Greenhouse Staging
The Basics
To those who are unschooled in the art of gardening, the term greenhouse staging may seem vague. Given the concept of a stage, one can easily understand what this part of gardening is all about. A stage is basically an elevated platform where performers get up and gives them the best vantage point. This concept isn’t that alien from what you actually do in a greenhouse.
When talking about staging for greenhouses, you are basically referring to virtually the same technique with plants. Different species of plants have different environmental needs. Some plants need more sunlight, while others need more shade, and still others require certain conditions in order for them to flourish.
Greenhouse staging is a technique where you place certain plants in the spot where they’ll grow their very best. In order to get the most ideal position for your plant in a greenhouse then you will need to use stages. This basically means using tiered and non-tiered benches and similar pieces of equipment in order to create the ideal places for your plants to grow.
Types of Greenhouse Staging:
Aluminum Staging Units
Aluminum staging is the most popular kind of staging equipment. They are preferred over wooden staging since they are significantly lighter and require less maintenance. Since this kind of staging material is light, it is very portable, which makes arranging your greenhouse equipment a lot easier.
Wooden Staging Units
Wood benches are a little less popular than aluminum staging. This kind of staging works well for medium and small greenhouses. Those who prefer this kind of staging usually set them up with lower shelves.
Specially Tailored Units
Other than these two classifications some staging are also tailored for specific greenhouse models. Some staging don’t even have any leg supports since they are attached to the greenhouse itself. There are also staging designs that can be raised or lowered to different heights.
Matted Staging
There are staging units that have capillary benches, which basically have matting that absorbs water. The matting will remain moist thereby allowing plants positioned on them to get a consistent amount of water every time. With the capillary benches installed on this staging unit you don’t have to worry about your plants ever losing water. You can even add fertilizer to the container if you wish.
Fixed or Temporary?
The question is sometimes asked whether temporary or portable staging units are better than fixed or permanent staging equipment. Unfortunately, there is no generic answer to sufficiently address this issue. Whether one chooses one or the other depends on a gardener’s needs. The way one designs his greenhouse also has an effect regarding this decision.
Sometimes it boils down to a question of design versus functionality. Another factor that may affect this decision is the amount of space available in your greenhouse. Permanent staging and portable staging both have their advantages and disadvantages. Those with limited space may opt for temporary staging units. However, others may consider the durability of permanent staging more important than the portability of temporary greenhouse staging.
Picking the Right Greenhouse Staging
The type of staging unit you choose will definitely depend on your needs. Those who need more space can get multi-tiered staging units. Some units even have double tops. Gardeners looking for functionality can get units that have multipurpose trays or units that have storage spaces underneath.
The type of greenhouse staging units you ought to get will depend on your needs, amount of space available and functionality that your greenhouse may require. When selecting staging units, containers and other accessories, all these factors mentioned above will come into play.