How to Maintain Your Own Greenhouse

Did someone say spring time?

That’s right, you’re not dreaming. If you are like so many others with an itch to start looking through various guides on purchasing a greenhouse, there are some important things that you need to be aware of. When it comes to managing your own greenhouse, majority of the work would be just as if you were gardening in your backyard. There is no way around performing the basics, such as watering your plants, providing adequate sunlight, and necessary nutrients.

The basics are mandatory, but there are definitely other aspects to a greenhouse that are unlike your normal outdoor garden. With a greenhouse, you have more control over the plants that you are growing. At the same time, it makes the process more demanding. You have an extended list of options to help produce a beautiful garden, such as the soil’s moisture and drainage, aeration, humidity, fertility levels, light, and even temperature. These are things that would be almost impossible to control, but it is not everything. Along with having more control, you have to provide special care to prevent diseases and pests in your greenhouse.

Fertility and Soil

When it comes to commercial growing, there are growers that will work the soil, which their greenhouses are built upon. This simplifies the process for them, because they can easily begin planting into the soil. If you are building a greenhouse for personal use, then you may find that it is better to have growing beds or individual pots that you can easily place on top of a bench.

When you plant, make sure to use an organic soil mix. A soil mix is much more fertile and usually lighter than your generic garden soil. You make your own soil mix by combining 1 part perlite or vermiculite, 1 part peat moss, 2 parts soil, and 2 parts complete compost. It is best to test your pH level and determine if it needs to be adjusted or not. The pH should be slightly acidic.

Humidity

Although you may feel like you are in a rainforest, when you walk into your greenhouse, this isn’t a good environment for your plants. The amount of humidity can prevent your plants from growing sturdy and healthy. When it is high-growing periods, the recommended humidity should be between 70 – 85%. If your humidity level reaches 90% or higher, you risk the chances of causing early bolting, weak plant growth, and creating fungal disease that becomes an annoying problem. If you ever need to increase your humidity level and you live in an arid climate, you can simply spray water on your greenhouse’s floor. Whenever there is a need to decrease the humidity level, you can exhaust or vent the humid air.

Lighting

When it comes to lighting, you have a lot of control with the design of your greenhouse. As you plan out the design, you can monitor the shade patterns around your house in the summer. Determining the amount of shade will let you know how you should modify your building plans. If you reside in a cloudy region, you can benefit a lot from installing fluorescent lights in your greenhouse. These are great for nurturing your spring seeds as well.

Area

With a do-it-yourself job, it is necessary to have all of the right equipment. From the elevated planter to the string trimmer, every piece has a purpose. Whether you are building your soil mix directly under your greenhouse with an elevated planter or knocking down some difficult weeds with your string trimmer, it is important to make your process as easy as possible. Especially when those weeds attempt to return and cause havoc.