What Makes A Good Greenhouse? 7 Tips For Care And Maintenance
Growing different kinds of fruits and vegetables would surely be something that most homeowners would enjoy. It gives them an unlimited supply of various produce without breaking the bank. Moreover, they’re also confident that the produce grows in a healthy environment as they’ve kept a keen eye on every sprout. Apart from growing them in your garden, you might want to consider switching to a greenhouse to manipulate its environment and grow various kinds of produce all year round.
As you own a greenhouse, you can finally enjoy growing as many plants as you want, no matter what season. Furthermore, it can also help to enhance your yard’s appearance. If you’re looking for a large wooden greenhouse to grow vegetables in at home, then swgreenhouses.co.uk has a good range of glass and polycarbonate greenhouses, but apart from its beauty, it’ll only be logical if you could take good care of it.
After all, it provides you with plenty of benefits. And with that, listed below are some tips to care for and maintain your greenhouse well:
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Clean Regularly
Of course, one of the best ways to take care of your greenhouse is by regularly cleaning it. Even if you’re keeping everything inside, there’s still a high possibility that the area could get dirty and dusty over time.
Apart from keeping your greenhouse from looking neat and tidy, it might also affect your plant’s health, putting all of your efforts to waste. To keep your plants fresh and healthy, you should provide them with a clean environment.
Ideally, you should begin by sterilizing and cleaning every surface of the greenhouse. You can use mild soap and water for your floors and counters. Moreover, you should also consider scrubbing your walls at least once a week to keep your glass panels clean. A bit of dust can prevent the sun from shining through your greenhouse, affecting its growth and state.
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Control Pests Inside
Pests are your number one enemy when it comes to growing plants. But since pests strive well with plants, you need to eliminate them as they’ll only damage your produce and affect their quality and health. Since a greenhouse is sealed tight, you must inspect your plants thoroughly and ensure that they’re free from any form of pests. Once you bring one infested plant, it can multiply inside at a surprisingly increased rate and harm all of your plants.
However, if you already have pests inside your greenhouse, the other thing you can do is to release their worst predator inside. Just ensure that their predators are someone that can help to get rid of your pests and cause further damage inside. Alternatively, you can fumigate your greenhouse to eliminate them instantly without bringing another life inside. If you’re planning to do this, you should schedule them annually.
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Observe Daily
If you have enough time on your hands, you might want to consider observing your greenhouse daily and seeing signs of any pests. The earlier you can get rid of them, the better it’ll be for your plant’s health.
You can begin by checking your plants for any signs, like holes. You can even listen closely and hear some insect sounds. If you spot any pests inside your greenhouse, you should remove them right away to prevent any nearby pots from getting damaged.
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Check Ventilation System
Proper ventilation is extremely important for your plant’s growth as it will not strive if it’s inside unmoving air. With that, your greenhouse should have a proper ventilation system that helps the air move frequently and feed your plants. As you have your ventilation system properly installed inside your greenhouse, you should check them regularly and see if they’re working as they should.
If you notice that your louvers and shutters are starting to get a bit squeaky, it might be time for you to oil them. It will help avoid friction and allow the machine to open and close itself effortlessly. Apart from the annoying squeaky sound, it can also affect its ventilation system, which can cause harm to your plants.
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Inspect Humidity Levels
Along with the ventilation of the greenhouse, the proper humidity level should also be observed. It provides a suitable environment for your plants, allowing them to strive well. Depending on your plants, they might prefer to live in humid or dry air, enabling them to grow beautifully.
You can begin by checking the humidity level of your greenhouse and see if it’s something your plant could strive to do. If the level is too low, you can place a small bucket of water on any surface and let the air evaporate through the entire room.
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Plant Deciduous Trees
A greenhouse is made entirely out of glass. While they help to bring your room enough sunshine during the day, they might not be the best environment for your winter plants. However, they still might need enough shade during the winter, so you must adjust how much sunlight goes through the room throughout the year.
To prevent your plants from getting damaged or too dry due to the sun’s heat while also providing enough sunlight during winter, it’ll be helpful if you could plant deciduous trees. This way, they can provide enough shade during summer and will shed during a specific time of the year.
It’ll be the perfect natural solution for your greenhouse’s sunlight. Plus, it can also help improve your curb appeal as you add more nature to your property.
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Install Shades
If planting trees isn’t an option for your home as you don’t have enough space or are uncomfortable with cleaning up from the fallen leaves, then installing shades would be your next best choice.
With this, you’ll be installing shades all over the room and allow yourself to be in control of how much sunlight goes through. It’s more cost-efficient and quicker as you don’t rely on nature for the sun’s heat. Moreover, it can also provide your greenhouse with enough privacy, especially if you’re not too comfortable letting other people see what’s inside.
Takeaway
Owning a greenhouse requires plenty of responsibility to ensure that your plants strive well, even in a controlled environment. As you own one, you need to maintain it well to allow them to grow healthy and strong.
With the right maintenance and care tips, you should keep your greenhouse in its best shape and serve your home for as long as possible. Moreover, you can enjoy endless fresh produce all year round without breaking the bank.