General Greenhouse Procedures

• Please sort your trash. Plant material, media and other compostables are to be put in round BLUE or YELLOW trash cans. All other trash goes into square GRAY trash cans with liners. Sanitation will not pick up trash that has not been sorted. GMO disposal is in labeled can for inactiviation.
• Please clean up after yourself in the greenhouse and in the prep room. There are brooms, dust pans and trash cans available in the prep room.
• Help keep pots, labels, and media in the prep room clean and sterile. Do not use dirty tools such as dust pans to scoop media from bins. Each media bin has a scoop. Place dirty tools, scoops, pots and labels in round gray trash cans labeled "dirty pots" for cleaning and sterilization.
• Tools, carts and many other materials are shared. Please return them to the prep room as soon as you are finished with them. If you need them longer than one day, notify the greenhouse staff.
• Do not leave food, food wrappers or beverage cans in the greenhouse as they attract cockroaches and other pests.
• Do not leave any sharps, such as razor blades and pruners, in the greenhouse where they will get wet and rusty.
• Any materials left in the greenhouse should be water proof or tightly sealed in waterproof containers to avoid contact with water, fertilizer and pesticides. Greenhouse staff is not responsible for any damage to materials not properly sealed and stored.
• Dirty, empty, unbroken pots can be placed in the round gray trash cans labeled "dirty pots" in the back of the prep room for cleaning and sterilization. Dirty labels with only one side used are to be placed there as well. Broken pots can be disposed of in GRAY trash cans.
• Please notify greenhouse staff of any equipment failures or malfunctions immediately.
• Pet plants are not permitted as they often harbor pests and they occupy valuable space.
• Do not move light fixtures, open or close any valve, or turn off fans without notifying the greenhouse staff first. In cases of emergency, call the Physical Facilities Service Desk at 292-6158.
• Do not drink or wash with water from greenhouse hoses as fertilizer is run through the system.
• Each pot should be labeled with the researcher's name. Unidentified plants will be discarded. Greenhouse staff can computer-generate waterproof and fade resistant labels for researchers upon request.
  

Guidelines for Research Projects
Plan Ahead! Notify greenhouse personnel of up coming projects as soon as possible so we may place orders for regularly stocked materials as well as specialty items. Fill out Space and Service Request Forms and Environmental Programming Forms completely and well in advance of project start date. This allows us time to prepare your space, have necessary materials on hand, and program the computer controls to project specifications.

• Researchers must file a Space & Service Request Form with the Greenhouse Coordinator at least two weeks prior to the project start date. See link of left for a PDF of this form.
• Researchers should file a Environmental Programming Request Form with the Greenhouse Coordinator at least three days prior to project start date or effective date for changes in programming. See link on left for a PDF of this form.
• Researchers are responsible for the day-to-day care of their projects. Greenhouse staff will not be responsible for projects unless the researcher will be absent from campus. Requests for care during LOA is required in writing one week prior to departure. See Culture Tips for potting, watering and other plant care basics.
• All researchers and their assistants working in the greenhouse MUST attend the Worker Protection Standard Training as mandated by the EPA prior to project start date. See link on left for online training.
• Watch your project carefully and report anything unusual (yellowing, misshapened leaves/flowers, insects, webbing) to facility staff immediately for identification and remedy. Early detection and action is vital to good control, as older plants and large pest populations do not respond to chemical treatments with as much success.
• Only chemicals approved for greenhouse use by the EPA and applied by trained individuals can be used to manage pest populations. All pesticide applications made within the facility must be recorded in the pesticide application log located at room 700A. See Safety and Security for more information on pesticide use.
• Clean-up after yourself. This applies to daily work in the greenhouse and when your project has ended. Daily clean-up will help reduce breeding grounds for disease and pest populations. When your project is completed, please vacate the space immediately so it can be prepared for the next project. Please read General Greenhouse Procedures for project disposal procedures.

Cultural Tips
Selecting Temperature Parameters
Before deciding on the temperature parameters for your project, it is important to understand how the environmental control system is designed. The computer is constantly reading sensors and sending device commands based on those readings. This continual loop requires approximately two minutes to complete.

The program requires at least a 3-4 F high to low temperature differential to operate as a goal range. When room temperatures fall within this range, neither the cooling nor the heating will be on. When temperatures are 1 over this range, then the cooling cycle begins. There are typically 8 cooling stages which gradually begin to cool the room. For example: Cooling stage 1 opens roof vents 25%. If temperatures are not reduced with cooling stage 1 then cooling stage 2, opening vents 50% is invoked, and so on. If temperatures continue to rise, cooling will skip to stage 8, the highest level of cooling without proceeding through the other stages. Similarly, when the room temperature falls 1 below the goal range, the heat turns on. There is only one stage of heating: on.

Selecting a narrow temperature range will result in a battle between the heating and cooling and temperatures bouncing up and down sporadically, unlike the natural progression of heating and cooling outdoors. Selecting a wider band of goal temperatures will create an environment more typical of climatic changes.

The greenhouse has the extra effect of solar gain which adds to the greenhouse temperatures, sometimes rather quickly. The two minutes it takes for the computer to read a temperature and invoke a response can seem like eternity in a hot room. Fortunately, the computer can recognize solar gain and respond with a quicker cooling scheme however, it will still take two minutes to begin the expedited cycle. The performance of the cooling equipment is very dependent on ambient humidity levels. Greenhouse temperatures are lowered by 10 under the best low humidity conditions. Projects which command a greater degree of temperature control are better suited to run in growth chambers.

