I’ve had a handful of calls in the past few weeks asking me to identify poor air quality damage on spring bedding crops. Even if you have never had problems, the following is a good refresher on why proper maintenance of greenhouse heating systems is important.
Natural gas and propane are popular choices when it comes to heating a greenhouse. The products of burning fuel are carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H20); both compounds we know are good for your plants. However, combustion is often (if not always) incomplete, and impurities such as carbon monoxide (CO), sulfur dioxide (SO2) and ethylene (C2H4) are also released leading to poor air quality if your heater is not properly vented.
These impurities can leave your crop looking a bit down (Literally! It’s called epinasty, see more below), and it can happen in as little as 24 hours. Continue reading “A Burning Question: Ethylene and Sulfur Dioxide Damage in the Greenhouse”