The College of Agricultural Sciences provides greenhouse space and plant growth chambers to researchers and instructors.

The College of Agricultural Sciences greenhouses and plant growth chambers are conveniently located adjacent to Tyson and Agricultural Sciences and Industries buildings on the Penn State campus with a smaller satellite unit on University Drive.

Greenhouse facilities include twelve greenhouses (50,000 square feet) suitable for research or teaching activities. All greenhouses feature Wadsworth environmental controls and most houses include HID or LED supplemental crop lighting. Additionally, an 8,000 square foot laboratory grade greenhouse supports research activities requiring precise environmental control. The Tyson greenhouses include hydroponics and aquaponics teaching systems, a 3000 square foot collection of economically relevant plants and a misted propagation house.

A plant growth chamber facility located in Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building basement includes eight Conviron PGR-15 reach-in style plant growth chambers. Headhouse II Building includes a 500 square foot artificially illuminated plant growth room available for germination, seedling production, and experimentation.

Outdoor growing areas include a raised bed teaching garden located at Headhouse II, an experimental green roof garden above the vegetable cellar and a number of raised beds and growing tables between the Tyson greenhouses.

The Headhouse complexes support plant growth, teaching and research activities. Headhouse facilities include common-use areas for media preparation, potting, sample preparation and processing. Soil and media sterilization equipment, two workshops for construction of experimental equipment and several walk-in coolers are also available. Soil and plant tissue grinding facilities are located in Agricultural Sciences and Industries Building basement and forced-air drying ovens are available in Headhouse II for drying plant and soil samples.

The greenhouse staff provides a weekend and holiday watering service, pots and growing media and a biocontrol-based integrated pest management service to researchers and instructors. Staff is also available to provide horticultural guidance and to help plan greenhouse experiments and teaching projects.

The greenhouse staff is committed to sustainable practices and safety. A composting and recycling program minimizes our waste stream and our integrated pest management program significantly reduces the frequency of pesticide applications.

For more information contact the manager, Scott DiLoreto, at 814-867-2965 or .

Information for Greenhouse and Plant Growth Chamber Users

This page contains the information necessary to get started with your teaching or research operations in the College of Agricultural Sciences greenhouse and plant growth chamber facility.