The white pagoda-shaped sensor unit typically hangs in the center of each room around plant level. Hanging the sensor unit higher to keep it out of the way of workers, or at one end or side of the room can result in inaccurate readings and control which does not meet expectations.

Moveable aisle benching
Space efficient rolling benches require special caution on the part of the researcher when placing and removing plant materials from the bench. The bench tops are not secured and overloading one side of a bench will cause the bench top to flip, dumping all the plants on it. Also use care to keep fingers and clothing free of the bars under the bench tops as they roll and can pinch.

Potting
Pots have been engineered to allow for a space at the top of the pot, the rim, to remain unfilled with soil. This "empty" space, when filled with water, is designed to provide ample watering of the plant within the container. It is recommended that when potting, only fill the pot with mix to the bottom of the rim. Overfilled pots are likely to be underwatered, and consequently, suffer the results.

A general rule to follow for transplanting is when the seedling has 2-4 true leaves. It is beneficial to place newly transplanted seedlings under mist for 24 hours after transplant to reduce shock. When potting up, increase the pot size by approximately 2". Overpotting, too big a pot for too small a plant, can quickly result in overwatering.

The greenhouse has available Pro-Mix BX, or a comparable soilless mix, and a variety of amendments for modifying media including: sand, perlite, vermiculite, top soil, peat moss, pea gravel, osmunda fiber, bark and coconut fiber. Each of these components has a varying effect on soil pH, structure and water capacity.

Pest Control
Have realistic expectations about pests and diseases, they do and will occur so it is best to have a pest control strategy prepared before they attack. There are several factors to consider when selecting a chemical for control, among them: target pest, the restricted-entry interval, mode of action, application timing, pesticide formulation, and residual. Staff may often want to consult with you regarding the selection of the best pesticide to apply to your project. The sump tanks in all greenhouse rooms are treated on a regular basis to prevent the build-up algae and growth of bacteria.

One of the easiest ways to control pests is through prevention. Sanitation and culture play significant roles in our pest control approach and include the following measures:

• Keep plants free of dead and decaying leaf material.
• Always replace the hose on the hanger at the front of the room with the breaker off of the floor.
• Do not leave food, wrappers or beverage cups and cans in the greenhouse.
• Dispose of plants promptly at the end of a project. No pet plants.
• If possible, rogue out infested plants.
• Place plants on bench with ample space for good air circulation.
• Try not to get plant leaves wet when watering.
• Avoid watering late in the day or in the evening.
• Under or overwatered plants are stressed and invite pests.
• Please clean up after yourself.
• Start clean with clean pots and sterile media. Do not contaminate media with dirty tools.
  

Watering and Fertilization
Each room has a faucet with hot and cold water and spigot supplying fertilizer water. The fertilizer is a general purpose 20-10-20 delivered at 200 ppm (N). Most plants will benefit from regular feeding. If you elect to fertilize regularly , it is important to remember to occasionally leach salts from the media. Salt buildup can damage and may eventually kill root systems. It is recommended that researchers temper water from the tap before watering.

Researchers may also elect to fertilize with a granular timed-release fertilizer either incorporated into the media or used as a top-dressing. The greenhouse has available Osmocote 14-14-14 and Sierrablend 19-7-10 with iron. Guidelines for application rates are listed on the dispensers in the prep room. For plant materials requiring higher soil acidity, there is Miracid fertilizer available in the prep room for mixing and application by the researcher as needed.

Safety and Security
Worker Protection Standard
This training is required by the EPA for all persons working in the facility. Follow the link to the left for online training or contact facility staff to arrange for training. Only users who have satisfactorily completed training will be issued greenhouse keys.

Building Security
The Greenhouse building is to remain locked at all times outside of business hours. Persons using the facility during off hours are requested to make certain that doors are locked and close securely when entering and exiting.

Attire and Personal Safety
Persons working in the greenhouse are required to wear shoes at all times. There are safety goggles, dust masks and gloves available in the prep room for protection. A sharps box is located in the prep room for disposal of glass, razor blades and like items. First Aid kits are located in the prep room by the single bowl sink and in the Insectary, room 735, by the phone. Fire Extinguishers are located in 700B, 712, 735, 740 and in the hallway outside room 715. Emergency eye wash and showers are located in 700B, 712 and 740. An emergency PPE kit is located at the eyewash station in 700B. The kit contains coveralls, gloves and a respirator. A copy of NIH Guidelines for rDNA is available in the greenhouse coordinator's office.

Pesticide Applications
All full-time greenhouse staff hold Ohio Department of Agriculture Pesticide Applicator Licenses. Unless users received specialized training, above and beyond WPS training, or hold an Ohio Pesticide Applicator License, they are not authorized to make pesticide applications in the facility. All pesticide applications must be recorded on the Pesticide Application Log. A binder containing pesticides labels and MSDS for all chemicals used in the greenhouse is located by room 700A. Persons handling or applying pesticides or making early re-entry are required to wear Personal Protective Equipment as listed on the chemical label. Pesticides are not permitted to be stored in the greenhouse. They must be stored in the Pesticide Storage Area, room 700A.