Randers Purchasing Greenhouse Supplies – Tips To Choose Wisely

Once your greenhouse is in place everything seems ready to go. All you have to do in put in some plants and everything will be fine. But this is not the case. You are just at the beginning of a long road of trial and error.

You can avoid some expensive mistakes by planning what kind of supplies you need. The biggest mistake is just to buy the latest and fanciest gadget you see in the catalogue. Take some time to plan what you need.

Choosing greenhouse supplies depends on what kind of greenhouse you have and what you intend to grow in it. Take time to think about what you really need.

Some supplies will only fit in a certain make or shape of greenhouse. Others will be ideal for some plants but not for others.

You should really begin this process of planning even before you choose what kind of greenhouse to buy. That way you can buy the basic essentials at the same time as you buy the greenhouse. There may be cut price deals here.

It is possible to resort to home made solutions. But if you have a beautiful redwood model you really want to keep the aesthetics in mind. A ramshackle system of plant supports may work perfectly well but will not look as good as the one your greenhouse manufacturer sells.

Decide what you are going to grow and how you are going to grow it. If you intend to plant directly into the earth you will not need benches of staging as it called. This method is often used for plants like tomatoes, squashes, cucumbers and melons where height is important.

Most greenhouses benefit from some staging. It is useful for seedlings and smaller plants. Aluminium staging is available fairly cheaply. It is durable and light if you want to move it. But it will not look good in a redwood greenhouse where you should go for staging made of timber. The whole effect will be better.

If you have an unusually shaped greenhouse, such as a solar dome, conventional staging may not fit it. In this case it is best to buy a purpose made system supplied for this kind of greenhouse.

One of the things that few people think about when they begin to use a greenhouse is shading. The purpose of a greenhouse it to maximise the heat of the sun. It seems illogical to talk about the importance of shade. But shade is vital because the sun can burn your plants.

Shading takes a variety of forms. It can be acheived by painting the glass with special paint which can be washed off in the winter. A better solution is shade netting which is clipped to the framework of the greenhouse. This is something to check with your manufacturer who may sell a system designed for your greenhouse. The same system may also be used for plant supports.

The next question is how do you intend to water your plants. You can, of course, walk out to the greenhouse with a watering can. But in the height of the growing season you would have to do this several times a day.

Most people prefer an automatic watering system.They work in different ways. Some work by feeding water through a series of drip feeds in a pipe. This method is ideal for plants in pots. Others work by spreading water through a porous hose. This method is good for plants growing in directly in the earth.You will need an outdoor water supply to set up either system in your greenhouse.

Watering systems of either type can be controlled with a timer that fits onto the water supply. It turns the fawcett on an off at the intervals you set. A system like this allows you to leave the greenhouse while you are on vacaction.

An alternative is a passive watering system. This method uses capillary matting to draw water from a reservoir. A length of guttering fixed along the edge of the bench will work well. The capillary matting is draped over the edge of the bench into the water and laid under the plants. The matting must be kept covered to prevent it drying out. Gravel or black plastic can be used. So long as the reservoir is full your plants will be watered. The disadvantage of this method is that if the reservoir runs dry while you are away your plants will die.

Next to watering, ventilation is the major question in greenhouses. In the height of summer a greenhouse can become too hot. The simplest answer to this problem is to open the door. Most greenhouses come with opening vents int he roof or walls. A current of air moving through the greenhouse will keep the temperature down and deter pests such as whitefly.

Automatic systems that will open vents when the greenhouse temperature reaches a certain level are available. You may also want to consider a more elaborate solution and fit a fan. A fan may not be necessary if you are only using your greenhouse in the summer, but if you want to use it during the winter a fan is valuable. It will allow you to ventilate the greenhouse and keep heat in. The air expelled by the fan can even be recirculated by fitting a flexible hose to vent and returning it to the greenhouse.

Growing in the winter demands lighting especially in northern latitudes. Plants require lights as well as heat and moisture to grow. Some plants will only come into flower if the day length is correct. Installing lighting allows you to create an artificially long day.

But if you are not planning to grow plants in your greenhouse during the winter there is no need to have lighting. This is an area you can make savings on greenhouse supplies if you plan in advance what you intend to grow.

The same is true of heating. If you want to use you greenhouse during the winter you will need some form of heating. An electric fan heater is the best choice in most cases. Heating or lighting requires a power supply. You should think about this at an early stage. It may influence where you position your greenhouse.

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