set above the overnight low temperature
• Use the gate valve to adjust the water flow so that the water sprays 12” into the air at the far end of the header from the pump

Improved Online Store Coming Soon

Stay tuned for the launch of our new and improved online store.

  • Greenhouse growing accessories
  • Heating, cooling & ventilation systems
  • Components and controls
  • Greenhouse frames
  • Residential greenhouses
  • Metal buildings
Check our website soon for the updated online store!

Manufacturing Transformation and Operational Excellence Award

The Greenhouse Company

The Greenhouse Company was recently recognized as a finalist for the Manufacturing Transformation and Operational Excellence Award at the 2018 South Carolina Manufacturing Conference and Expo. The nominees for this award achieved real-world, bottom line results through the adoption of continuous improvement and/or operational excellence tools and techniques.

Judy Moore, Owner of The Greenhouse Company, states, “We are pleased to have been nominated for this award.  Our entire staff has been dedicated to improvement across all areas of the company, and we all appreciate the recognition of our hard work. We look forward to a successful future at The Greenhouse Company.”