The commercial greenhouse / James W Boodley, Steven B Newman.

Includes index.

Geographical location in the United States -- Foreign competition with U.S. flower crops -- Opportunities and occupations in the floriculture production industry -- Greenhouses -- Financing, locating, and sizing a greenhouse facility -- Control of the greenhouse environment -- The plant -- Light -- Temperature -- Gases -- Soils: properties and makeup -- Artificial soils -- Sterilization (Pasteurization) of growing media -- Essential elements for plant growth -- Fertilizers and methods of application -- Water: plant requirements and methods of application -- Sexual (seed) propagation -- Asexual (vegetative) propagation -- Insects, mites, and other invertebrate greenhouse pests -- Greenhouse diseases -- Regulating plant growth -- Containers and the general handling of container grown crops -- Flowering plants I -- Flowering plants II -- FLowering plants III -- Flowers from bulbous species -- Tropical foliage plants -- Bedding plants -- Major cut flowers: antirrhinum, Dendranthema, dianthus -- Orchids and roses -- Minor cut flower crops -- Harvesting and storage methods -- The role of the wholesaler in the marketing and distribution of floriculture crops -- The retail florist, mass market, and other outlets.

The Commercial Greenhouse is a complete text for the modern commercial greenhouse grower, educator, and student. The text is a complete reference on greenhouse systems and technologies, and the science of growing crops. It systematically starts the reader off by outlining the fundamentals; providing an overview of greenhouse structures, and the biology of growing plants under cover including light temperature, gases, soils, water, and nutrients. These essential chapters are followed by fifteen chapters that focus on specific guidelines and greenhouse procedures for successful greenhouse production, insect and disease control, and marketing.