This invention relates to a greenhouse, and more particularly, to a greenhouse system in which trough planting is utilized.
Greenhouses, which are sold for commercial growing purposes, generally have several disadvantages. For one, the greenhouses tend to be quite complex to assemble often requiring unique and unusual equipment. Additionally, these greenhouses tend to be expensive both in terms of their cost and their maintenance. In order for greenhouses to be commercially viable, their yield, both in terms of type of crop and amount must be sufficient. In order for tomato plants to be commercially grown, care must be exercised in controlling the environment in which the tomatoes are grown, so that a maximum number of plants per year can be grown in the greenhouse.
The structural support for conventional prior art greenhouses tend to require significant footing work if the greenhouse is to be properly anchored in the ground. Further, the materials utilized in constructing the structure supporting the roof of the greenhouse are generally of non-uniform sizes often requiring lots of different special parts to be located at special and unique places in the structure of the greenhouse. This can lead to errors in the construction of the greenhouse, since such greenhouses are often constructed by the purchaser, on site. Additionally, constructing such greenhouses out of non-standard parts requires inordinate inventories for the greenhouse supplier.
Environmental control systems to enhance the quality of the crop grown as well as its quantity are complex, expensive and often inefficient. In order for tomatoes to be grown, proper humidity, temperature and amount of sun light all correlated with each other are needed. Heating systems previously employed are generally inefficient for proper heating of the crops being grown while cooling systems also suffer from marked disadvantages. Additionally, it is necessary to periodically cleanse the greenhouse of fungus, insects and the like and prior art systems generally require an inordinate amount of time to accomplish the function in addition to a large expenditure of work effort.
Periodically it is necessary to cleanse the troughs due to a buildup of salts and the like, in order to enhance the trough growing system. Further, it is desirable to monitor the nutrients and water being supplied to the troughs, and the prior art generally does not provide sufficient, simple and desirable means for accomplishing the same.
An object of this invention is to provide an improved greenhouse eliminating the above said disadvantages as well as others not specifically enumerated.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved greenhouse system having improved structural support characteristics.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide a greenhouse which may be simply and easily assembled and erected by ordinary laymen.
An object of this invention is to provide a greenhouse formed of structural components having unit size.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a greenhouse which may be conveniently anchored into the ground without the use of unnecessary footings.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved environmental control system for controlling the environment within a greenhouse.
Another object of this invention is to provide such an environmental control system which efficiently heats the crop within the greenhouse.
Yet another object of this invention is to provide an improved cooling system for maintaining desirable temperature levels within the greenhouse.
Another object of this invention is to provide an improved system for controlling the humidity, temperature and amount of sunlight in order to enhance the growing characteristics of the crops within the greenhouse.
Still another object of this invention is to provide an environmental control system in which disease and pest control is easily accomplished.
Another object of this invention is to provide such a greenhouse including trough culture in which excess salts within the troughs are easily flushed therefrom.
Still another object of this invention is to provide a monitor system for monitoring the amounts of water supplied to each of the troughs within the greenhouse.
Other objects, advantages and features of this invention will become more apparent from the following description.
USPTO Backgrounds
USPTO Backgrounds