Niagara's Crops
There are acres of greenhouses in Niagara. Some stretch as far as you can see as you drive along the QEW or the Niagara Stone Road into Niagara-on-the-Lake.
We're looking at the orchid 'crop' growing in the Cosmic Greenhouses, in Beamsville. I stopped in last week to see if they would allow photography and got a quick tour. Plant production is efficient and scientific: The orchids we see for sale in the grocery stores and florists take 19 months to grow from tissue culture sprouts to blooming plants. They start in warm greenhouses below, where they receive water and nutrients on a rigorous schedule. When large enough, they are moved to the next greenhouse where it is cool. Cool temperatures are needed to make phalaenopsis (what you see here) spike and bloom. And then they are off to our houses. While it is great to see in winter, this isn't just a winter crop. These orchids are grown year round, with the greenhouses heated and cooled to match the growing conditions needed.
Our third picture is at Niagara College in the learning greenhouses of the horticultural program. The usage instructions to students include 'maintaining a clean environment and no food or drink in the greenhouse'. It looked like a cucumber crop in this special greenhouse, and in the larger greenhouse where we are allowed to walk around, begonia seeds will sprout for this summer's gardens.
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