Autumn has arrived and we now say goodbye to summer gardening and hello to the ease of Autumn gardening.
Autumn brings more rain and less direct sun exposure, minimising dry heat and creating a great growing atmosphere for our plants. In Autumn growing root vegetables is great for 2 reasons;
- It is the best season to start planting root vegetables
- It provides a great vegetable harvest for winter cooking.
We understand that we do not all have gardens ready or equipped to grow a large harvest of root vegetables. We have a solution to growing root vegetables without having to have a garden at all! We are going to grow the seeds in a greenhouse and once germinated transfer and continue growth in a Holman GreenWall.
A greenhouse is great at creating a comfortable climate for seeds to grow. To irrigate the greenhouse we will attach our misting kit. The fine mist and sunlight creates humidity which is the best atmosphere to rapidly grow seeds. The soil needs to stay hydrated and the misting spray will evenly water the entire greenhouse. The fine mist from the spray encourages good growth and consistent moisture around the developing roots, ensuring no dry stress.
This way of gardening is a small cost to assemble and requires little maintenance, a simple and easy way to grow root vegetables.
What you will need:
- A 2 or 3 tier greenhouse (depending on how many vegetables you are growing)
- Seedling trays
- Seed raising potting mix
- Packet seeds
- Holman misting kit
- Holman misting tap timer
- Cable ties
Step by step:
- Assemble your greenhouse following the instructions in the kit. (Leave the plastic cover off to install the misting kit)
- Fill your seedling pots ¾ full with premium potting mix or a seed raising potting mix
Note: You can add coco peat to your potting mix which is used to hold in moisture, resulting in a better success rate.
- Scatter your seeds across the top of the soil. To keep planting simple we suggest 1 vegetable per tray to avoid confusion.
- Gently compact the seeds into the soil by lightly pressing them down and adding a small layer of potting mix on top. This will secure the seeds into the soil. Ensure that you do not over compact the soil, this will cause problems with germination.
Installing the Holman Misting System
- Remove the misting tube. Unroll the tube and lay out in the sun for approx. 15 minutes. This softens the tube and makes it easier to work with. This step will help with winding the tube around the greenhouse.
- Place the misting tube where you would like your misting tees. We placed the misting elbow at the top of the greenhouse to water tier 1. We then placed 2x misting tees on tier 2 and 3. We placed the tees on the back poles to ensure even watering across the entire tier.
- Connect the misting elbow to the end of the tube. Be careful not to push the tube in too far. You do not want the tube to cover the insert for the misting jet.
- Secure the elbow and tube in place with a cable tie. Cut the remaining end of the cable tie.
- Measure out where you would like your next misting tee. Cut the pipe (we suggest using a Holman pipe cutter) and connect the misting tee. Join the tube to the other end of the tee and secure the tee to the greenhouse with cable ties.
- Repeat step 5 until all tees are in place.
- Place your greenhouse in your desired location. The ideal location is in close distance to a tap and in a position with good sunlight. Good sunlight will keep the greenhouse warm inside which is perfect for germinating seeds.
- Connect the misting filter to the Holman Misting Tap Timer. If you would like the misting system connected to the hose you will need a 12mm hose connector.
- Flush the misting system to clear the tube and remove any dirt or debris that may be present.
- Screw in the misting jets to the tees and elbow.
- Screw in the misting drain valve
- Place the seedling trays onto the tiers.
- Place the plastic cover on the greenhouse. The cover ensures that inside stays humid and warm even during cloudy and cooler days.
Watering
The Misting Tap Timer allows multiple start times per day which is ideal to maintain short sharp bursts of mist to create a high moisture environment for the plants. We suggest a minimum of 3, 20 second bursts a day, 4-5 in hotter conditions. This schedule can be programmed on the Holman Misting Tap Timer.
The humidity in the greenhouse creates rapid growth. Your seeds should germinate within 5 – 10 days. In a few weeks the seedlings can be picked out ready to go into the GreenWall.
