Greenhouse Management For The Home Grower
Growing in a home greenhouse and in general greenhouse gardening is a lot more fun now than it was 50 years ago. Since then there have been many drastic changes in greenhouse management.
It is a lot easier now to keep the greenhouse free from insect plant pests, thanks to the development of new insecticides both chemical and natural along with IMP – Integrated Pest Management.
Back in the 1950′s aerosol bombs provided a very efficient way of distributing insecticides in very fine droplets. Aerosol bombs were prepared by dissolving the insecticide in a liquid that had a low boiling point, such as methyl chloride or freon 12, and sealing the liquid under pressure in metal cylinders. When the cylinder valve is opened, the mixture was ejected as a fine spray; the propellant vaporizes almost immediately leaving the less-volatile insecticide suspended in air as tiny particles which then fall on the leaves and the insects.
Aerosol bombs were far more convenient and economical than are the ordinary spray or dust forms of insecticides. Commercial growers found that better results were obtained if leaks in the greenhouse are eliminated and the application was made when little or no draft or wind was blowing.
Whenever there is a choice. I would prefer to use the emulsifiable solution rather than the wettable powder. The former leaves far less visible residue on the plants and is a more efficient insecticide than the wettable powder. However, to some greenhouse plants emulsifiable solutions are toxic.
Some spray materials are more efficient if a wetting agent is added. For the home grower liquid household detergents can be used. Only a very tiny amount of detergent need be added to the water before the insecticide or fungicide is mixed in.
An systemic insecticide applied to the soil will control many insects and mites which infest African-violets, cyclamen, delphinium and foliage plants. Enough water should be added to assure good distribution of the insecticide in the soil. Gadgets used to proportion and apply liquid fertilizers can also be used to apply systemic insecticides. Remember that chemicals must be handled with great care; also, soils to which these materials are applied cannot be used for vegetable production.
Now we know that proper use of water in the greenhouse will reduce the amount of disease. For example, excessive or careless watering of such plants as African-violets, primulas and begonias will promote leaf and stem decay. Overdoses of water, especially on heavier soils, will also increase the possibility of root and stem rots caused by the pythium, phytophthora and sclerotinia fungi.
Leaf infections by fungi can be largely prevented by carefully applying water to the soil and not to the leaves. Most fungus and bacterial spores must stand in free water for several hours before they can germinate and cause infection.
One important exception to this rule is the powdery mildew fungus, a serious problem to roses, African-violets, begonias, verbenas, calendulas, phlox and snapdragons. This fungus does not infect leaves when free, liquid water is present. As a matter of fact, mildew infections are more prevalent on plants growing near doors or broken or leaky windows where there is a draft and evaporation is rapid.
Botrytis fungus becomes troublesome in dark humid weather. On begonias it causes stem rot: on cyclamen it affects the leaves; on geraniums, lilies, bougainvilleas and snapdragons it affects both leaves and flowers.
An old-fashioned but still fairly effective way to keep botrytis infection to a minimum is to practice sanitation. Infected flowers and leaves should he removed as soon as noticed, and burned or carted out of the greenhouse. They should never be thrown beneath the bench or into any container in the greenhouse. Reducing the humidity by control of heat and ventilation, increasing air circulation and avoiding the splashing of water all help to reduce botrytis infection. Where the botrytis problem is serious, occasional spraying with zineb or captan will also help.Soil-borne diseases are more difficult to control.
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Dealing with Aphids in Your Greenhouse
As summer closes and fall settles in, you may notice insect pests are settling in your greenhouse, too. Vegetation in your greenhouse provides an appetizing alternative to the outside garden. Aphids are a common greenhouse problem, and not the easiest to combat.
The first step in dealing with aphids in your garden greenhouse is to make sure you carefully monitor plants you choose to transplant into your greenhouse. Plants selected for your greenhouse should be healthy and vigorous. In addition, you should spray them down with your garden hose to knock off any hitchhikers. If the plant has an obvious insect infestation, do not bring it into your greenhouse without more drastic measures. You can spray it with an insect control spray, or enclose it with a plastic bag in which you place an insecticide strip for two or three days. After taking your plants out of the treatment bag, hose them down before transplanting them to your greenhouse.
Sometimes aphids can become established no matter how careful you are in your preparations and preventative tactics. In this case, there are several alternative paths you can take. If you are a purist and do not want to use insecticides in our greenhouse environment, you have a couple options. Hosing down infected plants with a powerful stream from your garden hose can be effective for a while. If you plan on closing down your greenhouse soon, this may be the best option. Some hobby greenhouse gardeners choose to shut their greenhouse down for anywhere from 2-4 months in the winter allowing Mother Nature to take over and freeze out insect pests. If you want a little more aggressive natural control, diatomaceous earth is effective. You can sprinkle this powder on and under leaves of effected plants. If you catch the problem early and have isolated insects in one part of your greenhouse, this can be an effective control.
More aggressive tactics-Using a fast acting insecticide that is safe for use on vegetable gardens is another way to control your aphid problem. There are several varieties out there that are “garden safe.” Check your local garden center or hardware store for alternatives. Most of these involve an organic insecticidal soap that takes care of aphids, or at least significantly reduces their number. You can also make your own version of this by mixing a tablespoon of liquid dish detergent with water in a quart sprayer. The soap coats the aphids and reduces their numbers. You have to spray every day for best results, paying particular attention to the underside of leaves of infected plants.
Another alternative to aphid control are biological controls, such as lacewings, ladybugs and midges. Several companies provide these predators for your greenhouses. If using this approach, be sure to limit your use of insecticidal spray, as it will kill off your predator population, as well as your pests.
Using a combination of the above controls, you can keep your greenhouse healthy and productive throughout the fall and winter greenhouse growing seasons.
Betsy Woodworth writes about greenhouse and also about setting up a greenhouse.
9 Indoor Hydroponics Gardening Advantages!
Have you ever thought about getting into indoor hydroponics gardening as a hobby or way to make extra money?
Below is a list of advantages of indoor hydroponics gardening when compared to traditional soil based gardening:
1. After your initial set up costs, maintenance and running costs are around 20% lower than the usual methods.
2. You can fit more plants into a smaller area with indoor hydroponics gardening. This is despite your actual plants being larger, the roots are smaller as they don’t need to expand to find nutrients.
3. Maintenance time is greatly reduced! There is no weeding involved and no need to water hydroponic plants. All you need to do is pick your plants when they are ready!
4. The yield is year round! This is because you will have manipulated the growing conditions to be optimum for whatever you’re growing! This is great for off season periods as you could sell them for higher prices.
5. You can grow them anywhere; attic, rooftop, window ledge, garden, greenhouse, garage or bedroom.
6. Indoor hydroponics gardening will result in plants around 40% larger! This is because they are living in their dream conditions and have access to all the nutrients they need.
7. A common mistake made by many novice gardeners is under or over watering! As you don’t water hydroponic plants, this problem is eliminated!
8. Due to the reasons listed above, your plants will grow up to 50% faster too! This is great for feeding large families and for making profit!
9. As you don’t need a garden for hydroponics, you’ll be at no disadvantage if you live in the city in a crowded apartment block. Ditto if you live in the desert, the arctic or outer space!
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