~$11.6MM
in capital improvements
during FY22 and FY23
Our team is excited to work with you!
Meet our Plant Growth Professionals
53
greenhouse compartments for
Research and Instruction
31
Conviron chambers.
16 held for flexible use.
9 supporting BSL-2 research.
100%
Compartments with Cooling Systems
79% Compartments with
Supplemental Lighting
~7,500 sq-ft expansion for facilities by Georgia H.B. 81 Appropriation
58% of our chambers have dimmable LED lighting
CAES Multi-Disciplinary Greenhouse Addition
Plant Growth Facilities added approximately 8,000 square feet of greenhouse and support spaces tailored to agricultural and horticultural plant research at our Riverbend Greenhouse Complex. Construction began late-August '22 and was completed December '23. The facility features Wadsworth SEED environmental controllers, Adiabatic Cooling, Supplemental LED lighting, Automated-Irrigation Solenoids, Insect Exclusion, Sample Processing Spaces and more.
2426 Growth Chamber Expansion
Our newest growth chamber facility was finished in November 2021. The area features 12 Conviron chambers, 5 of which are reservable for use by CAES programs. You can view time slots available for research and current reservations at our greenhouse and growth chamber reservation page.
Photos of the 2426 Growth Chamber Room Expansion
PGF Growth Chamber Availabilities
Get to know our plant growth professionals
Graduation decor by PGF's Pam Lewis
Pamela Lewis has been cultivating flowers and plants for the CAES convocation ceremonies for a decade. Following the event, she carefully selects the best remaining plants and donates them to nursing homes and assisted living facilities in the Athens area.
Poinsettias hold a special place in Lewis’ heart as her favorite horticultural crop. In their native habitat, these plants bloom in response to shorter day lengths. To ensure their proper growth during winter, we employ blackout tents to prevent light drift.
Daniel Gershon
Daniel earned a B.S.A. in Horticulture from the University of Georgia in 1992. His decades of experience began when he was a student working at the UGA Trial Gardens. In 1998, he established Apple Cart Horticultural Services, Inc, a successful landscaping business. By 2010, he joined the Grounds Maintenance team at UGA where he supervised a crew for thirteen years. He enjoys family outings, plant propagation, restoring motorized vehicles and equipment, and giving tours of his cherished gardens.
Facility updates
Greenhouse M1 thru M3 Polycarbonate Replacement
These greenhouses were built in 2008. Over time the polycarbonate has degraded from UV radiation. This impacts the quantity and spectral composition of the light transmitted through the polycarbonate panels to the plant leaves. CAES - Office of Teaching, CAES-Office of Research and Plant Growth Facilities are funding new paneling! Expected completion is early-June 2022.
Evaporative cooling pad update
Our facilities include 52 greenhouse compartments on three sites in Athens. Thirty-six percent of the compartments required almost 800 new cooling pads. Combining an order of this size allowed us to purchase with economies of scale. The savings were directed back into the cooling media by "double-dipping" many of the pads to extend their expected life from five years to an average of eight.
PGF's first cool-season greenhouse
Our facilities have expanded to include 600 square feet of cool-season greenhouse space to support Robin Buell's genomics research program. The greenhouse will be completed this May. These compartments will be a part of the larger multidisciplinary greenhouse expansion scheduled to begin construction in late-July 2022.
View Cool Season Greenhouse Photos
Whitefly grant
Thanks to a whitefly grant award, our entomology department's old greenhouse has been updated with supplemental lighting, area trench drains, insect-exclusion vestibules, new glazing and many other features. The greenhouse now has five compartments all capable of BSL-2 certification.
View Entomology Greenhouse Photos
Riverbend soil shed update
We have removed an unused raw material bunk in our Riverbend soil shed to increase the amount of mixing and sterilizing space and increase the amount of palletized media that we can have on hand.
CAES News
Upcoming UGA plant sales bring color to fall
Fall weather means fall gardening, and several groups at the University of Georgia’s College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences will be offering the fruits of their labors at ornamental plant sales across campus this semester. On Friday, Oct. 18, the Trial Gardens at University of Georgia will hold its annual Fall Houseplant Sale, and on Wednesday, Nov. 20, greenhouse management students will offer their ornamental plant sale at the South Milledge Greenhouse Complex.
CAES News
Gavin Shytle changes the game with UGA Grounds Crew
It’s a special moment to step inside Sanford Stadium and walk across that sprawling green field between the hedges. While the grass beneath your feet may not always be your first thought at the Freshman Welcome or Commencement, it is for Gavin Shytle. Keeping the turf safe, healthy, and aesthetically pleasing is the sworn duty of Shytle and his fellow turfgrass management majors. Before athletes even hit the ground running, he makes sure the ground is prepped for them.
CAES News
Hurricane Helene expected to cause catastrophic damage in Southeast
University of Georgia Weather Network Director Pam Knox provides updates and analysis on the projected impact of Hurricane Helene, expected to strengthen to a Category 4 storm before making landfall. “I am running out of words to describe the catastrophe this may be, but most people that live in these areas have never experienced a storm like this before,” said Knox, agricultural climatologist in the College of Agricultural and Environmental Sciences. “They will be totally unprepared for what they will have to deal with.”