There are three essential components that are required for plant growth — light, water and nutrients. In the natural world plants absorb light from the rays of the sun while water and minerals are sucked in by the roots from the soil. But there is no control mechanism here. On a cloudy day the rays of the sun cannot reach the earth and in an arid region the soil is devoid of water and sometimes minerals. Plants are known to die in such conditions. But this never happens inside a greenhouse where every moment of a plant’s growth is controlled, leading to full harvest as per the farmer’s requirement. Controlled greenhouse heating and greenhouse irrigation make this possible.
How is lighting and heating managed inside a greenhouse? Well, one of the options is to use those large lamps that give out a lot of light and heat. This light and heat is then absorbed by the plants inside the greenhouse and this positively affects their growth. There are a lot of control mechanisms that can be used in greenhouse heating. For instance a farmer can completely control how long the bulbs will be on so that the right amount of light and heat are supplied to the plants.
But there is a cost associated with greenhouse heating. Of course, when these powerful lights are kept on they consume a lot of electricity and we all know the cost of using it. There are some very simple ways this cost is managed. A greenhouse by construction is transparent. This means rays of the sun can come inside it as long as they are available. However, with proper controls inside the structure a farmer can ensure that the heat doesn’t go back outside so easily. Using opaque glass and two layered polyethylene sheets as walls the heat can be trapped inside the greenhouse and this means less power consumption.
For greenhouse irrigation the most effective process in use is drip irrigation. Plants inside greenhouses are not allowed to suck in as much water and nutrients from the soil as they feel. The plants are usually put on benches and water and nutrients are passed through pre-made channels. This passage of water and nutrients can be totally controlled and this ensures that the plants absorb only that much as the farmer wants them to.
Drip irrigation is an important form of greenhouse irrigation because the water and nutrients are supplied in a drip format. And the frequency of the drips can be totally controlled. So when the farmer wants the plants to suck in more water and nutrients the frequency is increased and vice versa. This form of irrigation is very common in greenhouses.
As a greenhouse farmer you feel great because you can control the lives of your beloved plants. Know more about greenhouse heating and greenhouse irrigation or ask for expert advice and you will find better ways to make plants grow. At the same time you will be able to save plenty of cost.
With proper greenhouse heating and greenhouse irrigation one can completely control every moment of growth inside a greenhouse.