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Garden Design
Author : Nathaniel Underwood
Submitted : 2011-06-05 Word Count : 580 Popularity: Not Rated
Tags: gardeners in surrey, garden designers in surrey, driveways in surrey, holidays, vacations, resorts, hotels
Any kind of crop which is cultivated using this method gives high yields. Even though some plants can produce more than most others, even then amount of time needed to harvest is still faster compared to the older method that provides a quicker turn around for the farmers.
Problem with the controlled environment is mainly that most of the plants will not get the correct sunlight and also carbon dioxide which helps it to grow. We must aim to provide the plants with water, light, heat and nutrients in the right quantities and at the right time for the plants to thrive. Not only that but we must aim to go one better than nature and to fine tune the greenhouse system to the point where it produces the maximum output for the minimum possible input.
The money we spend on lighting, heating and watering our greenhouse, feeding the plants and treating them for pests and diseases are the inputs. Our own time is another input and one that is often in short supply. Few of us can spend as much time as we would like in the greenhouse.
Outputs are the fruit, vegetables and flowers we harvest from our greenhouse. Somewhat less quantifiable are the physical and psychological benefits we derive from working in the greenhouse. Growing plants is a recognized way to combat stress and depression.
We want to get the most output we can from our greenhouse. Maximizing the crop is not incompatible with the personal benefits because it is a pleasure to be in a greenhouse that is working well.
It will help to think of the overall greenhouse system as a number of interconnected subsystems. When all these systems are working in harmony then the greenhouse as a whole will function effectively.
There are four basic subsystems: water, heat, light and nutrients. Let us look first at water.
Water is important because it carries nutrients to the plants' roots. It is also important to the leaves of the plant which need water to manufacture food. The atmosphere of a greenhouse needs to be moist as well as the growing medium.
Simple manual watering is often not enough when plants are in rapid growth. An automatic watering system is the ideal way of providing the correct amount of water. It can be set on a timer depending on the growing conditions and the stage of the plant's life.
The air in a greenhouse can be kept moist by misting. Automatic misting systems are available. A reservoir of water will also help.
When water is an expensive input because it is metered then rainwater should be collected. A water barrel will store water from the roof of a house and the greenhouse. It can then be pumped into the greenhouse. Small and very reliable pumps are not available for this purpose.
Heating is perhaps the most expensive input and needs to be controlled carefully by a thermostat. There is no point in having a heater on when it is not necessary. You must carefully monitor the temperature in the greenhouse and outdoors.
Insulation is good idea during the winter. This will allow you to reduce your heating bills.
Light is usually plentiful and mostly free. It only becomes an issue in the winter when the day length is short and the sky cloudy. Some artificial lighting may be necessary in a greenhouse.
Author's Resource Box
Re landscapes always has its customers satsifaction as its number one going
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