Greenhouse construction in Kenya has been a lucrative business though many farmers make minor mistakes which can be corrected
Over the last couple of years, the world has been facing
a global food
crisis, and Kenya is no exception. The food insecurity in Kenya has
been accelerated by drought and famine. That notwithstanding, the climate has
changed drastically, and it’s mainly characterized by dry seasons. Such
situations lead to most farmers suffering because of poor soil nutrition and
water shortages, which are poor conditions for food production. As a result,
farmers are now looking towards greenhouse construction in Kenya to
allow them to grow crops during both wet and dry seasons.
Importance of Greenhouse on food security
Greenhouses have proven an effective alternative to increase
productivity for both small scale and large scale farmers. Besides, greenhouses
can help improve their livelihoods and promote food security in Kenya. Farmers
can construct either plastic-covered or permanent glass greenhouses that create
a suitable environment for growing healthy crops all year round. The growth of
crops in these structures is promoted by good irrigation systems, plus the
temperature is mechanically controlled.
The benefits of growing plants in a greenhouse
Over time, farmers have come to realize that there are
plenty of benefits of growing plants in a greenhouse, especially with the
uncertainty in climate change lately. However, before you carry out your greenhouse
construction in Kenya, you have to conduct adequate research to ensure that
you will reap some of the following benefits.
- A
greenhouse delivers an extended growing season
- There
are consistency and reliability in food production
- You
can plant a variety of crops in a greenhouse
- It
allows you to control the growth environment, humidity levels, and soil
easily
- A
greenhouse makes it easy for you to control insect and animal infestation
Decide whether you need to buy or build a greenhouse
in Kenya
When you set your mind to do greenhouse farming, you need to
consider if a building or buying a structure is the right way to go. But first,
you need to consider where you wish to place your greenhouse to establish if
you have adequate space to grow the crop that you want.
However, before you come to the decision of whether to buy
or carry out greenhouse construction in Kenya, you have to ask
yourself a couple of things. First, you need the type and variety of plants
that you wish to grow in your greenhouse and the space that they will require.
Additionally, you need to consider if you have a tree nearby that can provide
shade and if it sheds its leaves during certain seasons.
You also need to consider the material to use in the
construction; particularly, the foundation. Moreover, you need to asses if the
soil in the space that you have has good drainage or whether you need to come
up with a water recycling system. That notwithstanding, you need to know if the
area where you would like to set up your greenhouse has adequate water and if
there is electrical connectivity within the area.
Most importantly, you need to consider your budget, and then
decide which option works best for you. Building or buying? Apart from the
cost, you need to know that greenhouses need to be constructed in a particular
way to ensure that your crops will grow as expected. You have to position your
greenhouse where it will receive optimal sunlight exposure during the day. It
is recommended that greenhouses receive about 6 hours of sunlight every day.
Decide whether you need to buy or build a greenhouse
in Kenya continuation
Apart from the natural light from the sun, you must also
install energy-efficient lights when it comes to greenhouse
construction in Kenya. Before you decide between buying and building your
greenhouse, you must also consider the design of the greenhouse. Do you want an
all-in-one structure, or do you want a greenhouse that features your own
design? If it is the latter, then you’re better off building your own
structure. You can also customize it to suit your specific requirements.
However, if you are looking to establish it as a side
business, then you are better off buying an already-established structure.
Interestingly, there are various companies in Kenya that lease greenhouses to
interested parties for a certain period. Some of those who have ventured into
this business claim that it is quite profitable. Although these are just
claims.
How to get started in greenhouse construction in Kenya
When you decide whether to buy or build your greenhouse,
you’ve already figured out the space that you require for growing the crop you
have in mind. It’s crucial that you consider your greenhouse as a long-term
investment. Consequently, you need to have adequate space that will accommodate
the plants that you would like to grow in the years ahead.
Greenhouse construction Kenya also needs
to match up to the type of plant you wish to grow. For instance, if you wish to
grow vegetables, your greenhouse should have a lot of headroom, plus it needs
to receive maximum light.
