Using a Greenhouse for Year Round Hydroponic Gardening

A greenhouse is a great thing both for hydroponic gardeners as well as those who grow in soil. A greenhouse has the same advantages for either, generally speaking. For hydroponic gardening, a greenhouse is perfect to allow control over airflow, temperature, and light.

Welsh onions, peas, strawberries, plus other plants grow quite well in a hydroponic greenhouse. Orchids and other flowers will thrive well inside a greenhouse garden.

One of the biggest issues hydroponic gardeners face is how they can manipulate the light for best results. Growth of algae can become a problem since the plant is in water instead of soil. To solve this, you can control how much light reaches the water, something that is simple to do in a greenhouse.

Obviously, just like plants which are grown in soil, plants grown hydroponically also need plenty of light. You will not get more light in a greenhouse than you would outdoors. Inside the greenhouse, the air is warmer and the light is distributed more evenly due to the light being diffused and filtered. The plants are protected from cold weather, but given ample sun.

Northern climates in winter will have low temperatures of course, but they do get several hours of full sun per day. Regardless of the outside temperatures and even at 15 degrees Fahrenheit, the wall of a greenhouse (made of translucent polycarbonate) is able to keep its interior's temperatures at 100 degrees Fahrenheit.

You can install vents and fans to keep the inside of your greenhouse from getting too hot; hydroponically grown plants do need a consistent temperature, just as soil grown plants do.

Using a greenhouse opens up many opportunities to make the best of your garden. If you don't have a greenhouse, then your only choice may be inside your home – something which is not a possibility for everyone.

Growing plants in the home inhibits the ability to create sufficient light and watering systems for them. Not many homeowners have the space to have high pressure sodium lights or LED grow light panels installed for their vegetables, or the option of running irrigation systems through their guestrooms!

With a greenhouse, the systems can be moved where they are best for the plants, making gardening easier for you. Proper controll of water and light is critical to the success of hydroponic gardens, more important than for soil gardening that is naturally self-regulating.

It is also easier to set up a feeding system in a greenhouse, something which is very important for hydroponically grown plants. With good soil, plants can gain most of the nutrients they need easily. However, a gardener must arrange for all nutrients to be delivered properly when gardening hydroponically.

pH levels are also something to be considered. The pH can shift much more easily in a hydroponic setting. When growing in water, acid and alkaline levels can shift rapidly. It is easier to set up pH controls with a hydroponic garden.

You can buy a greenhouse pre-built or you can make one of your own. These are a great investment for anyone interested in indoor hydroponic gardening. There are a variety of sizes, with modules that allow it to expand as your garden does.