List of Greenhouse Supplies - What Your Greenhouse Requires
Greenhouse suppliers' catalogues are full of wonderful gadgets and must-have devices for your greenhouse.
But what is really essential? Let us consider what kind of supplies you really need.
At the most basic level you can get away with a watering can and plenty of time.
If you can walk out to your greenhouse several times a day to water your plants and check the ventilation then you do not need to buy anything.
You may need the exercise.
Think of it as a health cure.
But few of us have the option to live at that pace today.
We have to go to work and need to take vacations.
A greenhouse has to be able to look after itself to some extent.
Some degree of automation in a greenhouse is desirable, even essential.
When considering what greenhouse supplies you need an automatic watering system should be at the top of your list.
Automatic watering systems work in a number of ways.
The simplest is the passive system that relies on capillary matting to draw water up from a reservoir.
This is the cheapest system.
Alternatively you may use a piped water system that is controlled by a timer.
These may feed water to individual pots through a system of drippers or spread water through a porous pipe.
Alternatively, you may opt for a misting system that waters the plants and sprays fine water droplets into the air.
Ventilation can be controlled automatically too.
There are electronic devices that will open a vent or the door of a greenhouse when the temperature reaches a certain level and allow them to close when the temperature drops.
A more sophisticated option is to install an electric fan that will expel air from the greenhouse as the temperature rises and draw in cooler air.
It is possible to modify the extractor fan used in domestic kitchens and bathrooms or the kind that are found in cooker hoods.
For those who are not able to do this a better solution is to buy a ready made one.
Your greenhouse manufacturer will sell fans that fit your model of greenhouse.
This is the most aesthetically satisfying solution.
Even with good watering and ventilation it will never be possible to achieve so perfect an environment for your plants that you eliminate all pests and diseases.
Many gardeners opt for chemical solutions, but others prefer to use biological methods in their greenhouse.
A range of predator bugs can now be bought that will deal with most common infestations in your greenhouse.
The most common plant diseases in the greenhouse are related to mildew and fungus.
They are caused by an inappropriate balance between temperature and humidity.
If you are trying to grow plants together that require slightly different conditions it will be difficult to avoid some problems.
They can be treated efficiently with a number of fungicides which tests show to be safe.
But you should always use as directed and store them away from children.
Fertilizer is a vital supply for successful greenhouse growing.
You must feed the plants in your greenhouse.
They are growing at a tremendous rate and even if they are planted directly in the earth need nutrients.
Inorganic chemical fertilizers work well and are available in formulations that suit particular kinds of plant and particular stages of growth.
You will need one fertilizer for vegetative growth and another for the flowering and fruiting stage of a plant's life.
An increasing number of gardeners prefer organic feeds for their plants.
These are also widely available in liquid and powder form.
They are highly effective and produce results that are just as good as the inorganic variety.
The choice is yours.
Some form of shading will be necessary in most greenhouses.
The heat of the sun can burn plants very easily.
The best method is to clip specially made shade netting to the inside of the framework of the greenhouse.
The same system of clips you use for the shade netting can be used to hold plant supports and bubble wrap plastic in the winter.
Bubble wrap is used to insulate the greenhouse.
It is an optional extra.
But is extremely useful and worth adding to your list of greenhouse supplies.
These suggestions cover some of the supplies you will need for your greenhouse.
But what is really essential? Let us consider what kind of supplies you really need.
At the most basic level you can get away with a watering can and plenty of time.
If you can walk out to your greenhouse several times a day to water your plants and check the ventilation then you do not need to buy anything.
You may need the exercise.
Think of it as a health cure.
But few of us have the option to live at that pace today.
We have to go to work and need to take vacations.
A greenhouse has to be able to look after itself to some extent.
Some degree of automation in a greenhouse is desirable, even essential.
When considering what greenhouse supplies you need an automatic watering system should be at the top of your list.
Automatic watering systems work in a number of ways.
The simplest is the passive system that relies on capillary matting to draw water up from a reservoir.
This is the cheapest system.
Alternatively you may use a piped water system that is controlled by a timer.
These may feed water to individual pots through a system of drippers or spread water through a porous pipe.
Alternatively, you may opt for a misting system that waters the plants and sprays fine water droplets into the air.
Ventilation can be controlled automatically too.
There are electronic devices that will open a vent or the door of a greenhouse when the temperature reaches a certain level and allow them to close when the temperature drops.
A more sophisticated option is to install an electric fan that will expel air from the greenhouse as the temperature rises and draw in cooler air.
It is possible to modify the extractor fan used in domestic kitchens and bathrooms or the kind that are found in cooker hoods.
For those who are not able to do this a better solution is to buy a ready made one.
Your greenhouse manufacturer will sell fans that fit your model of greenhouse.
This is the most aesthetically satisfying solution.
Even with good watering and ventilation it will never be possible to achieve so perfect an environment for your plants that you eliminate all pests and diseases.
Many gardeners opt for chemical solutions, but others prefer to use biological methods in their greenhouse.
A range of predator bugs can now be bought that will deal with most common infestations in your greenhouse.
The most common plant diseases in the greenhouse are related to mildew and fungus.
They are caused by an inappropriate balance between temperature and humidity.
If you are trying to grow plants together that require slightly different conditions it will be difficult to avoid some problems.
They can be treated efficiently with a number of fungicides which tests show to be safe.
But you should always use as directed and store them away from children.
Fertilizer is a vital supply for successful greenhouse growing.
You must feed the plants in your greenhouse.
They are growing at a tremendous rate and even if they are planted directly in the earth need nutrients.
Inorganic chemical fertilizers work well and are available in formulations that suit particular kinds of plant and particular stages of growth.
You will need one fertilizer for vegetative growth and another for the flowering and fruiting stage of a plant's life.
An increasing number of gardeners prefer organic feeds for their plants.
These are also widely available in liquid and powder form.
They are highly effective and produce results that are just as good as the inorganic variety.
The choice is yours.
Some form of shading will be necessary in most greenhouses.
The heat of the sun can burn plants very easily.
The best method is to clip specially made shade netting to the inside of the framework of the greenhouse.
The same system of clips you use for the shade netting can be used to hold plant supports and bubble wrap plastic in the winter.
Bubble wrap is used to insulate the greenhouse.
It is an optional extra.
But is extremely useful and worth adding to your list of greenhouse supplies.
These suggestions cover some of the supplies you will need for your greenhouse.
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