You also have to decide on the style of the greenhouse that
you want. There exist several styles, and some can even get built in one day.
Here are some of the different styles that you could settle for based on your
budget limits and needs.
- Freestanding
greenhouse construction Kenya
Such types of greenhouses is stand-alone structures;
therefore, you can place these structures where you would like on your
property, but you have to ensure that the position you place your structure
receives enough lighting. You can grow plenty of plants in this type of
greenhouses, and you can start growing your plants as early as January.
- Attached/lean-to
greenhouse construction Kenya
You could also go for this style of greenhouses. Such
greenhouses don’t require you to build all the four walls. However, one of the
walls needs to be sturdy such as the wall of your house so that you can
construct the three remaining sides to be lighter.
Due to their construction design, attached greenhouses are
less expensive to construct compared to other styles. You can use such
structured to grow seedlings and herbs. A major downside with the attached
greenhouses is that sunlight only comes in from three sides.
Your greenhouse construction Kenya should feature
one of these styles, but that’s entirely dependent on the crop(s) that you
would like to grow. It is also recommended that you refrain from building your
greenhouse near coniferous trees. Those are trees that don’t shed their leaves
during the cold season in Kenya, blocking the little sunlight that is
available.
You can also place your greenhouse structure on any surface.
However, you have to ensure that you construct it in an area that has good
drainage. You can place a layer of landscape cloth where you intend to place
your greenhouse. Doing so not only allows proper drainage but also keeps the
weeds out.
Packages offered by Eunidrip Irrigation Systems under
affordable greenhouse construction Kenya
- Tank
- Drip
irrigation system.
- Galvanized
steel structures.
- Polythene
sheeting and insect netting.
- Germination
set.
- Knapsack
sprayer
- Installation
cost
- And
side rolls up to control airflow within the greenhouse.
How do you prepare for your first growing season
Now that you’ve already set up your greenhouse, including
the accessories you want, you have to prepare for the growing season, but that
also depends on the type of plant that you would like to grow in your greenhouse.
If it is your first time dealing with a greenhouse, then you
need to start off with straight-forward crops instead of going for complicated
crops without the experience. You will find that most greenhouse farmers in
Kenya start with vegetables such as tomatoes, carrots, leafy greens, and
turnips among others. It is also advisable for you to group together plants
that have a similar growth cycle so that you can organize your planting season
accordingly.
You should also know that not all the seeds that you plant
will germinate. That’s why it is advisable for you to plant more seeds than you
would expect to grow. Doing so will help you save a significant amount of time,
which you would otherwise spend transplanting. On the other hand, if you are planting
crops that climb vertically such as tomatoes, then you need to plant them on a
raised platform on your greenhouse’s floor. A bench could also serve as a
suitable alternative.
Pesticides
Usually, experts advise against using pesticides in
greenhouses as they could compromise the quality of produce, but there are some
greenhouse owners who still use pesticides. Instead of using pesticides, you
need to ensure that your greenhouse construction in Kenya is
done to perfection. A well-constructed greenhouse has measures in place to
prevent entry by pests.
You can install insect screens on the exhausts and air
intakes of your greenhouse to prevent insects and or mites from getting into
your greenhouse. Furthermore, you need to ensure that the equipment you use in
your greenhouse isn’t used anywhere else to prevent cross-contamination, which
could result in the presence of insects and diseases in your structure.
Fertilizer
A majority of greenhouse owners in Kenya prefer using
organic fertilizers as opposed to manufactured products. If you find natural
fertilizer, then you’re in a better position. However, there are some
situations where you may need to get manufactured fertilizer to deliver the
nutrients your crops need.
Environmental control
Greenhouse construction in Kenya should never be
done without considering environmental control. You must keep in mind that a
greenhouse is a place where you grow your crops under a controlled environment.
One of the things you need to do in your greenhouse is heating. You have to
insulate your greenhouse to ensure that your crops receive the heat they need
even when there is no sunlight. You can find different types of heaters
available, which are powered by different means. One must also ensures that the
heating system in your greenhouse has an automatic shut-off feature.
