Watering Plants in Your Greenhouse

By choosing the right greenhouse watering accessories and by taking a little care when watering, you can easily improve your overall greenhouse success.

Choosing the Right Tools

One of the first things you can do to increase your plant and greenhouse health is reduce splashing. This can be detrimental to your entire greenhouse because it encourages the spread of disease, especially common problems such as soil fungi. However, it is easy to alleviate this problem by always using a gentle stream of water appropriate for the plant you are watering and never put the tip of the hose or wand in the soil (this is another way to spread disease.) Use an especially light watering, such as a mist, for young seedlings which are not yet fully developed and that lack strength. The telescoping water wand is the best way to properly water your plants while allowing you to reach high plants.

Convenience is also very important in greenhouses, where space is often limited. Be sure to use a light-weight hose that can easily be stored in order to avoid extra hassle when watering. The Garden Coil is a great solution.

Adjusting Watering for Your Plants

Each plant in your greenhouse has different water preferences. Many people water their plants a little each day out of fear of excess drying, but this often times causes more harm than good. It is important to realize that some plants prefer to dry out between waterings, as this more closely matches their natural climate. For example, cacti need watered only when they have become nearly completely dry. Other plants, such as most herbs and orchids, will also prefer a few days between waterings, provided that the greenhouse is not excessively hot. As a general rule, do not water your plants until the first couple inches of soil are dry.

The biggest key to proper watering is to water thoroughly. The best way to accomplish this is to give your plants a quick drink, allow the water to soak in a bit, and then repeat with a more thorough watering. Water should just begin to flow out of the bottom of the container, indicating that it has reached all of the roots. Irregular watering (allowing the plants to dry out too much or flooding them) can cause many plant disorders and cause poor fruit production. If you suspect that this is the culprit to a particular problem in your greenhouse, remove any dead or deformed growth and begin a proper watering regimen. The plants should recover in most cases.