Chapter 3

If you want to learn more, please visit our website Wire Greenhouse Bench.

Greenhouse Mechanization and Material Handling

Greenhouse Benches

Greenhouse benches are essential for efficient crop production. These benches offer several advantages over traditional planting methods such as growing directly in the soil or placing pots on the greenhouse floor. Specifically, greenhouse benches elevate plants to a more convenient height, making them easier to work with. Additionally, they provide an effective display of plants, improve air circulation and environmental control around them, and facilitate better disease and growth management.

Benching Materials

The materials used for greenhouse benches should promote air circulation and drainage to minimize disease problems and ensure complete coverage by fumigants and pesticides. Common bench surface materials include redwood lath in woven wire, redwood boards with ¼ to ½ inch spaces, 1-inch square 14-gauge welded-wire fabric, and expanded steel mesh.

Bench Layout and Size

There are two primary designs for arranging benches in greenhouses: longitudinal and peninsular. The longitudinal design features benches and aisles running in the same direction, allowing for continuous runs of watering lines, heating pipes, and plant support systems. Conversely, the peninsular design includes a large main aisle with benches running perpendicular to it, creating smaller aisles between the benches.

Stationary Benches

Stationary benches are strong and durable, remaining in one place. These benches are particularly useful when additional aisle space is needed for better access to plants and are commonly used in retail, educational, and research growing operations.

Rolling Benches

Rolling benches are similar to stationary ones but feature bench tops supported on pipe rollers, allowing them to move sideways. These benches are moved by a crank located at the end, making them versatile for various applications.

Container Benches

Also known as movable benches, pallet benches, or Dutch trays, container benches facilitate the complete handling of plant material from planting to shipping. They enable growers to move crops between different climate zones easily and are especially useful for vernalizing plants. These benches typically consist of large trays, saving considerable labor by eliminating the need to carry plants to carts or conveyors.

Ebb-and-Flood Benches

Ebb-and-flood benches feature a leveled metal frame with a water-tight liner or movable trays to hold nutrient solutions. Channels in the bottom distribute water evenly and allow for rapid drainage, reducing algae growth and disease potential. Nutrient solutions are pumped from a holding tank and maintained for about 10 minutes or enough time to allow the media to absorb the solution.

Trough Benches

Trough benches consist of a metal frame supporting a series of troughs running lengthwise. These troughs, usually made of aluminum or polystyrene plastic, are typically sloped slightly from one end to the other, unlike the perfectly level ebb-and-flood systems.

Click on the following topics for more information on greenhouse mechanization and material handling.

For more information, please visit wire mesh security fencing.