Rainbow Harvest

Rainbow Harvest is a hydroponic greenhouse located in Channahon, Illinois, that provides the highest quality, produce, year-round. We have the capacity to grow over 7200 plants in our 4500 square foot greenhouse, ensuring you a consistent supply.

How It Works

In order for plants to remain in a continuous life cycle, water, minerals, carbon dioxide and sunlight are required.  We provide all these things through several components and systems in the greenhouse.

Water and Minerals

The feeling systems consist of fertilizer injectors, tanks, valves, feed line dripper emitters and small tubes to each plant. This system enables us to control the EC (electro-conductivity) and PH of the recalculating hydroponic system. The two headed injection pump injects A and B concentrated nutrients into the tank to keep a constant EC in the recirculation tank as the plants use nutrients and water. The separate acid pump, pumps acid into the water to control the PH at a constant level. This system supplies water and nutrients via the root system of the plants.

The mineral elements used in hydroponics start out as mined rock or mineral deposits which are as natural as the earth itself. The important point is that it is not the elements that are different in organic and hydroponic growing; it is how these elements are obtained and delivered to the plant.

In hydroponics, mineral elements are provided by the use of mineral salts. Most have been purified and processed so that they are water soluble and in a form that can be used by plants. In the refining process these mineral salts are usually purified to remove heavy metal contaminants and toxic substances that could harm plants or people. Since the chemical composition is precisely known, different mineral salts can be combined to form a balanced hydroponic nutrient. When dissolved in the proper proportions with a good quality water, a hydroponic nutrient solution can provide all the, mineral elements need for plant growth without soil.

All we add to our lettuce is the dressing!

Sunlight:

Our greenhouse is covered with two layers of plastic with air pumped in between them for added insulation. The layers are UV and IR inhibitive and protect the plants from harmful UV rays. They also keep the cool air in and the hot air out. We cover the greenhouse in another protective layer of shade cloth in the summer to keep it even cooler. During the shorter days of winter we supplement daylight with our computerized lighting system. We have 64, 1000 watt metal halide light that provide a little extra boost of sunlight each morning to get the day started. If you have ever driven by the greenhouse at 6:00 AM in the morning it looks a little like a giant fluorescent bulb lighting up the sky.

The Mechanics of it all!

The rest of the mechanical functions relate to cooling and heating the greenhouse and providing fresh air to the plants. One end of the greenhouse has 2, four foot fans. Air is drawn from a vent along the back of the greenhouse, where there is a wet wall cooling pad. Water is circulated through this wall by a small pump. Water is drawn in through the vent wall through the cooling pad and pulled through the greenhouse by the fans. This system can cool the greenhouse on even the hottest days of the year.

We control our heaters, lovers, vents, wet wall and fans automatically through a special greenhouse control unit. This allows us to set parameters based on seasonal changes.

So what are the advantages to all this hi-tech growing?

First, minerals and nutrients can be completely controlled through concentrations applied in the water to meet the needs for the current growth stage of the plants. The absence of soil eliminates soil born insects and the use of pesticides. The infestation of plants and diseases are less problematic. Hydroponics eliminates weeds and plant stress due to the lack of water often associated with a conventional growing method. Nutrients can be applied in the water allowing plants to make more efficient use of chemical compounds in the nutrients.

Hydroponics protects soil because it doesn’t use soil.

Less water is required for hydroponics culture and consequently more food can be cultivated with less water. The nutrients we use for hydroponics are ultra-pure and leave no residue. Since hydroponics technologies are more efficient than soil methods, more people can be fed with less area and ecological impact.



kevin@rainbowcrop.com

Phone: 815-530-8366