Greenhouse Irrigation And Shelving

When it involves your greenhouse, there are a variety of approaches that ought to be looked into like greenhouse irrigation and shelving ideas. By planning well in advance, you can ensure that you get off to a successful start, increasing your chances of growing and harvesting fruits and vegetables this season.

In this article, we will be discussing how you can go about setting up a successful greenhouse irrigation system. More so, we will mention a few shelving ideas that should definitely be considered.

Different Greenhouse Irrigation Systems

If you are looking to install a greenhouse irrigation system, there are a number of different options to choose from. From automated to manual systems, you will need to look for an option that best suits your needs and wants.

If you have a smaller greenhouse, it is highly recommended that you invest in an easy-to-install system. As we will discuss below, the drip irrigation system is a great option for smaller greenhouses that contain fewer plants. This system is easy to design and can be built at home. More so, it is inexpensive and incredibly effective.

However, if you have a larger greenhouse, you will need to look into more complex systems that will be able to water a larger area. There are also a number of options to choose from in this case, including overhead sprinkler systems.

How To Set Up A Greenhouse Irrigation System

When it comes to greenhouse irrigation systems, the drip approach is by far the most popular and commonly used. If you are tired of watering your plants by hand, you should definitely consider installing this efficient and effective system.

Watering systems will save you plenty of time and energy. On top of this, they often conserve water. While there are pre-built irrigation systems that can simply be bought and installed, you can also go about building one yourself. This process, if done correctly, can be simple, easy, and affordable.

Drip Irrigation

In short, the drip irrigation system works by having a long pipe (like a watering hose) running overhead your rows of plants in the greenhouse. This pipe will have small holes at regular intervals, allowing water to drip onto the plants below.

When compared to the two alternative options mentioned below, the drip irrigation system is by far the most effective and efficient. It is also much easier when compared to other options when it comes to setting up the system.

As we have already mentioned, the drip irrigation system is best suited for smaller greenhouses that do not contain too many plants. The system is incredibly easy and inexpensive to design from home, making it a great choice for any greenhouse owner.

Misting

Misting is another method that farmers often use in order to keep their plants as moist as possible. While this process can certainly be used to keep your plants luscious and healthy, it is essential to note that the humidity will have to be turned way up in order to dampen the actual soil of the plants. If this is done, everything in the greenhouse is also likely to get soaked.

Misting is a better option for gardeners who own larger greenhouses. More so, misting promotes the germination of seedlings, making it a stand-out choice if your plants need regular watering.

This system only releases a small amount of water at a time. For this reason, if you have this unit installed, you may need to mist your plants regularly. Some misting systems even come with built-in timers that can be set to automatically go off when your plants need to be watered.

Overhead Sprinklers

Another popular option that many greenhouse owners use is the overhead sprinkler system. However, this may be overkill, especially if you have a smaller greenhouse with fewer plants. If you do not have the overhead sprinkler system connected to a rain catcher, you will use a lot of water. For this reason, the overhead sprinkler system is quite expensive to maintain.

Soaker Hoses

This irrigation system is very similar to drip irrigation. However, instead of watering your plants from above, you will make use of an underground tube to soak the soil of the plants. It is important to note that the tubes used for this type of irrigation do not have emitters. Instead, the tubing is made out of a porous material that constantly releases small amounts of water into the soil.

This is an incredibly effective way in which to water your plants. Not only is the system cost-friendly, but it is also very easy to set up. More so, you will save money on water usage every month, as there is no water wastage.

However, unlike with a few of the other systems mentioned on our list, you will not be able to adjust the amount of water delivered to certain areas with this system. With that being said, this system will work well for plants in raised beds. If you store your plants in individual pots, you may want to consider alternative options.

Off-Grid Irrigation Systems

If you would like to save money on electricity, it is highly recommended that you look to install an off-grid irrigation system. Each of the options mentioned above can work without the use of electricity.

Solar-powered irrigation systems are becoming more and more popular. By installing one of these units, your greenhouse will become completely self-sufficient. If you would like to take it to the next step, you could even attach a rain catcher to the irrigation system. This will drastically reduce the overall cost of owning and maintaining your greenhouse.

Before You Build Your Irrigation System

There are a few things to consider before you begin building your drip irrigation system.

For starters, you will need to ensure that the pieces you are buying fit together. In order to do this, you should check both the diameter and threading size of the water spigot, tubing-to-spigot adaptor, and tubing end cap.

It is also highly recommended that you purchase more tubing than necessary. When it comes to building your irrigation system, it’s always better to have more than not enough.

