Greenhouse Production
A Year-Long Advantage!
If you are for continuous harvest and protection to frost-sensitive plants during the winter months, greenhouse production may be what you need.
Irrigation
The watering needs for greenhouse production are less than the plants that are outside. Consistently check the soil prior to watering. As a rule of thumb, you should wait until about two inches of the top soil feel dry to your touch. Overwatering causes not only higher humidity in your greenhouse but, more importantly, it robs plant roots of adequate oxygen supply. Keep the plants and the greenhouse itself dry in between waterings. If you are too busy, you will have to think about a watering timer with your sprinkling system. Do not use cold water!
Humidity
Correct humidity is essential to disease prevention and is crucial to healthy production. If the relative humidity (RH) drops below 30%, the production process of you greenhouse will either be curtailed or halt completely. If the humidity goes above 80%, you will encourage mold not just on your plants but the greenhouse itself. That condition is an invitation to disease and also to the rotting of any wooden structures. Diseases that result from humidity in the greenhouse normally reach their peak during the spring and summer months. Keep up with your production by seeing to it that greenhouse floors are dry and weed free. When the humidity rises, you will need to increase the circulation in the environment. You may benefit from installing a ventilation system.
Fertilizer
If you are using the premixed type of fertilizer for greenhouse production and you are not a proponent of industrial wastes in the blend you are using, make sure that you read the label. That label will also include the percentage of each essential nutrient your production requires. Think organic whenever possible. Organic fertilizers have been reported to minimize greenhouse emissions as they conserve nitrogen and carbon in the soil. Be attentive to the amount of fertilizer that you dispense. For production of slow-growing plants, you need less fertilizer than for the fast-growing ones. Use a balanced fertilizer for specific greenhouse production. If you are planting tomatoes and cucumbers, they will require feeding each time you water them. Lastly, pH and EC meters are a good investment to ensure that your fertilizer blends are providing a proper boost to the production of your plants' root zones.
Plan Ahead
Whether you are buying a greenhouse or building your own, it is wise to plan ahead. The size of your greenhouse would normally depend on your purpose and needs for production. Do your soil test. Assess your availability and work out a reasonable watering schedule or arrange for an irrigation system. Set up an adequate ventilation system. Select the plants you like and learn to work with them and around them. Study about companion planting. Arm yourself with knowledge before you go ahead! This way, you are prepared for what to expect with greenhouse production, and what to do for particular problems.
