Best greenhouse irrigation method

Hello everybody, my name is Marco and I am very happy to be part of this gardeners community.

I am ready to build my greenhouse, but I am still thinking about the most suitable irrigation method to use. The greenhouse is very small, about 2.5x2.5 meters and 2meters high and will serve the purpose of growing flowers and other ornamental plants from seeds in a safe enviroment where temperature and water are optimal for their growth.

I read a lot of articles about irrigation methods that are used in greenhouses, but I am not sure about which one is most suitable for me; the most popular method seems to be drip irrigation, but I am not sure about using it, I am worried about the amount of water actually used by plants and the amount of water wasted (and dangerous because keeps soil moisture level too high). Not so frequent is the use of a fog system that irrorates plant from the ceiling to the ground, this one seems to be better (less water used).

What do you suggest?What are you using in yours?

Do you use a timer or other sorts of controllers?

Any suggestion will be welcome.Thank you very much.

Hello Marco,

If you're growing different varieties of plants in your greenhouse, you'll need to treat them differently as they'll all have individual needs. If your greenhouse is 2.5 x 2.5 metres, it won't take you long to check each variety and make sure it's getting what it needs. Often a watering can is the best tool as you can deliver exactly the right amount with it. If you're sowing seeds you'll have to be extra careful about watering as seeds can easily rot if the soil is too moist. Fogging is great for situations where you want high humidity i.e. if you're growing plants from humid places, or you have taken cuttings and they haven't rooted yet. However it won't deliver much water to the roots of the plants where they need it most.

Read our guidance on watering, which mentions micro-drip systems. An irrigation system is very useful for when you're away, but if you're on site then the best thing you can do is to assess the plants' needs daily, as the weather changes and water them as needed.

Enjoy your new greenhouse, it sounds lovely,

Emma

gardenersworld.com team

Hi Marco

I use a micro drip system for my summer baskets and pots, and have recently tried extending it into my greenhouse. I found that the poor quality of manufacture of the drippers resulted in a huge variance in the amount of water being delivered. This isn't such a problem outside as you can leave the water running for as long as necessary and any surplus runs away, but in the greenhouse it resulted in some staging becoming flooded. My aim is to find good quality drippers which will deliver a constant, controllable supply. If anyone can help here I would also be interested.