by Amanda Williams
Improving grow operations with a commercial greenhouse
by Amanda Williams
Adding a commercial greenhouse to a growing operation provides numerous benefits to crops, reduces labor requirements and utilizes Mother Nature without disturbing her. With this addition, growers can compete at market with the success of a controlled environment and better yields.
Commercial greenhouses save money and the environment
Greenhouse production provides a controlled environment with the benefits of the outdoors. Unlike warehouse growing, greenhouses allow your crops to receive light from various angles as the sun travels along its arc throughout each day. Artificial lighting costs are some of the most burdensome in indoor growing. Moving your crops into a greenhouse significantly reduces the need for expensive lighting and takes advantage of nature’s helping hand.
Growers are increasingly concerned with the impact their operations have on their direct ecosystem. Many greenhouse growers implement hydroponics systems to further lower their environmental footprint. Switching to a soilless medium eliminates costs of soil and compost. It also resolves the need for intensive pesticide or fungicide application in response to soil borne pests and pathogens. Choosing a soilless medium means avoiding row planting, which is a major cause of erosion, soil loss and run off into local water sources.
Water
Irrigation is a critical part of greenhouse success. If you do not have a sufficient, or optimal, irrigation system in your greenhouse, your crops will grow poorly. There are a variety of irrigation options that work well in commercial greenhouses. While you can use a soil medium for planting crops, there are more efficient soilless media on the market. Consider looking into Hydrocycle Dutch Buckets, NFT systems or a drip irrigation system, for efficient, water-saving irrigation systems.
Ventilation and heat
When designing a commercial greenhouse, proper ventilation is another major concern of successful greenhouse production. Without ventilation and healthy air exchange, greenhouses can encounter humidity problems, making plants moist and susceptible to common pests and diseases.
Think about adding an affordable shade cloth for more low-tech solutions, if the operation can’t quite afford top of the line climate controllers. Shade cloths are a great way to maintain a cooler temperature in a greenhouse for crops that easily stress in extreme heat.
Optimizing commercial greenhouse interior and planning
Having a solid and detailed crop plan is important before breaking ground with any growing method. If considering purchasing a greenhouse for commercial production, no one wants it to sit fallow while they struggle to conceptualize irrigation needs or maximizing space.
Aesthetics and proper spacing are helpful for organizing, so kick around ideas on how to display and set up crops in the greenhouse. Low profile benches put plant canopies around eye level, metal tables or tiered benches are ideal for nursery production and displays. A lot of growers save money by using free wood pallets and cinder blocks for an up-cycled table set up. Many hydroponics systems require just the system and no real need for tables. For seed starting, tables are vital. If planting directly into the soil, raised beds may be the way to go. With so many options, it is best to decide which works best for your crop goals. Plan and design the interior of your greenhouse before starting to grow.
As we search for sustainable technologies, many field farmers and indoor growers should consider moving their operations into a greenhouse instead. Avoiding field planting can help to regenerate soils, while using a fraction of the water for production.
For more information:
GrowSpan Greenhouse Structures
1395 John Fitch Blvd
South Windsor, Connecticut 06074
Toll-free USA: (800) 476 9715
International: +1 860 528 9550
info@growspan.com
www.growspan.com