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name: R.A.T.H.O.
 The aim of this greenhouse is
to promote ecological horticulture, while incorporating the notion of
winter protection, thanks to its OPEN SKY removable roof system and
its roll-up side panels
The
possibility of opening or closing the roof in a few minutes is a great
step forward, as it avoids moving the product from inside the greenhouse
to the outside and vice-versa, to protect it against the rigours of the
weather, especially in winter.
That really makes it an ideal tool for nurserymen involved in off-soil
production or plants destined for balconies and terraces, as well as for
market gardeners tending to their seasonal crops, particularly vegetable
produce.
For this project undertaken by R.A.T.H.O. in Brindas
(near Lyon, France), the OPEN SKY system was the natural choice, it
is the best suited to “hardening off”, in other words, getting
the plant used to the variations of the climate in which it will stay
until marketed. The aim is to bring the plant as close as possible to
its final climate in successive stages, in the interests of quality,
and thereby avoid making it excessively artificial with growth regulators.
 Indeed, our speciality is original as, by keeping
the image of the complete gardener, we are closer to the concerns of
the final customer-user, i.e. horticulture oriented towards market policy
and above all covered market policy.
Why OPEN SKY and why roll-up
side panels?
Because temperature remains an element that is difficult
to control and because current systems do not offer the ventilation
we wish. Additionally, the walls cut out some of the unfiltered infrared
of the sunlight.
The range that we have selected is derived from less “energy-consuming”
plants, which fits in with an ecological image of horticulture and
balcony/terrace produce. We use a great deal of plants that need
protection in winter and therefore involve a lot of handling.
OPEN
SKY guarantees correct structural growth through exposure to direct sunlight.
This, combined with all the unfiltered solar radiation, gives crops that
have denser branching, greater volume and are better suited to their climate,
while dispensing with the need for artificial aids such as growth regulators,
which will be abandoned in time. We therefore obtain products that, when
they arrive at their point of sale, remain relatively rustic so as not to
undergo stress when planted on the customer’s premises.
The
aim of the project undertaken by R.A.T.H.O. is to work within the scope
of the seasonality of spring and autumn plants, while introducing the
notion of a covered market for a regional range. All this is to be achieved
while reconciling the expectations of the final customer, economic constraints
and ecology.
R.A.T.H.O. now has nearly 900 members, of whom 450 actively
trade. We have already been asked a lot of questions by members interested
in the project. They wish to have information on OPEN SKY and await with
impatience the results of the research we are going to carry out within
this experimental framework.
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