Mother's Mini-Manual: Greenhouse Gardening

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COOLING¹

Adequate ventilation provides some cooling for the greenhouse, though generally not enough for profitable, comfortable gardening. Additional cooling is helpful during hot weather.

SHADING¹

The temperature inside the greenhouse can be reduced by a good shading system. The greenhouse gardener will find this most advantageous in his operational program. Shading, coupled with moisture from wet soil or from a humidifier, will sometimes lower temperatures as much as 15°. Shading has little effect, if any, on plant growth, because summer sunlight is generally in excess of its requirements.

Slat, roll-up shades installed on the outside of the greenhouse provide cooling of the inside temperature. An evaporative cooling system installed outside the greenhouse adds to temperature reduction by pulling in fresh air through wet pads.

Shading can be provided by painting or spraying specially formulated compounds on the glass: either a concentrated material that only needs water added for immediate application, or a powder, ready to mix with water and use immediately. Generally, the shading materials can be removed with a brush or hose, yet they remain on through a rain.

WATERING³

HOW TO TELL WHEN YOUR PLANTS NEED WATERING:

One way to tell if a plant needs watering is to touch or press the soil with your fingertip. If the soil feels moist, it's okay. Or if soil particles stick to your finger, chances are the plant doesn't need watering. Experienced gardeners can tell at a glance if the soil is moist or dry, but the touch or press method is more reliable. Some use the done-cake test: insert a toothpick into the soil; if it comes out clean, better give the plant some water. Commercial growers use the listen test: thump the side of the pot with your knuckles or the end of a hose or a stick; a dull sound means soil is moist, but a hollow ring or a "non-dull" sound means there's need for watering. Experience will tell you when or when not to water.

WATERING TIPS: Commercial people tell you that the person who waters the plants determines the profits. Watering is just that important. So, in summation, here are a few tips on watering which we've picked up over the years in our own greenhouses:

1. Try to avoid watering on dull, snowy, rainy or cloudy days. If you must apply water during such days, apply it in early morning so leaves can dry by night. Never water in the evening.

2. Don't syringe the foliage of hairy or leafy crops. Hard-surfaced plants can be syringed in the morning without harm.

3. If your source of water is like ice water, watch out. Many fussy plants prefer room temperature water; you may have to use a tempering tank if your water is too cold.

4. Don't overwater plants at any one time. Also do not leave them too dry so that they wilt like a dish rag. Severe wilting is as bad for plants as overwatering.

5. When you water, apply enough so it will run freely out of the bottom of the bench or tub, but do not let water stand in the bottom so that roots become waterlogged and rot.

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