I know, I know, greenhouses again. I know they’re not the most exciting subject but I’ve started so I’ll finish.
There are just a few more considerations and then, although as any greenhouse aficionado will have me know, I’ve barely scratched the surface, that will be that for the time being.
Last week we looked at options regarding heating greenhouses. But heat to a plant is nothing without light. Plants need light in order to photosynthesize and so for some , tomatoes included, if a greenhouse is heated to an acceptable level but the light remained wan and watery as is our country’s winter want then the heat would be wasted.
So for all year round growing as well as heating, additional lighting would be needed.
This can be florescent as long as the tubes hang no more than 60cm away from the plants or mercury based lamps or lights.
Putting depressing thoughts of short days to one side and thinking fondly back to long summer days, another greenhouse consideration is watering.
If in to each life a little rain must fall then that which falls into the life of a greenhouse plant must be delivered by the gardener.
By hand with a watering can, by drip feed to each plant, by capillary matting or from a seep hose if the plants are in the greenhouse border.
And just when you’ve got the water supply right and are about to go and quench your own parched throat – not so fast.
Humidity calls.
In a hot summer you’ll not be the only one wilting, greenhouse plants most certainly will if it’s too dry. You need to do some ‘damping down’.
Think Brut for your Tommies….
Fill the watering can back up again and splash water on the greenhouse floor so it can evaporate up into the dry air.
But remember too much humidity and the plants will rot. Especially come the end of the day when the temperature drops and condensation forms.
Condensation on the hairs of the leaves of tomato plants leads to fungi. So make sure the greenhouse is well ventilated and air is circulating.
And then just be on the look out for those unwelcome greenhouse intruders. Whitefly and Red Spider Mite.
Introduce some guests of your own, Encarsa Formosa and the whitefly will soon learn just whose greenhouse and tomatoes they’ve messed with.
And the nice dry spot, the red spider mite was beginning to call home – make it humid and it’ll soon be putting a call out to that nice Kirstie and Phil for some help in finding somewhere better appointed.
So that’s my gander through the greenhouse…so no stone throwing or ball kicking please !
