Equipments you will need for more Productive Greenhouse
Ever wondered how higher altitude places can grow crops in their location? Plants need enough heat and sun’s energy to grow. However, for places that are located in the northern portion of the globe, this requirement may be difficult to attain because of the nature of their weather. Thus, farmers in these places use the greenhouse method to be able to still successfully to grow good quality crops.
A greenhouse is an enclosed structure where plants are being cultivated. This building is usually made of glass or plastic to trap the sun’s electromagnetic radiation to warm the plants and soil inside. Having a greenhouse needs proper maintenance for a more productive crop growing. Different supplies are needed by greenhouse farmers to make this happen.
Greenhouse Supplies
There are different materials and equipments needed for a greenhouse planting to be effective. Here are some examples of the supplies you will need in case you are planning to build a greenhouse:
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Greenhouse supply: Heating and cooling thermostats.
Since temperature is crucial to the efficiency of greenhouse structures, a thermostat is needed to be placed inside the building. The best location to mount it is near the middle of the greenhouse and at plant height. Also, it would be best if both the cooling and heating thermostats are protected from direct contact with water and sunlight.
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Greenhouse supply: Vents.
Greenhouse temperature and humidity should be controlled to attain perfect growing conditions. Thus, vents are needed to be able to get in more air for proper ventilation during warm seasons, or seal out air in colder times of the year.
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Greenhouse supply: Exhaust fans.
For plants to grow healthier in your greenhouse, circulation fans are needed. These fans even out the distribution of fresh air and heat inside the greenhouse.
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Greenhouse supply: Plant watering systems.
Of course, aside from heat and fresh air, plants also need water to grow. You can always do the watering on your own by having water hoses long enough to reach all parts of the greenhouse. Moreover, it would be best if you just have an automatic watering system so you don’t have to worry not having to water your plants when you are out. This watering system should be placed on a shelf above the plants then connect the dripper to the circulation tubing.
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Greenhouse supply: Benches and shelving.
These pieces of garden furniture are needed to be able to place more plants in lesser space. They are ideal for greenhouse owners doing gardening as a hobby. Also, a good-sized working bench is needed for potting and repotting of plants.
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Greenhouse supply: Lighting system.
Having a good lighting system helps increase the speed of growth of plants as it provides plenty of light for longer periods of time.
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Greenhouse supply: Thermometers.
To properly maintain the ideal conditions inside the greenhouse, you will need to monitor the different factors affecting your plant’s growth. Different thermometers are needed for you to be able to track changes occurring inside the structure. Examples of these thermometers are the regular thermometer, humidity gauge, soil thermometer and the light intensity meter.
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Greenhouse supply: Ground cover.
Since weeds are known to grow anywhere, it is best to protect your soil from these weeds that carry pests and diseases to plants. To do this, you can have a ground cover as a floor to your greenhouse or cover it with soil, sand, brick and gravel.
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Greenhouse supply: Cycle timers.
To be able to automate the equipments you use in your greenhouse, you can also put a cycle timer which can accurately cycle the equipments on and off time. This is ideal for ventilation controls, irrigation, and misting. With this timer, you do not have to worry going in and out of your greenhouse to turn the machines on and off.
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Greenhouse supply: Greenhouse books and reading materials.
Continuous learning is essential for anything we do. Same goes with maintaining greenhouses. You need to be well equipped with all the necessary requirements of having more productive plant cultivation in your greenhouse. These books and magazines will also keep you updated of the latest news and recent technology releases about greenhouses.
These are just some of the main supplies you need to have a well-maintained greenhouse. There are several items available online or at your favorite garden supplies shop. Take a look at them and determine which ones will be useful to your greenhouse.
Know Your Greenhouse Supplies
More and more people are maintaining a greenhouse in their own yards. Most have found it a fulfilling endeavour, not just to grow plants, but to grow plants well. Thus if this interests you, then it is best to learn the basics of a greenhouse.
What Is a Greenhouse?
The greenhouse serves as the home for young and tender plants, especially those grown out of their normal season. This is mainly designed to create a proper environment for the plant and for cultivation of the same.
It is usually made with plastic or glass-paned sloping roof and walls. This way, the temperature, light and even moisture can be easily controlled to give a balanced condition encouraging to the plants.
The greenhouse is best suited to grow plants of all kinds. The usual varieties are cacti, orchids and citrus trees. This is also a very ideal venue to implement plant research.
Ideally, the natural sunlight is sufficient to supply the requirements of plants, especially in temperate regions. However, when winter comes it is necessary to supply the plants with heat and light to encourage growth. The heat usually comes from steam or hot-air circulating system.
During the summer, the panes would be covered to reduce the light intensity. The structure of the greenhouse will allow heat to be easily reduced. This is done by opening the ventilators or whitewashing the panes.
Humidity is maintained by the water supplied in the soils. When the greenhouse needs greater humidity, the floors are usually sprayed with water. For pot-grown plants, like the orchids, they are set on racks with moistened residues.
There are many aspects that make a productive greenhouse. These generally depend on the supplies installed in the greenhouse. To know what these supplies are, just read on.
What Are the Important Greenhouse Supplies?
To have a really successful greenhouse, it is important to have the proper supplies and accessories to put in it. Listed below are several important greenhouse supplies.
1. Ventilation
This is the most important supply you can not miss out on your greenhouse. It serves to purposes, to provide carbon dioxide to plants and to cool the greenhouse. Without this, the greenhouse might just be simply your furnace.
The greenhouse is really storing the heat coming from the sun during the day, creating a warmer environment inside the greenhouse compared to the outside. Thus the ventilation fan system will be helpful in bringing in fresh and cooler air inside.
