Beat the Summer Heat: Smart Irrigation Upgrades for Greenhouses and Nurseries
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Beat the Summer Heat: Smart Irrigation Upgrades for Greenhouses and Nurseries
Summer heat in a greenhouse or nursery can quickly turn from an ideal growing environment into a stressful situation for both plants and operators. With temperatures climbing, watering frequency naturally increases. In late spring and summer, greenhouse operators often find themselves watering every day, or even multiple times a day . However, applying more water isn't always the right answer. The goal is applying water efficiently.
Whether you are dealing with low interception efficiency from overhead sprinklers or trying to automate your watering schedule, upgrading your irrigation system is the smartest move you can make this season. At ASIW Supply, we provide contractors and growers with wholesale pricing on the industry's best equipment. Even better, we offer free shipping on all orders.
Let's break down the common challenges greenhouse and nursery operators face in the summer and the specific product upgrades that can solve them.
Challenge 1: Wasting Water with Inefficient Overhead Systems
A major issue in nursery management is low interception efficiency. This occurs when overhead sprinklers spray water over a large area, but only a fraction of that water actually lands inside the plant containers. When plants are spaced out to allow for growth, interception efficiency can drop as low as 20% . That means 80% of the water you are pumping is hitting the ground, wasting money and creating muddy, hazardous conditions.
Furthermore, if your system is operating at the wrong pressure, or if you mix different brands of sprinklers in the same block, your distribution uniformity will suffer . Some plants will be flooded, while others dry out.
The Upgrade: Targeted Drip Irrigation
The most effective way to solve interception efficiency is to deliver water directly to the soil of each individual container. Switching to a drip irrigation system eliminates the waste associated with overhead spraying.
For nurseries and greenhouses, we highly recommend Netafim Pressure Compensating Emitters. These emitters ensure that every plant gets the exact same amount of water, regardless of where they are located on the irrigation line. If you are using ½-inch poly tubing, pressure compensating emitters are essential to prevent the plants at the end of the line from drying out.
Top Drip Products at ASIW Supply:
•Netafim 5" Netbow Outlet Drip Irrigation Ring (Perfect for larger nursery pots)
Challenge 2: Heat Stress and Humidity Control
While drip irrigation is excellent for targeted watering, it doesn't help cool the ambient air temperature inside a greenhouse. When temperatures spike, plants can suffer from heat stress, halting growth and reducing yield.
The Upgrade: Overhead Misting and Fogging
To combat extreme heat, evaporative cooling is a highly effective method. By introducing a fine mist or fog into the air, the water droplets evaporate, pulling heat from the environment and lowering the temperature .
If you are using an overhead system for cooling or for watering tightly packed propagation trays, it is crucial to use high-quality, low-pressure emitters that create gentle droplets. High-pressure systems can damage delicate foliage and waste energy.
Top Overhead Solutions at ASIW Supply:
Challenge 3: Manual Watering Takes Too Much Time
Labor is one of the biggest expenses for any nursery or greenhouse. If your staff is spending hours manually turning valves on and off, or hand-watering individual blocks, you are losing money. Furthermore, manual watering often leads to human error—overwatering one section while forgetting another.
The Upgrade: Automation and Smart Controllers
Automating your irrigation system allows you to schedule precise watering events. By breaking your greenhouse into multiple irrigation zones and using a controller, you can water deeply and less frequently, which encourages stronger root development .
Top Automation Products at ASIW Supply:
Build Your System with the Right Infrastructure
An irrigation system is only as strong as its plumbing. When upgrading your greenhouse or nursery, don't overlook the pipes, valves, and fittings that hold it all together. Using undersized pipes can cause massive pressure loss, leading to poor sprinkler performance .
At ASIW Supply, we stock everything you need to build a robust system from the ground up, including custom-cut PVC pipe so you only pay for what you need.
Essential Infrastructure Components:
Why Shop with ASIW Supply?
Upgrading a commercial greenhouse or nursery requires a significant amount of material. At ASIW Supply, we are dedicated to providing growers with the best wholesale prices on top-tier brands like Netafim, Hunter, and Maxijet.
Whether you need a few replacement emitters or hundreds of feet of PVC pipe, we offer free shipping on all orders.
Ready to beat the heat and improve your watering efficiency? Shop all products at ASIW Supply today or apply for a wholesale account to unlock exclusive pricing.