The Hydroponic Greenhouse

Greenhouses are used by many traditional gardeners and they also offer a good alternative to the hydroponic gardener as much of the same advantages apply in either setting. Hydroponics is, in fact, especially suited to greenhouses, because light, temperature and airflow are easier to maintain than in some other settings. If they are in a good hydroponic greenhouse fruits and vegetables such as strawberries, peas and many others; thrive – and flowering plants such as orchids are particularly suited to this type of environment.

Proper light control is one of the more challenging aspects of hydroponics because the medium in which the plant grows is obviously kept wet. When the medium is itself water, algae growth can be a problem. In a greenhouse it is easier to keep light from reaching under the surface; in addition to this the amount and angle of the light can be more easily controlled with shutters and shades etc.

Just like their soil based siblings hydroponically grown plants need ample light to grow well. Greenhouses don’t produce more light by themselves; rather they filter and diffuse it which keeps the interior warm and more uniformly lit. Greenhouses protect the plants from the cold exterior while at the same time letting in needed sunshine.

Many northern countries have low temperatures in the winter but several hours of sunshine daily – investing in a translucent polycarbonate greenhouse wall can easily keep a greenhouse at 100F/38C even in winter temperatures of 15F/-9C. It is also easy to install vents with fans which will keep the greenhouse from getting too hot. Temperature control for hydroponically grown plants is just as important, if not than it is for soil-based situations.

Utilizing a greenhouse to ‘keep the benefits and exclude the harm’ gives the hydroponic gardener the best of both worlds. Without a greenhouse the only alternative might be using the inside of the home – and for some people this can be a big disadvantage whereas a greenhouse, among other things, can provide a superior lighting and watering system arrangement. Few homeowners will want to give over a room to high pressure sodium or metal halide lamp fixtures and not everyone will want drip irrigation systems running through the spare room.

With a greenhouse elaborate systems can be placed in the precise position that is best for the plants; which is more convenient for the gardener. Convenience is of particular importance in hydroponics, since light and water amounts are more critical than they are in soil-based gardens. Soil-based gardens tend to be more self-regulating and without the need for special setups – even so it is easier to arrange nutrient feeding systems in a greenhouse. When it comes to hydroponically grown plants this is critical. Given reasonably good soil, plants will simply extract what they need and exclude what they don’t. In a hydroponic setting that has to be arranged by the gardener.

pH control offers the same problem and greenhouses the same solution as it is much easier for the pH to shift in a hydroponic garden. Because water is ever present acidity and alkalinity can change rapidly by large amounts and ions flow more easily in these circumstances. Working in a greenhouse allows the gardener to set up automatic pH control systems to reduce the amount of manual adjustment needed.

Greenhouses can be constructed or purchased ready made and they are an excellent investment for anyone interested in hydroponics.