G. Watering equipments for greenhouse

A greenhouse is a rainless place where water requirements are to be fulfilled only by the owners of the green house. Watering by hand is time consuming and is probably the most difficult to master.

The first requirement to make things easier is a tap within the greenhouse. To make things even easier one can use trickle irrigation system. Watering can, hose pipe and even use of sand bench capillary matting can be other alternatives.

H. Blinds

Plants must be protected from the suns rays in summer as overheating can be a serious problem. For this purpose blinds are generally regarded as the best answer. One can choose from a wide selection of roller types made of wooden slates or plastic coated sheetings. When fitted from outside, the temperature inside the house is reduced and the harmful glare of the sun is eliminated.

I. Staging and greenhouse shelving

For growing pot plants in greenhouses, benches or staging are essential. The two terms are interchangeable in popular use, but strictly speaking staging is a permanent structure whereas the bench can be folded up and removed. In the most traditional form slated wooden staging about 2.5 ft above the ground can be used. Netted staging also are used but both have the disadvantage of making a poor work surface.

Solid staging with a shallow lip is useful as it conserves heat in winter, holds compost when transplanting or filling pots and can be filled with water holding material for automatic watering. Greenhouse Shelving is a miniature form of bench which is secured at head height to hold small pot or trays when space or sunlight is restricted. Now-a-days metal benches and shelves as optional extras could be purchased. Similarly collapsible benches enable to grow bedding plants and bulbs at a convenient height in spring and then can be dismantled in summer to grow crops in growing bags.

J. Insulation

The general principle is to put an inner lining of transparent plastic close to the glass even a simple arrangement will cut fuel bills by 20-25 per cent. Tailor made panels are offered by some greenhouse manufacturers, but the usual practice is to attach polythene sheeting to the sides of the green- house with drawing pins, staples or adhesive tapes. Not all experts are enthusiastic about this technique. Another method which gives maximum heat retention and minimum condensation is bubble polythene which has air trapped within it.

K. Propagator

Cuttings need a moist and reasonably warm atmosphere in order to root satisfactorily. Seeds of some important plants, including cucumber and tomato require a temperature of 60-75 degree F in order to germinate properly. A heated propagator is useful for this purpose. A propagator is a plastic or aluminium container with a glass or transparent plastic cover. Propagators heated by electricity are better than the one by paraffin, and it should have a thermostatic control and one or more ventilators at the top of the cover.



L. Thermometer

A maximum/ minimum thermometer is vital. It can be suspended close to the plants, but free circulation of air-should be ensured around the thermometer. It should be close to eye level at the north side of the house.

M. Glazing material

Until recently, glass was the only glazing material, and it still remains the most popular choice. Poly carbonate is now becoming the rising star in the glass substitute world. Then, the 2 and 2.5 rnrn sheet of acrylic has been found to have light transmission properties which are almost equal to glass.

It is not quite as strong as polycarbonate and is less-expensive. Polythene sheeting is the most popular and inexpensive form but main fault as a glazing material is that it can be torn by strong winds and has poor heat retention properties. Flouro-plastic film is the best of the flexible sheeting materials as its light transmission equals glass and its heat transmission is reasonable.

N. Heating equipment

The unheated or cold greenhouse is generally a place for tomatoes and cucumbers in summer, chrysanthemums in autumn and alpines bulbs and hardy house plants such as cacti in winter. If we want to extend this range of plants we do need some form of heater to maintain a minimum temperature of 7o C during the depths of winter. This is the cool green house and is the one which the experts recommend for the ordinary gardner.

A wide choice of fuels is available for heating purposes, nowadays the popular choices are paraffin, natural gas, bottled gas and electricity. Heat source can be a electric fan heater, electric tubular heater, electric convector heater, paraffin heater, gas heater, piped hot water, linked central heating and electric heating cable and each one is useful for a particular size/ type of greenhouse, and also have certain positive and negative points.

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