Greenhouse watering: drip kits, timers and capillary matting
Plants in pots and growbags dry out quickly under glass. In a hot spell a tomato plant can need watering every day. A drip kit on a tap timer waters every plant at the roots, and capillary matting on the staging lets pots draw up water from below. Either way you can go away for a week in summer.
MIXC drip irrigation kit, 68 m
Large kit with tubing and drippers for a full greenhouse
£34 at Amazon · 4.1 stars (6,362)
Hozelock Sensor Controller Plus
Tap timer from a well-known UK brand
£53 at Amazon · 4.2 stars (1,163)
Capillary matting 0.6 m x 2 m
Waters pots from below on the staging, no power needed
£15 at Amazon · 4.5 stars (375)
SoulBay solar drip system
Solar pump for greenhouses without a tap or socket
£29 at Amazon · 4.4 stars (361)
Prices and ratings from Amazon.co.uk when we checked. Affiliate links. We have not tested these ourselves.
What to look for
- Water at the base, not over the leaves. Wet leaves in a warm greenhouse invite mould and mildew.
- Run a timer early in the morning. Plants then have water before the hottest part of the day.
- Irregular watering causes blossom end rot and split fruit on tomatoes, so steady watering pays off.
- Without a tap nearby, a solar pump can feed a drip kit from a water butt.