Greenhouse irrigation enables gardeners to maintain larger portions of a greenhouse than they would with hand watering. Spray and drip irrigation are the preferred methods although drip irrigation is more popular. The greenhouse needs to be measured before adding various irrigation lines between planted rows. Attach irrigation tubing to mainline tubing after creating holes and use a valve or adaptor plug. Thread the head assembly to the main faucet before turning on the water slowly.
Spray irrigation is best used on greenhouses with potted plants whereas drip irrigation should be used for in-ground greenhouses. Drip irrigation seems to be the preferred option for greenhouse owners because it is easier to install. Drip irrigation is also more efficient than its spray counterpart because it can be modified to include a greater number of plants. There is also a lower evaporation rate with drip irrigation.
Measure the length of irrigation needed. Every planted row requires an irrigation tube the length of the greenhouse. For successful greenhouse irrigation where the planted rows are far apart, it may be necessary to insert several tubes about 12 inches (30 cm) apart.
In order to attach greenhouse irrigation tubing to mainline tubing, an adaptor plug is required. Valve plugs may be a better option if the greenhouse owner wishes to control the amount of water that reaches each individual row. This is because a valve plug can be turned on and off at the end of each row.
The next step is to measure the width of the greenhouse as well as the distance between the greenhouse and water tap. It is essential to use non-perforated tubing for the process of bringing water to the greenhouse. Failure to do this will result in water dripping onto the floor along the way. This tubing must be big enough to supply every irrigation line with sufficient water.
The greenhouse irrigation tubing must then be connected to the mainline tubing. This is accomplished by creating holes in the mainline tubing to fit in the irrigation lines. The valve or adaptor plugs then need to be threaded into the mainline tubing. The irrigation lines should be placed over the ends of these plugs. The end caps need to be placed on the ends of the irrigation lines to ensure enough pressure is created to force the water out of the holes.
The mainline tubing must be attached to the head assembly after this assembly has been threaded onto the main faucet. Turn on the faucet slowly because too much water will damage the irrigation lines. Greenhouse irrigation does not require much water. If the water is spraying out of the holes, excessive pressure has been applied.