Although passion is a great quality in a beginner greenhouse gardener, it should not outweigh the need to follow some basic, practical steps to ensure your plants thrive. Building a solid base by paying close attention to the specifics is crucial for every new endeavour.
Written in collaboration with Halls Greenhouses
Investing the time and effort required with the help of greenhouse experts will reward you with a satisfying greenhouse gardening experience and a setting in which your passion may flourish. Halls Greenhouses is a trusted name in the world of gardening, offering an extensive range of garden supplies to help both novice and experienced gardeners.
Helpful tips to consider
Water
Beginner gardeners sometimes need help seeing the importance of a regular watering routine. The degree to which soil dries out between waterings depends on too many factors to make this a practical proposition.
Rather than sticking to a fixed timetable, inspect the soil of your plants often. Water the plants when the soil becomes dry to the touch. It’s hardly rocket science, right? To put it simply, with this care, your plants will flourish.
Cooling
Summertime greenhouse temperatures may rise over acceptable levels. Greenhouses are designed to keep heat inside, so cooling them may be challenging. During the warmer months, particularly if your area has a long heat wave, monitoring the greenhouse’s temperature is important.
If you watch the weather, you can open the greenhouse door to let in some cold air when the temperature rises. You need to utilise an evaporative air cooler to keep the right humidity level in the air.
Heating
There will likely be some trial and error in figuring out how to heat your greenhouse effectively. In the winter, if you have a greenhouse that is 120 square feet or less, you may get by with a tiny electric heater that operates at 120 volts. You may need to increase the voltage of your heater to 240+ if you have a huge greenhouse.
Ventilators that utilise unused warm air from within the house and huge rocks and absorbent materials that store sun heat are two further options for keeping a greenhouse warm. Installing a watertight thermostat will allow you to keep tabs on the greenhouse’s environment.
Light
A greenhouse’s main function is to maintain a comfortable temperature within the structure, all during the harsh winter months. Therefore, even in autumn and winter, ensuring your greenhouse is getting enough light is crucial. For successful plant growth all year round, artificial illumination is required during winter, even if natural light is sufficient throughout spring and summer. It’s advisable you visit local gardening showrooms to get lighting ideas.
High-output fluorescent bulb strips or LED grow lights may be used to supply this essential illumination. With their wide coverage, high efficiency and ability to produce a whole colour spectrum, it’s no surprise that these items are so well-liked.
Insect control
Most insects are completely asymptomatic and harmless and only go about their activity. They probably are not concerned with your plants and seeing one aphid here and there is no evidence of a widespread problem. In the unlikely event that a plant does get contaminated, there is no need to worry. Take it outside of the greenhouse so it will not be stressed by being among the other plants, give it a gentle but thorough cleaning and then observe it for a time before putting it back inside.
Space
Please plan for plant growth by estimating the space requirements of your plants at the growth period you anticipate them to attain in the greenhouse. When plants are packed too closely, they may not get the room or light they need to flourish. Because of this strain, your plants may be more vulnerable to pests and illnesses.
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