Introduction to Greenhouse Management:

Concepts, terms, types, features and

accessories
AGRI 3: MARKE T GARDE N & GRE E NHOUSE MANAGE ME NT
Introduction to Greenhouse Management
Remember there is a QUIZ ON THIS MATERIAL in Week 11
Power point notes of this lecture are available on D2L
Introduction to Greenhouse Management
The 3 most important greenhouse management variables…
1. Temperature control
2. Light control; strength of light and length of light
3. Air flow control

* NOTE: these 3 factors address “Good GH Management Practices” and does not attempt to address
individual crop needs (ie water, growing medium, nutrients) or sustainability.
Introduction to Greenhouse Management
‘Permanent’ Greenhouses
Hoop House / High tunnel
Cold frames
Hotbeds
Low tunnel

What is the difference?!

Greenhouse Types: Permanent
‘Permanent’ Greenhouse characteristics:
➢A permanent or semi-permanent structure
➢ Subject to municipal bi-laws!
➢Often grouped with commercial or residential buildings on-site
➢Double walled or insulated walls
➢Heating element
➢Plumbing element
➢Electrical element
➢Most often not growing directly in soil in a permanent greenhouse (pots/trays instead)
Greenhouse Types: Hoop House (High-tunnel)
Hoop house characteristics:
➢Often constructed in a field
➢Not a permanent structure; can be moved / dismantled in one day
➢ Exempt from municipal by-laws
➢Most often single walled
➢Most often no supplemental heating
➢No permanent plumbing (although must be irrigated still)
➢No permanent electrical hook-up (sometimes extension cord used, temporarily)
➢Usually more passive than a permanent greenhouse
➢Often growing directly in soil inside of the hoop house
Greenhouse Types: Cold Frames
Cold frame characteristics:
◦ A smaller version of a simple hoop house; often 4 sided (square/rectangle)
◦ Often knee-height with a removable lid
◦ single walled
◦ no supplemental heating
◦ no plumbing (although must be irrigated still)
◦ no electrical
◦ More passive than a ‘proper’ greenhouse
Greenhouse Types: Hotbeds
Hotbed characteristics:
➢Often cold frame-like in construction (square, knee height, removable lid, single walled)
➢BUT with a heat element
➢ Electrical cables, buried
➢ Hot water pipes, buried
➢ ‘hot’ manure
➢Most often used for starting seedlings early in spring or ‘forcing’ plants out of season
Greenhouse Types: Low Tunnels
Low Tunnel characteristics:
➢Sometimes called ‘mini-tunnels’
➢Much like a hoop house but knee-to-waist height
➢Often erected in field, over an existing crop
➢Often using ‘spring steel’ hoops
➢Often using perforated plastic or row cover
➢Edges buried with dirt
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
1. Post and Beam
2. A-Frame
3. Double Walled Hoop house
4. Attached / Lean-To
5. Pit Style
6. Geo-Dome
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
POST AND BEAM
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
A–FRAME
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
DOUBLE WALLED HOOP HOUSE
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
ATTACHED / LEAN–TO STYLE
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
PIT STYLE
Popular Types of Permanent Greenhouses
GEODOMES
 Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
“AUTO VENT”; $30 (+/-): PLUS THERMOSTAT, PLUS EXHAUST FANS - $200 (+/-): PLUS THERMOSTAT,
INSTALLATION, PLUS HYDRO PLUS INSTALLATION, PLUS HYDRO
TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND SOME MINOR AIR FLOW GOOD TEMPERATURE CONTROL AND AIRFLOW
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
GREENHOUSE HEATING
“MODINE” seems to be most popular type at the moment
Can be up to 97% efficient
Often propane or natural gas
Electric heat is out nowadays!

Small unit … $1500 (+/-), plus installation and fuel

Will help with temperature control & airflow
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
WOOD STOVE : EASY TO INSTALL, OFTEN PELLET STOVE: SELF-FEEDING PELLET STOVE,
ABLE TO HARVEST THE WOOD OFF YOUR ON ITS OWN DAY TO DAY, NEED TO PURCHASE
PROPERTY BUT TIME CONSUMING PELLETS
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
GREENHOUSE HEATING – FLOOR HEATING
- wood is most popular (in this area)
- can be used with geo-thermal or solar heating
- expensive to install
- must be pre-planned
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
‘PASSIVE’ HEATING or HEAT SINKS

* For every one degree F that one lb of water cools = one ‘BTU’; at freezing point, each
one pound of water lets off 144 BTU’s! source: articles.compressionjobs.com
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
SPACER BLOCKS CLOTH : HELPS WITH SHADE CLOTH : HELPS WITH TEMPERATURE
TEMPERATURE CONTROL, WITHOUT NEEDING
ELECTRICITY CONTROL, WITHOUT NEEDING ELECTRICITY
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
SUPPLEMENTAL LIGHTING
Two most popular options in 2018 for professional
growers: High Pressure Sodium vs LED
Both are expensive to install properly, but LED uses
considerably less hydro than HPS
Very few market gardeners use supplemental lights;
mostly for professional GH operators
◦ Fluorescents often used in temporary situations