Building Your Drip Irrigation System

Here is the process you need to follow to build your own greenhouse drip irrigation system

What You Will Need

In order to build your drip irrigation system, you will need to following materials:

• Plastic tubing
• A tubing adaptor – This will be used to connect the tubing to the spigot
• Wire mesh hose filter – This filters out any debris before it enters the hose
• Heavy-duty zip ties
• Tubing end cap – This stops up the free end of the tubing
• A tube cutting tool – Ensure that this tool is large enough to cut the chosen tubing
• Hole-punch tool

The Building Process

Now that you have all the materials, you can get to building. The first step would be to connect your water source. Place your mesh filter onto the spigot and then screw on your tubing adaptor. You can then go about attaching the plastic tubing.

Starting at the spigot, run the tubing from the spigot to your plants. Make use of zip ties in order to secure the tubing in place. You may want to install additional shelving in order to make it easier to meander the tubing around the greenhouse.

Once the tubing is installed, you will need to close the system. Press the tubing end cap into the opening at the end of the water supply tubing.

You will now have to poke a hole in the tubing wherever it overlaps with soil. If you would like to get more precise when it comes to watering your plants, you could invest in a drip nozzle. This will control the amount of water that drips onto your plants and the soil.

It is important to note that the water should be turned on slowly wherever you go about watering your plants. This is done in order to avoid flooding the hose. You should also experiment with the water pressure to find that perfect flow.

 

How To Build Shelves For Your Greenhouse

When it comes to improving the effectiveness and efficiency of your greenhouse, shelving is absolutely essential. This feature will optimize the amount of storage space within your greenhouse. More so, the shelves can be used to direct the tubing used in your irrigation system.

There are various steps to follow when it comes to installing shelving in your greenhouse.

The Material

It is highly recommended that you consider a metal material for your greenhouse shelving. This will ensure that the shelves do not become warped by moisture in the air. More so, it is easier to maneuver a sturdy metal material.

Buying Greenhouse Shelves

It is important to note that you can simply purchase shelving from any local hardware. This reduces the amount of work that you will have to put in. However, you will have to pay more for this shelving.

Building Your Shelves

If you would prefer to build your own shelving, all you would need to do is invest in the necessary material and shelving brackets. Installing shelving is incredibly easy, meaning that just about anybody can do it. Simply decide where you want the shelves to be located and use strong screws to drill the brackets into the greenhouse walls.

Finding The Perfect Place

You should install your shelving in areas that are the most convenient. If these shelves are going to be used to hold plants, they should be placed in a location that receives plenty of sunlight.

Benefits Of Greenhouse Shelving

There are a number of benefits that come with using greenhouse shelving. The shelving will:

• Provide your plants with a steady environment to grow
• Make it easy to keep your plants organized
• Allow for good air distribution and water drainage
• Allow for better space utilization and organization
• Provide much more storage space

Shelving Ideas For Any Greenhouse

When it comes to shelving in a greenhouse, the walls of the structure often provide built-in framing. This makes the entire process of installing shelves incredibly easy.

Whether you have a full-sized outdoor greenhouse or a smaller indoor one, it is essential that you find creative ways in which to optimize space. Shelving provides greenhouse owners with a convenient and useful space that can be used to store seeds, tools, plants, and pots.

When it comes to shelving, you can get creative. Below, we will discuss a few brilliant shelving ideas that every greenhouse owner should consider.

Use Aluminum Shelves

As we have already mentioned, it is highly recommended that you invest in metal shelving for your greenhouse. Not only will these shelves last much longer, as metal is far more durable than wood or plastic, but they will also be incredibly easy to clean. Aluminum is also a relatively cheap material, making it a great choice for any greenhouse owner.

Make A Greenhouse Bench

Instead of installing shelves, you could also invest in or make a greenhouse bench. Most benches feature one or more shelves, providing you with even more space than regular shelving. However, it is important to note that benches do also take up ground space.

Add Organizational Trays To Your Shelves

If you want to get the most out of your greenhouse shelves, try adding some organizational trays as this will make it much easier to separate your plants and keep things organized and efficient.

Final Thoughts

If you have a greenhouse, it is absolutely essential that you invest in a reliable irrigation system that will make the watering process much easier and more efficient. There is plenty of great greenhouse irrigation and shelving ideas and options to choose from, including drip irrigation, misting, soaker hoses, and overhead sprinkler systems.

To make your greenhouse more effective, you could also invest in or build your own shelving units. This will make it much easier to keep your greenhouse organized. More so, shelving optimizes the use of space within your greenhouse.