FACILITY OPERATING PROCEDURES

Greenhouse Space Allocations
Use of greenhouse space is limited by assignment. To request use of greenhouse space, submit a written request to Doug Walker (dewalker@ucdavis.edu). The request must include the square footage of bench space needed, the beginning date and duration of the project, plants to be grown, name of a contact person, and any requirements for plant care for the project.

First-time Users of the Greenhouse Facility
All first-time users of the greenhouse facility are required to schedule an orientation session with the greenhouse manager. This session will introduce the user to the resources and policies of the greenhouse facility, proper planting procedures, good housekeeping rules, disease and pest avoidance, and safety policies.

Security
Access to the greenhouse facility is limited to authorized faculty, staff, and students.

Visitors must be accompanied by a faculty member, staff member, or student while in the greenhouse area. Children must be under the direct supervision of an adult at all times.

All headhouse and greenhouse doors must be locked at all times when not in use.

All headhouse lights must be turned off upon leaving.

Shoes and Clothing
Appropriate footwear is required for all greenhouse personnel, users, and visitors entering the greenhouse facility. Shoes must be of the closed-toe type. Sandals are prohibited. Long pants and long sleeve shirts are recommended. Shorts and short sleeve shirt are permitted.

Use of Facilities and Sanitation
All users of the greenhouse facility are expected to observe good housekeeping rules by cleaning up any spilled soil in the headhouse, on route to or inside the greenhouses, on the counters, or on the carts. A floor broom, bench broom, and dustpan, are provided in the headhouse. Sound sanitation practices are necessary in order to reduce disease and insect problems.

Do not contaminate the sterilized bins of media when working in the headhouse. Operations that may compromise the sterile media must be performed away from the soil bins or inside a greenhouse. Never return soil to the media bins, even if it is clean and unused. Ask the greenhouse personnel abut recycling clean or slightly used soil.

Plants coming from another source, which are infested with pests, may be removed and quarantined at the discretion of greenhouse personnel.

Hose nozzles must be kept off of the ground to prevent the spread of pathogens. Hoses must be kept untangled and stretched out along the aisles to avoid a tripping hazard. All water spigots must be turned off when not in use.

Do not store field soil, pots or other supplies, inside, on the ends of, or between greenhouses. Contact greenhouse personnel if temporary storage space is needed for project materials and supplies.

Greenhouse doors must be kept closed while working in greenhouses to prevent the introduction of weeds and insects and to maintain environmental conditions.

Notify the greenhouse personnel at least three working days in advance of needing extraordinary amounts of sterile media, pots, or other materials.

All needles, razor blades, and broken glass must be placed in a sharps container. There is a sharps container available for use in the headhouse. Researchers must provide their own sharps container in greenhouses.

Report all pest and disease problems to the greenhouse personnel so that its spread can be contained.

Do not leave projects, equipment, supplies, or samples in the headhouse without prior permission from the greenhouse personnel.

Disposal of Plant Material
It is the responsibility of the greenhouse user to coordinate the disposal of their plant material in a timely manner after project completion.

Greenhouse users who generate plant waste from transgenic plants or invasive species are to bag their waste materials in plastic autoclave bags which are available in the office. Tie the top of the bags closed, label with the researchers name, and place the bags in the macrobin labeled "waste for autoclaving" located at the east end of the headhouse building. Dispose of other plant material and soil in the dumpster to the east of the headhouse.

Place any pots or flats that have been exposed to herbicides in the bin labeled "Herbicide Pots", located under the southeast table inside the headhouse. Place all dirty herbicide-free pots in the metal bin outside the southeast corner of the headhouse. Place dirty herbicide-free flats under the bench across the aisle from the dirty pot bin.

Environmental Control
Greenhouse environmental control equipment, including thermostats, fans, vents, timers and irrigation systems, are only operated by the greenhouse personnel. Contact the greenhouse personnel to request changes to the current environmental settings. Immediately report any malfunctions in the environmental controls to greenhouse personnel, or call Facilities Service at 2-1655.

Alteration of Facilities
Approval must be obtained from the greenhouse personnel before any changes, deletions or additions are made to the permanent facilities.

Other Considerations
Greenhouse personnel are available for advice on experimental setup and maintenance, including container selection, proper planting, transplanting, pruning, and staking.

If chemicals, including herbicides or pesticides, are utilized during a project they must be removed or properly stored when not in use. Contact greenhouse personnel if temporary chemical storage space is needed.

Material safety data sheets and pesticide use records can be viewed at our website, http://greenhouse.ucdavis.edu/safety

Smoking is prohibited in all areas of the greenhouse facility.