Choosing Greenhouse Accessories

You have finished constructing your new home greenhouse and the time has come to kit it out with all of those wonderful accessories that any devoted gardener would not be without. Aside from the various benches, tools, measuring instruments and other plant support paraphernalia, there are a multitude of greenhouse accessories that are worth considering.

Greenhouse Ventilation Design

Ventilation is an important part of any greenhouse design, especially during the summer when sunlight hours are long and hot. Many designs include glass or plastic louvered shutters that can be manually opened and closed to provide ventilation and airflow within the greenhouse. However, to save you the hassle of having to do it by hand, some clever devices on the market will open and/or close the shutters automatically triggered either by temperature or at preset times using a timer.

Greenhouse Structure Support

Greenhouse structures being what they are mean that they can be susceptible to collapse during stormy weather or under the weight of heavy snow during the winter months. To give additional strength and support, galvanized steel braces are available, that do a similar job to what a metal strap does around a wooden barrel, but shore up the base of your greenhouse instead.

Greenhouse Watering System

Rainwater kits are a great addition to any greenhouse since they make watering the plants a breeze as well as optimizing water usage. These kits are available as small, single nozzles or entire tracks. Some have misting attachments while others have movable heads. 24-hour/365-day electronic timers for hands free automatic watering are an option on some systems.

Greenhouse Shelving Design

Greenhouse shelving is no longer fixed and boring. Instead, shelves have become functioning works of art made from aluminium that can be adjusted to any height that you desire. Others can be re-arranged into different geometrical shapes for attractive displays while making the most of the available space. They come in a range of colors, with plastic liners, wheels and a variety of other options.

Greenhouse Heaters

Various green house heating devices are available in several different styles. Some lamps or toaster-coil types will spot heat a corner while others, such as track systems, can be attached to the roof and heat the whole greenhouse in the winter.

Greenhouse Tools and Instruments

Soil thermometers, salinity gauges, moisture-level testers and phosphor and nitrogen level monitors are just some of the numerous tools and instruments that are available for use in your greenhouse.

Common garden tools are now made of many more materials so if you do not like metal trowels why not go composite one instead. They are stronger than steel and lighter than plastic. Perhaps a shovel that telescopes out five feet or collapses to twelve inches with a three-inch wide mouth is more your style. There is not yet a tool that will automatically get rid of aphids but no doubt somebody will come up with something in the not too distant future.

There is a seemingly endless choice of greenhouse cleaning aids including Mildewcides, calcium carbonate removers, window cleaners and cement floor cleansers to name but a few.

Every kind of book imaginable to help you build your greenhouse, maintain it and care for the plants inside can be had online. If there is a subject you need to know about, finding the information, together with the tools to help you act on it, are just a few mouse clicks away.