Mattings & Polythenes

The types of horticultural matting used within a greenhouse include Water Matting and capillary matting. Both have been developed to make watering your plants quick, easy and efficient - so you don't waste any time and you don't waste water. Both types of matting work in different ways to ensure your plants receive water. Water Matting is a thick material with an exceptionally high water holding capacity. When using Water Matting to help water your plants, the matting should be placed below the trays or pots, ideally within a watertight tray. It is then possible for you to water the matting rather than the plants - so one point of watering - and the water spreads throughout the matting providing water to all your plants. Where Water Matting holds water, Capillary Matting carries water, so is the right type of matting if you are setting up a watering system within your greenhouse. Capillary Matting doesn't need to be as thick as Water Matting as you supply water via a 'tank' or 'reservoir' of water and your plants draw the water to them when they need it - in this way your plants only get the water they need and are never over or under watered. When using either water or capillary matting on top of benches or shelves within your greenhouse, ideally line the area with black polythene - this helps the surface of your benches remain in good condition. Perforated polythene can be placed on top of Water Matting or Capillary Matting to help prevent algae growth - and if algae does grow it's easy to wipe if off the surface of the polythene.

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