Why install rainwater tanks for commercial greenhouse irrigation
Commercial greenhouse rainwater systems are designed to give a suitable water supply to greenhouse plants. Greenhouse plants are water greedy – after all, they live in a hot arid environment not unlike a desert, unless you supply the necessary moisture. And it does not matter the size of your greenhouse, harvesting rainwater makes sense. Why not catch it, store it, and use it as needed?
From the small water tanks in the garden to the huge water storage tanks commercial greenhouse use, harvesting rainwater is logical, economical, and environmentally friendly.
3 Reasons to install rainwater tanks for commercial rainwater harvesting systems
Here are three reasons why you should consider harvesting rainwater for irrigating your commercial greenhouse:
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Economic
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Efficient
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Environmental
So, we will look at them in turn.
Economic reasons for commercial greenhouse rainwater harvesting
Glasshouses and polythene tunnels need to have efficient irrigation to maximise crop value as a return on investment. Water is getting scarcer, and the price is going up, the price of water rose by 2% in 2019 – that may not sound a lot, but it is an indication of trends to higher prices to come.
Not only that but we do have periods of dry weather even in the UK, and it is good to be prepared. When you harvest rainwater, you are investing on your future and storing enough to cover periods of water shortage.
Harvesting rainwater can be an effective way to cut your water bill.
Efficient use of your time
Hand watering of commercial crops uses far too much time -and it is exhausting as well. Once a drip feed system is installed together with a system to harvest the rainwater, then you can “set it and forget it”. This is a much more efficient use of that most precious commodity – your time.
Since irrigation is a crucial aspect of greenhouse farming, it is important to get this right. A watering can with a rose is fine for smaller ventures – but hardly viable for bigger concerns.
Hand watering can also benefit from a water butt to catch the rainwater – and we have a collection of them, too. Note that this water may contain pathogens and should not be directly watered onto edible plants, but a drip-feed system is perfect since the water is directed to the roots.
Ecological considerations for commercial greenhouse rainwater harvesting
Water must be one of the planet’s most precious resources – and even in the UK it makes sense to conserve, recycle and reuse water.
Around 60,000 litres of water can be collected from 100 square metres of a greenhouse roof or other surface. So, to work out how much rain you could collect from that area in a year just multiply that by the number of square metres by the average rainfall in mm that fall in the year. You might get a surprise!
View your local rainfall levels here
Which irrigation method is best for the greenhouse?
There are two types of irrigation systems used in greenhouses – overhead systems (which apply irrigation solution to the substrate surface) and subsurface systems (which apply water to the base of the root zone).
Hydroponic irrigation is becoming increasingly important for greenhouse crops. This irrigates through a system of micro-irrigation pipes and tubes and the water reaches the root of the plant directly. Hydroponic irrigation is intended for high precision crops avoiding waterlogging.
Storing the rainwater
Once you have collected the rainwater, what happens to it next? Usually, it will be filtered to remove moss and particles of dust or mud and then stored in the rainwater tanks with a rainwater filter. These can be above ground or below and pumps may be installed to direct the water to where it is needed.
Enduramaxx rainwater harvesting tanks
From small garden water butts to interlinked tanks to give over 90,000 litres of capacity, we can offer you the tank of your choice. Underground, overground, or slimline tanks for where space is limited, our rotationally moulded plastic tanks are durable and robust, and UV stabilised for outdoor use.
Moulded Inlet Pipe Areas
All our rainwater tanks have special moulded flat areas for mounting inlet pipes and overflows. Our rainwater filters, pipework, pump mounting areas, and valves are designed to give many years of use.
Our Popular Rainwater Tanks Sizes – 1,000 Litre | 1,500 Litre | 2,000 Litre | 5,000 Litre | 10,000 Litre | 15,000 Litre | 20,000 Litre | 25,000 Litre | 30,000 Litre
Our slimline tanks can be vertical or horizontally aligned for installations where there are doorways or space restrictions. Natural translucent tanks are also available for storage of fertilisers and dosing of fertilisers and show the level of the liquid in the tank.
You can view our water tanks for Commercial Greenhouse Rainwater Harvesting Systems here but do give us a ring to discuss your needs with our experts on 01778 562810.