A great article here: http://www.greenhousegrower.com/technology/supplemental-

greenhouse-lighting-to-produce-seedlings-led-or-hps/#Tinsel/138337/3
Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
MOVEABLE BENCHES

FOR GREATER AIRFLOW CONTROL, HIGHER DENSITY

Permanent Greenhouse – Accessories
AIRFLOW IMPROVEMENT : Greenhouse Fans AND Greenhouse Ventilation Plan
➢ try to understand how the air flows in your greenhouse space
➢ no airflow = plant diseases (like damp-off) and/or pests (like aphids)
Types of Hoop Houses (aka high tunnels)
Usually fairly similar in structure, however building materials and styles can vary

‘High-End’ Hoophouse; almost a GH ‘ Medium’ Hoophouse

-Cross beams, high peak, double walled - lower, single walled, roll up sides
- $10,000 (+/-), for 100’ ‘high-end’ HH - $5,000 (+/-) for 100’ ‘medium’ HH
Types of Hoop Houses (aka high tunnels)
‘LOW-END’ Hoophouses

Conduit, rebar, ‘vapour barrier’ PVC pipe, rebar, UV-treated poly film sheet
- $1500 (+/-) for 100’ long - sides dug in; $200 (?) for 20’ long
Hoop House Accessories
Wiggle wire & channel lock : Approx $100 (+/-) for 10 x 6.5’ long pieces
 Hoop House Accessories
ROLL UP SIDES
➢manual hand cranks or
powered
➢ helps with temperature
control and airflow
Hoop House Accessories
Irrigation Systems

Over head micro sprinklers Drip irrigation

are far better than surface-level
Hoop House Accessories
Irrigation Systems: ‘Travelling’ Sprinklers
Hoop House Accessories
Spacer Blocks Heat Sinks Shade Cloth

all help with temperature control

Anchoring Hoop Houses
Wind becoming a bigger issue than heat / water lately
 Types of Cold Frames
➢Basic design is the same, but can be made out of a variety of materials
➢Other than ‘open’, ‘closed’, or ‘partially opened’, not much else can be manipulated on a CF
➢Can be put inside of a greenhouse as well.
Types of Hotbeds
➢Often built similar to a cold frame in design, but can also be built inside a hoop house or a
more permanent greenhouse.
Types of Hotbeds
Manure is the old-fashioned way, but there are other methods…

Heat mats; for smaller scale

Heating cables or hot water pipes - can be expensive on larger scale
Types of Low Tunnels (aka mini-tunnels)
Various heights/widths; but MUST BE PERFORATED PLASTIC 3300’ for under $200
Types of Low Tunnels
“Spring Steel” is product of choice for wire hoops
Can improvise with rebar and PVC/conduit, on a small scale, but not on a large scale
Sold in bundles of 100 for $30 (+/-)
 Pro’s and Con’s of Greenhouse Types
1. Permanent GH Year-round growing ability Most expensive option ($5000+ min)
Very early start for transplants Subject to bi-laws / building codes

2. Hoophouse Season extension Temporary structure

Moveable (fertility/weed mgmt) Subject to elements
Less expensive ($1000-$10000) Different equipment needs

3. Coldframe Season extension Small space

Inexpensive ($100-$1000) Not suitable for all crops
 Pro’s and Con’s of Greenhouse Types
4. Hotbed Extra warm ‘seed bed’ Labour (installation/maintenance)
Season extension Taller plants might still freeze off

5. Low tunnels Season extension Subject to elements

Low cost (less than $500) Labour (bury/unbury/re-bury)
Overview- Greenhouse Management
The 3 most important greenhouse management variables…
1. Temperature control
2. Light control; strength of light and length of light
3. Air flow control

* NOTE: these 3 factors address “Good GH Management Practices”, and does not attempt to address
individual crop needs (ie water, growing medium, nutrients) or Sustainability
 Overview- Greenhouse Management
temp control light control air flow
1. Permanent GH very good very good very good
2. Hoop House good poor good (if hydro available)
3. Cold Frame good poor good
4. Hot Bed very good poor (unless in GH) poor
5. Low Tunnel okay poor okay
* The above chart indicates the ability to manipulate temperature, light and air flow
Things to consider – Greenhouse timing
You can’t do it all in one greenhouse (or hoophouse)
In a hoophouse (in field) must often choose between focussing on either:
◦ early, late or off-season crops (most often cold hardy greens)
◦ Or heat-loving summer crops (most often tomato, peppers, cucumber or eggplant)
◦ Chick-a-biddy Acres example

In a permanent greenhouse must often choose between:

◦ Early season crop production vs transplants/seedling production
Things to consider with Greenhouse
Management...
One more management factor worth mentioning … rodent control

have a plan in place BEFORE you see your first rodent

Based on what you have learned today …
Are greenhouse structures and the use of
them sustainable?