#17. Growing Vegetables in a Greenhouse
A greenhouse allows you to expand the range of plants you can grow. It is an excellent place to start your hardy vegetables off in, as it means an earlier harvest for the gardener. The watering system you use in your greenhouse is important. This is what will help your plants to flourish and produce a healthy crop. Your plants need water, regardless of the prevailing weather conditions outside the greenhouse.
Installing the right watering system for your greenhouse removes the burden of manual watering. This allows you more time for the other aspects of plant care.
Today, we have the luxury of choosing from a range of watering systems for the greenhouse. You can automate the process by using a self watering system. This will control the amount of water ensuring that the plants don't receive too much or too little. This is a good system to have when you are away from home.
The capillary system is a convenient one, allowing plants to absorb water from the ground through their root systems. It has the option of adding a reservoir that is automatically refilled.
Drip systems are probably the simplest to set up and use. Tubing is installed in the greenhouse and the steady dripping keeps the plants moist. There are spray or mist systems that can be automated and are actually the most popular systems for a greenhouse.
What you need to understand is that not all types of irrigation systems are good for all plants. In a greenhouse you may end up over-watering plants that require minimal water. The capillary and drip systems are good for plants that have high water requirements. You need to make sure that the soil has good drainage because even the plants that need plenty of water can become water logged.
It is safer to choose the spray or mist system and this is the favorable choice among greenhouse gardeners. It is probably a good idea to separate your plants at the time of planting, grouping them according to their water requirements.
You need to consider factors like timers and installations that automate the watering process. Cost and drainage are important considerations as well. The watering systems for greenhouses can range in price from very nominal amounts to really expensive set ups. The system you choose will really depend on your personal budget.
The greenhouse needs to be well ventilated and have good drainage. Stagnant water and the humidity in the greenhouse will breed mosquitoes.