2. Heating System
The heating source is important too, especially during the nighttime and for the cold seasons to come. Generally, the heat supplied by the sun is stored by the greenhouse. At night, the heating systems will serve as the heat source.
This can be fueled by wood, gas, oil or even electricity. The choice simply depends on whatever type of fuel can be available in the locality as well the costs.
Some make use of electric heaters for smaller greenhouses. This should be treated with extra caution. It is not supposed to be exposed or be in contact to water to avoid any electric shock.
3. Greenhouse Thermometers
It is not sufficient that you provide temperature in the greenhouse. You have to be able to control and maintain the proper temperature. The only way you can do this is to get the min/max thermometer. This records the high and low temperature of the greenhouse.
What is at stake is the valuable data that can help you determine if the heating or cooling equipment is working correctly.
4. Fog System and Watering System
Mist and fog systems are useful in any serious greenhouse. It helps in maintaining the humidity level. A good amount of humidity can also help reduce the need for water supply.
When it comes to watering the plants, it will have to depend on the type of the plant. The regular wand can be used on the average grown plants. The drip system is best for watering larger plants. This is also a good way to save on water.
For seedlings, it is ideal to use a watering system with small sprinklers, or even misting systems. Using the regular hose or wand will simply disturb the soil.
5. Lighting
Lighting is also very important for growing plants. This will serve as the artificial sun, especially when the season does not give much heat, light and sun.
6. Shading
Shades come in handy during the hot summer. They block a certain part of the rays of the sun from entering the greenhouse. This is to avoid too much heat and sunlight on a dry season. The shade is also very helpful to some plants that grow best when screened from the direct sun.
7. Flooring and Benches
The flooring details will be for the benefit of the greenhouse owner. It can be aesthetic as it polishes the image and ambience of the greenhouse. It can also be functional. It is best to use non-skid surface so there will be not much worry during watering time. It should be easy to clean and must be able to endure the moisture in the environment.
Benches can also provide comfort. When attending to the plants, it would not hurt to do it while sitting. It is also a good place to observe and enjoy the fruits of your labor. This can also serve shading purposes to plants located beneath or just behind it.
With these important details at hand, you can easily come up with a master plan to get that perfect greenhouse for your plants.
Supplies Needed for Your Greenhouse
A greenhouse may help a person to shorten the growing period of the plants. This allows a person to harvest the crop earlier than the usual period he would normally expect. Greenhouse planting requires proper planning to absolutely have an increase of crop production. He may be kept busy throughout the year attending to his greenhouse because of the continuous cultivation and gardening activities.
The germination status of each plant could turn out for the better because the seeds may produce different kinds of plants. A greenhouse has the capacity to control the amount of sunlight needed by the plants. It can also control the temperature and the humidity inside that will ensure the person to have healthier and an increased production.
He may start on propagating the seeds to ensure an organic growth with his plants. It is also advisable not to apple fungicide on his seeds because it might destroy its nutrient absorption on the soil’s organic fertiliser. A greenhouse allows plants to grow faster and bigger that their usual sizes unlike when plants are raised in the traditional way of agriculture where the climate affects the growth of any plant.
Greenhouses may come on small and large designs. It may depend on the space area allotted for its foundation. The shapes are commonly rectangular but there are new styles that are applied on new greenhouses such as those conservatory styled greenhouses, which are attached to the house. A person may not judge the style of the greenhouse but for its approach to its plants. In order to have a more conventional greenhouse a person may consider different supplies and accessories to maintain and upgrade its full potential.
1. The best advisable covering a greenhouse should have is a fibreglass covering.
The maintenance is very easy and it does not deteriorate fast. It has the ability to control the needed sunlight compared to plastic and wooden shades. The ventilation is readily prepared on the roofing to control the temperature and humidity inside the greenhouse.
2. The potting benches are the most common helpful supplies he may need in the greenhouse.
Most potting benches come with one or two shelves that store potting supplies such as dirt, manure, fertiliser and the pots. He may not need extra effort in cleaning it after its use because of the tray supporting the holders and the flat top. He may place the potting supplies near his potting area so that it would be more convenient for him not to waste any movements while gardening.
3. Rainwater systems are also available for ecology oriented and conscious gardeners.
He may collect the needed water from the downspouts and gutters of the greenhouse water system. The irrigation and watering of the plants can be environment friendly compared to those automated water systems.
4. The lighting supplies are very essential in the greenhouse.
He may avail of grow lights that increase the spectrum growth of the plants. It also provides the needed warmth and artificial sunlight in cases of climate changes. They may be very effective during the winter season where most plants grow short because they are not exposed to the needed sunlight.
5. A greenhouse should have shelving supplies.
There are growing shelves supplies that stabilise the greenhouse condition. They come with aluminum frames where he can place the seeds on its trays. They also feature an ultra violet plastic stabiliser covering to create the needed greenhouse conditions.
6. He may need to supply the greenhouse with a misting propagation system.
This will ensure the plants of a healthier growth because of the sustained moisture in the air. To have a balanced and controlled humidity, he may avail of the automated misters. They come with timers to mist the place and moisture sensors for the moisture density. The misting propagation system is very essential to those greenhouses that grow tropical plants.
Other optional supplies and accessories he may add to his greenhouse are the automatic plant misting system, soil sterilisation supplies, thermometers, special shelving systems, shelters and shades with roof ventilation, plant lighting tools, and humidity gauges. All these supplies may have their own use in a greenhouse. He may consider his budget before availing any of these opt
Greenhouse (Part28) (Hydroponic-Greenhouse ) will be on What’s On In East London.
Jean Michel
What’s on In East London.
