How do I measure temperature and humidity in my greenhouse? Am I supposed to water all my plants manually? What if I go away on holiday? Can I just leave the lights in the greenhouse on all the time? These are some common questions asked by gardening enthusiasts as they begin their research into acquiring a greenhouse.
Many see the use of greenhouses as an unnecessary burden - now not only do you need to tend to the plants that you are growing, you also need to monitor the climate in which they are living.
The good news is that there is a whole array of nifty accessories that you can install into your greenhouse, lessening or even eliminating some of these peripheral tasks.
Accessorising your greenhouse, while it may sound similar to accessorising your outfit or your home, is quite unlike either of those two tasks.
Whilst the main aim of accessorising an outfit or home is to improve the aesthetic qualities of whatever is being accessorised, accessories for the greenhouse are focussed on practical and effective monitoring of the climate within the greenhouse.
Many of these accessories are also essential - a greenhouse could not be successful without them.
These are some of the main and most important accessories required for a greenhouse to function properly: Temperature regulators and gauges As temperature is one of the main variables that should be controlled within a greenhouse, temperature gauges help keep track of the current temperature within the greenhouse.
Heat that enters the greenhouse takes time to disperse throughout the greenhouse as well, so it is often useful to have multiple temperature gauges at different locations within the greenhouse.
One very important location that needs to be monitored is the soil, as soil temperature can greatly affect the growth of plants.
Electronically wired gauges can be configured to transmit information to a computer, so that the temperature can easily be checked without even going into the greenhouse.
Monitoring the temperature would be redundant without a method of controlling it, so thermostats must be installed in conjunction with the gauges, so that the temperature can be raised or reduced when required.
The thermostats are normally connected to gas or electric heaters.
Having fans within the greenhouse will also help to distribute the heat throughout the greenhouse much more rapidly, creating a more stable and consistent environment.
Humidistat and hygrometers Similar to temperature monitoring and controlling devices, humidity is also an important factor in plant growth.
Insufficient humidity results in the drying of leaves and an inability of the plants to photosynthesise.
Therefore it is crucial that humidity be controlled alongside temperature, especially because alterations in temperature greatly affect the humidity in the air - hotter temperatures result in drier air.
The humidistat and hygrometer will allow your plants to survive even when temperatures are turned up in response to cold weather outside.
Lights and light metres Especially in places where light is scarce during the winter, the plants in the greenhouse need extra light to thrive and flourish.
For this reason, extra lights are almost always installed into greenhouses, for increased control over the conditions within the greenhouse.
It is not always desirable to have more light in the greenhouse however, and too much light can be just as harmful to the plants as too little.
To prevent this from happening, light metres should be installed into the greenhouse as well.
Having these accessories within the greenhouse will allow you to accurately keep track of and regulate factors that affect the growth of your plants within the greenhouse.
Of course, different plants require different conditions to grow optimally, so it is greatly advised for you to consult your local gardening expert or other reputable sources for the best conditions that the plants you are trying to grow require.
Doing so will ensure successful growth of your favourite flora.