By Umar Nsubuga
Experts always advise farmers that water is essential to greenhouse farming.
Henry Sekyewa, an agronomist says farmers need to have a reliable water supply because after transplanting, they start irrigating their plants the following day.
He advises farmers to irrigate the crops thrice daily (morning, noon and evening) for 15-25 minutes, depending on the weather.
He says piped and underground water are the safest for irrigation, this is because rainwater may have encountered air pollution. Likewise, swamp, lake and river waters go through different farms that may have bacteria.
Planting
Harriet Kibuuka who owns a greenhouse says nursery beds for greenhouses should not be planted like those for open farms.
“They should be planted inside a greenhouse to enable them to acclimatise,” she explains.
According to Kibuuka, farmers should use wooden or plastic pallets or any other material.
She says they should use coco peat instead of soil because the soil may have bacteria that cause diseases to the plants.
Within 21 days, the seedlings are ready for transplanting. They can also be transplanted to open-space gardens.
