Mar 30th, 2009
Why You Need A Greenhouse For Your Hydroponic Garden
If you’re serious about hydroponics, you should consider investing in a greenhouse. Many people start off with some sort of homemade hydroponics setup in their basement or spare room. However, it’s a lot easier to manage all the conditions necessary for a thriving garden if it’s located in a greenhouse. It’s a lot easier to manage lighting conditions, air movement and temperature.
Growing your hydroponic garden indoors just isn’t as ideal as using a greenhouse. A hydroponic greenhouse allows for better lighting and watering system setup. There aren’t too many people who want to let their hydroponic garden take over the house.
You need a lot of room in order to install the irrigation and lighting systems that are needed for hydroponic gardening. With a greenhouse these systems can be placed exactly where you need them. This is important in hydroponics, because regulation of water and light are more essential than in a regular garden.
The major benefit of using a greenhouse for your hydroponic gardening is all about the light. Hydroponically grown plants need lots of light in order to thrive. At the same time, it’s important they don’t get too much direct sunlight since it will lead to excessive algae buildup.
With a greenhouse, natural light is automatically filtered and diffused. By installing shutters or shades, you can also have more control over the amount and angle of the light. Another advantage is that you’ll use less energy because you don’t have to keep grow lights on at all hours.
In addition, your nutrient systems are easier to set up and monitor in a greenhouse. In a hydroponic setting the feeding system is critical to the health of the plants. It’s also much easier for the pH to shift when you’re not using soil. Because water is always present, levels of alkaline and acid can vary dramatically. A greenhouse setup makes it easy to implement a system of automated pH control, so you’re not constantly checking the numbers.
And you don’t have to worry about keeping your plants warm in the winter. Even in cold weather, a well built greenhouse will keep the temperature at an acceptable level without having to turn on the heaters. This is particularly true if you live in a region with cold temperatures but lots of sunshine.
Fans and vents can also be installed that will further help to regulate the temperature inside your greenhouse. In a hydroponic garden, maintaining the optimum temperature is essential.
You can either build your own greenhouse or purchase one ready made. They are available in a range of models and sizes. Some of them can even be added to if you find you need more room down the road. Maybe it’s time you switched to a hydroponics greenhouse.
