Question
My question is about building a carnivorous plant greenhouse.
The thing that I would like to know is, what is the best type of polycarbonate panels to use on a greenhouse, because I live out in Tucson AZ, and sometime in the near future, I plan on buying a Rion greenhouse. I also understand that depending on the type of polycarbonate panels you use, they only let in a certain percentage of the suns rays. so any info on whether to use gray tinted, white glazed, etc... would be very helpful because I grow primarily highland nepenthes, some lowlands, a few sundews, and pings.
          Thank you very much. Good growing.

Answer
Hi Michael,

I recommend panels that are the translucent type that look slightly opaque.  In other words they let about 80% of the light pass, but you can't see through them.  This gives good light diffusion, but doesn't limit you in the winter when you want more sun coming in.  During the summer you'll need some shadecloth, but that is true just about anywhere.  We use 50% shadecloth on our Nepenthes house during the summer.  You may need to go higher than that in your intense Arizona heat.  Since you are going to have highland Nepenthes I assume you'll be air conditioning your greenhouse?

Good Growing!

Jeff Dallas
Sarracenia Northwest
http://www.cobraplant.com