Shading is also a requirement when it comes to greenhouses.
Shade comes in handy when the sun is too warm and it is hitting the greenhouse
directly. You can get roll-up screens of aluminum or wood, polypropylene shade
cloth, or paint-on materials to provide the necessary shading during such
times.
Your greenhouse must also have proper ventilation. Why is
ventilation so important? Well, it is because plants also get hot, and the
vents will allow proper circulation of air, preventing any damage from coming
to your plants. Proper ventilation also minimizes the risk of various plant
diseases.
Challenges that greenhouse farmers face in Kenya
Setting up a greenhouse in Kenya does not only provide
farmers with positive results. It also has its challenges. Some of the main
challenges include:
- Temperature
and humidity – greenhouse farmers in Kenya fail to get good
harvests as a result of temperature and humidity. Sometimes, these
conditions may go too high or lower than the required levels for plants to
grow. The perfect temperature should range between 16 and 30 degrees
Celsius during the day and 13 to 18 degrees Celsius at night. Anything below
or past that could cause issues. Proper ventilation could help counter
this challenge.
- Loss
of soil fertility – farmers also complain that poor soil
fertility affects crop productivity. However, you can counteract
this issue by rotating your crops, treating the soil, or adopting
technology such as growing crops in pots.
- Pests
and diseases – managing pests and diseases is a great challenge
among greenhouse farmers in Kenya. They can affect productivity in a major
way, and they could be hard to get rid of. However, you can limit the
existence of insects in your greenhouse by using UV-absorbing plastics.
Types of crops grown in greenhouse construction Kenya
- 1. Tomatoes
Tomatoes generally love heat so, with the help of the
polythene sheeting, the heat generated will be suitable for its growth thus
good harvest.
- 2. Peppers
In the greenhouse, peppers are certain to get more heat than
they would outside. This in turn gives me a much larger harvest.
- 3. Cucumbers
Cucumbers are a really simple vegetable to grow, and you
don’t have to grow a ton of them to get quite the harvest. They sprout and do
more lateral growths thus more fruits on the laterals.
So if you decide to grow cucumbers inside your greenhouse,
be sure to keep in mind that they do bush out and take over if you aren’t
careful.
These problems can be solved by using the widely spaced drip
tape/drip line. This will minimize the crowding of the plants. The commonly
used drip line/drip tape for cucumber is of forty centimeters spacing, 40 cm or
forty-five centimeters spacing, 45 cm
- 4. Micro greens
Micro greens are another really simple green to rise. More
ever, they don’t require a lot of space or time. Plus, they are also an added
health boost that can be quickly tossed on or into a meal
- 5. Strawberries
Strawberries can even be planted in containers so they can
be moved around in your greenhouse.
- 6. Spinach
This crop requires different spacing depending on the
weather conditions and seed variety. Spinach requires a spacing of 60
centimeters by 60 centimeters or 45 centimeters by 45 centimeters depending on
the humidity of a place. Farmers in hotter places are mostly recommended to use
60cm by 60cm spacing to avoid moisture stress.
Moisture stress can hugely affect yields as the plants tend
to produce fewer leaves and roots.
To farmers who normally practice in organic farming, they
are advised to apply NPK (Nitrogen Phosphorous and Potassium) fertilizer and
lime solution to the soil every time they are growing spinach.
NPK help to boost the plants’ growth while lime solution
helps to regulate the soil Ph to around 6.0 to 6.8. This is the best soil Ph
that allows spinach to thrive and ensure the nutrients in the compost are well
consumed by the plant.
Farmers need to know that nitrogen should be applied in
plenty as it stimulates the growth of large and healthy spinach leaves. They
take about two months or less to mature depending on various varieties.
Conclusion
Greenhouse construction in Kenya serves as an effective way to curb the food security crisis in the country. A greenhouse will allow you to grow high-quality plants throughout the year, but you have to make sure that the structure is built to excellence. You might face some challenges along the way, but you can counter them using the proper methods.