Portable Greenhouse Hydroponics Maintenance

Let's assume for a moment you have built a portable greenhouse hydroponics system or a greenhouse containing dirt plants. There is now very little to do besides normal maintenance of the hydroponics systems.

If you have not run an extension cord to your greenhouse you may want to do so now. And remember that any source of electricity near a water source should be run through a GFI (Ground Fault Interrupter) to automatically cut power if something should go wrong.

I would recommend you put a thermometer in the portable greenhouse and monitor the heat. It will get extremely hot in there (hopefully you built in some windows) where 110 degrees fahrenheit in the middle of a hot summer day may be your normal greenhouse temperature. Don't let it get any hotter - as you approach 120 degrees the plants will wilt and eventually die. Cool things off by running a fan to move the air.

A running fan will help any plant with pollination but you need to attract insects if possible. Yes, there are 'bad' bugs but there are also good ones who eat the bad ones and any bug will help pollinate your plants. In this case, keep saying 'Bees are good....bees are good...' and don't be afraid of them.

If any tears develop in the greenhouse plastic fix them quickly otherwise a small tear will soon be a big tear. I personally use clear scotch tape for this task.

The other 'extreme' to consider is cold temperatures. Early in the season or late, for that matter, you may get a frost. Don't despair! Just put plastic over any open windows and place 3 or 4 candles on the ground in the portable greenhouse. Put these in a small dish of water and light them all to burn overnight. When I have done this, they added an extra 10 degrees to the interior temperature. And do not worry about the hydroponics nutrient solution freezing because it moves enough to not freeze.

I hope this helps...good luck!


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