How the Garden Grows

Imagine a greenhouse that’s never too hot or too cold. One where light intensity and wavelength are controlled with a simple computer. An energy-efficient place in which lilies bloom earlier than normal and tomato plants are always hearty.

The Cleveland Botanical Garden and Kent State University have joined forces in an attempt to make that happen. The institutions are studying the growth of plants inside two separate 8-by-10-foot greenhouses

installed at the CBG. One is made with typical single-layer greenhouse glass. The other uses liquid-crystal panels that, at the flick of a switch, create an electronically controlled fog that alters the growing environment based on season and weather conditions.

“If the experiment works, plants will be able to be grown in a more energy-efficient way,” says project coordinator Mark Druckenbrod.

He adds that if the new structures succeed, they will most likely appeal to high-end hobbyists, since many

serious gardeners also like to use their greenhouses as sitting rooms year-round. The “smart” greenhouse is easily controlled for comfortable temperatures. Druckenbrod also believes liquid-crystal glazing technology will eventually be used in sunrooms and atriums.

The growth success of plants in the experimental greenhouses will be known next year. Think of it as Ohio’s Science Fair Project, with the reward perhaps being much greater than just an A.