How To Determine The Right Greenhouse Structure For Your Operation
April 7, 2016 
Field growers embarking on a protected culture venture are often encouraged to start out with a high tunnel.
Photo credit: Elsa Sanchez, Penn State
Whether you are an ornamental grower looking to add a greenhouse vegetable or a field producer trying to break into protected culture, doing it in the most cost-efficient way is paramount, especially when it comes to the structure you will use.
The good news for those on the ornamental side is they don’t have to do much to repurpose a greenhouse to grow vegetables. Before making any adjustments to your structure, however, Robert Berghage, an Associate Professor of Horticulture at Penn State University, suggests conducting a thorough economic analysis to make sure the switch or addition will keep the operation profitable.
Field growers starting out are encouraged to begin with a high tunnel. For growers interested in moving to the next level of protected culture, Berghage recommends an inexpensive Quonset-style, plastic-covered greenhouse. Choosing the right structure all depends on the crops to be produced, the production system to be used, and the prices the market will support, Berghage says.
Technology-wise, the next step is to move to a hydroponic system. Those who have tested the waters and have an expanding market for their crops may want to build a gutter-connected greenhouse.
The Learning Curve
Field producers moving to a greenhouse, will experience a bigger transition than ornamental growers in terms of cost and production practices.
“If you are a bedding plant grower switching to growing tomatoes in the greenhouse, you already have the greenhouse and the environmental control systems, and you are typically fairly well-versed in running those systems,” Berghage says. “All you are learning is the new crop production systems for that particular crop.”
The bedding plant grower, however, will be surprised at the additional effort it takes to produce that tomato crop in terms of pollination, trellising, and harvest, he adds.
What To Avoid
Offering a couple of pointers for field producers starting out, Berghage says don’t overinvest. He circles back to high tunnels, which are about a $5,000 investment.
“Many field producers use drip irrigation under plastic, so they have equipment they can use in the tunnel already,” he adds.
Pointing out that knowing greenhouse production is only part of the battle, Berghage says marketing also is key.
“You need to have some place to sell [greenhouse produce] at a price that will be profitable,” he says.
Subscribe Today For
