The Values of a Greenhouse (Term Paper Sample)

Name Instructor Course Date The Values of a Greenhouse A greenhouse is beneficial because plants can be gardened throughout the year and in all types of weather, that is, it allows consistent cultivation. A greenhouse allows one to ignore as well as evade nearly all season changes plus weather conditions throughout the year. With greenhouse gardening, excessive rains, extreme temperatures or prolonged droughts would not affect the propagation efforts. Therefore, the planning of crop cultivation would not rely on the weather, thereby giving the students much flexibility of when to carry out any types of farming. Besides, planting crops inside a greenhouse protects them from problems, such as rough weather conditions and dangerous seasonal infestations by pests, which could wipe them away. For example, Carson (366) argues that a strange disease crept over the entire region, and all things began changing. The mysterious illnesses that swept the cattle, rams, and chickens, turned the entire town into a shadow of death, and killed many people. According to Carson (367) the vegetation browns and withers as if they have been swept by fire when stricken by harsh weather elements or pests. Building a greenhouse can escape all these catastrophes because it creates a physical barrier around the crops that outdoor bugs cannot reach. This blockade reduces the crops losses resulting from rodents, insects, pests, and harsh climatic damage. Because plants are fragile, and any of the problems as mentioned earlier will cause total devastation, one can, therefore, realize significant role a greenhouse plays in protecting the plants. Besides, with cautious plant selection plus proper aeration, a greenhouse offers fewer hazards of soil-borne diseases. The greenhouse structure also provides a secure place for seed germination and the development of seedling that may otherwise become targeted by unexpected frosts, torrential rains, and birds. Also, building a greenhouse will allow both hand irrigation and hand pollination because the natural pollinators, such as wasps, the wind, and bees are obstructed from the flowers. As Carson (366-367) argues, the calamity did not just kill the domesticated animals but also killed even the birds. One could see empty feeding places around courtyards, and the few remaining birds were dilapidated, shaky violently and unable to sail, meaning, they are unable to pollinate plants. Carson (367) also notes that the apple trees coming into bloom could not bear fruits because no bees were drowned amongst the blossoms and so, no pollination. The loss of honeybees, bumblebees, and birds has serious effects upon the crops and wildflowers that depend on them in addition to other insects for cross-fertilization, fruiting and seed production (Jameson, 36). With the glasshouse, all these fears can be overcome because crops grown indoors do not require the already extinct birds and insects for pollination but instead relies on hand pollination. Another benefit gained from greenhouse cultivation is season extension. The temperatures inside greenhouses are warmer compared to the outside temperatures. So, plants grown in greenhouses become subjected to different levels of temperature variation to those grown outdoor gardens or in the fields. Greenhouses trap the sun’s radiation inside an enclosure, resulting in the retainment of heat in the arrangement. The novel microclimate created by the greenhouse allows farmers to start their vegetation earlier as well as keep growing the crops later than it is possible with the extreme climate. Moreover, plants grown inside a greenhouse are not susceptible to soil erosion owed to the flash floods or torrential rain. As Olmstead (121) notes, the unstoppable urban growth erodes the soil as well as the society living upon it. As a result, a greenhouse gives the students the comfort of realizing that they do not have to race to the field from classes to cover the gardens. Again, they have the comfort of not hoping that the crops survive during the rough weather periods. Above all, a greenhouse will help to minimize the levels of environmental pollution resulting from the excessive use of chemicals, pesticides and insecticides on farm crops (McKibben, 36). For example, Olmstead (121) believes that constructing greenhouses are improvements directed towards securing pure and healthy air. McKibben (36) also claims that birds have ...