In Arizona, How To Use A Greenhouse?

This article discusses the benefits of having a greenhouse in the desert, especially in hot summer climates. A simple greenhouse can be used to grow greens in winter, start warm season seedlings, propagate landscape plants, or provide shelter to frost-tender plants during winter. A more advanced greenhouse is ideal for growing tropical plants, extending the growing season, or growing specific types that thrive in that atmosphere.

To start growing plants in a greenhouse, follow these best practices: keep your greenhouse tidy and clean, ensure pests stay away, get a thermometer, choose a suitable location, and choose the right seeds. A greenhouse in Arizona can create a special climate, allowing growers to grow plants in a greenhouse that growers in other states cannot.

Look for locations in your yard that receive shade during the summer naturally, level ground for the greenhouse foundation, and protection from intense droughts. It’s recommended to use a greenhouse to control humidity levels and provide a moist space for plants to grow healthily.

Growing Spaces® Growing Dome® Desert Greenhouse Kits allow plants to thrive year-round in harsh climates by providing consistent natural light throughout the day. Maximize urban Phoenix zones with shade cloth solutions and discover how all-season kits and larger greenhouses boost gardening in Arizona.

Are there any disadvantages to a greenhouse?

Weather conditions significantly impact agricultural production, with extreme weather events and climate disasters causing significant losses for farmers. Floods and droughts are the most immediate impactful weather events, while rising temperature extremes between 1991 and 2017 increased farm insurance loss payouts by $27 billion. Wet and cool springs can prevent farmers from planting crops, negatively affect early plant growth, and stress young plants, leaving them susceptible to disease outbreaks and pest predation.

Overly hot temperatures during the growing season can severely affect crop growth. Livestock production is also affected by extreme weather events, with drought being particularly tough on the cattle industry.

Greenhouse farming offers a significant advantage in controlling the greenhouse environment and greenhouse temperatures to support the growth of high-quality crops year-round. However, global warming caused by increasing greenhouse gases is contributing to more frequent and extreme unfavorable weather events and threatening global food security. The United Nations reports that the planet is averaging 1. 1 degrees Celsius above pre-industrial temperatures, which changes traditional weather patterns, causing more catastrophic heat waves, extreme precipitation events, and other weather-induced events.

Agricultural production and farm practices contribute to the climate change problem, releasing carbon dioxide and other potent greenhouse gases like nitrous oxide and methane into the atmosphere. About one-third to one-quarter of the planet’s annual greenhouse gases are contributed to the food supply chain. Consumers and food supply companies are demanding a more sustainable food supply chain supporting healthy environments and ecosystems.

Greenhouse farming is seen as one solution to the climate change problem, as it can mitigate high and low temperatures while growing food in regions where food production wasn’t previously possible. This reduces carbon emissions due to transportation, lessens the impact of supply chain shocks, and conserves water and nutrient use compared to traditional agricultural production. Growers can produce a larger volume of food in a smaller greenhouse space than outdoor production models, reducing the pressures to convert forests and prairies into farmland and maintaining ecosystems as critical carbon sinks.

Greenhouse farming involves various types of structures, depending on the goals and needs of the farming operations. Simple greenhouse structures can be built at a relatively small expense, helping small farmers and smallholder farms in developing nations extend their season and produce more food. High-tech controlled greenhouse structures replicated and managed at scale across multiple locations using farm management software can cost millions of dollars to build and are typically installed with high-tech management systems, including heat and humidity control, lighting, drip irrigation and fertigation, misting systems, and automated benching systems for moving potted plants.

Hoop houses and poly tunnels are greenhouses built on a hoop frame, made of materials such as bamboo, PVC pipe, or metal piping. They are relatively inexpensive to build and can be erected as temporary, seasonal structures or even designed to be portable. Many hoop houses are popular for lower budgets and simpler management goals. However, they can be adapted with high-tech innovations, such as complex HVAC, irrigation, and nutrient management systems, to meet commercial enterprise needs.

Polycarbonate and glass houses are more expensive to install but longer-lasting than plastic-covered hoop houses and are more commonly seen in commercial greenhouse house enterprises. Frame configurations for polycarbonate or glass houses come in many forms, including gable, flat arch, and gothic styles.

Shade structures and screen houses are used to cool temperatures and limit the sunlight a crop receives. Shade structures are beneficial for fast-growing greens, such as lettuce or baby salad greens, susceptible to sweltering weather. They are covered with a woven material that blocks sunlight and can be built over hoop frames or frames with more angular edges.

Greenhouse farming has pros and cons, such as mitigating extreme weather conditions, extending seasonality of crop production, higher-yielding crops, easier pest management, support for growing high-value crops and hard-to-find plant species, reducing water consumption, pesticide, and fertilizer use, and maximum profit in a small space.

To build, maintain, and run a profitable greenhouse farming business, it is crucial to consider your business goals and all the potential elements involved.

What not to grow in a greenhouse?

Greenhouses are ideal for gardeners as they provide controlled environments that extend growing seasons and protect plants from harsh weather. However, not all plants thrive in enclosed spaces. Some common mistakes to avoid include large trees and shrubs, which can outgrow containers and damage structures. Invasive plants, such as mint or certain ivy species, can quickly overtake other plants and become difficult to eradicate once established in a greenhouse.

To avoid these issues, it is recommended to reserve your greenhouse for compact or easily pruned plants. Additionally, plants with high temperature requirements, such as long-lived perennials, should be kept outside for easier control. By avoiding these common mistakes, you can save time, effort, and disappointment in your greenhouse gardening endeavors.

How do greenhouses work in the desert?

Our automatic greenhouse vent openers are heat-activated, working without electricity and adjusting the temperature of the upper and lower vents to suit your climate. The activating pistons contain beeswax, which triggers the mechanism, causing the greenhouse to cool by drawing hot air out and sucked in through the lower vents. All greenhouse kits come with a shade cloth to reduce sunlight transmission, especially in hot summers in the Southwestern United States. The shade cloth can be removed to maintain plant growth.

Our greenhouse domes also feature an insulated door/snowshed entry, providing protection from the elements, whether in high altitudes with snow or low altitudes with desert heat and monsoonal rains. These features are standard on all greenhouse domes, ensuring the safety of plants in any climate.

How do I keep my greenhouse from getting too hot?

To keep greenhouses cool in hot weather, increase airflow through fans, pedestals, or smaller fans on shelves. Remove glass panes during heatwaves and install automatic vent openers that open at specific times. However, these may take time to open due to wax expansion.

Shade is crucial for protecting plants from the sun, but too much can lead to insufficient light. A small amount of shade helps maintain temperatures between 25ºC and 27ºC. Edible plants like tomatoes and courgettes require plenty of light, while sun-loving plants like succulents can thrive with minimal shade. Balancing these factors is essential for maintaining a comfortable greenhouse environment.

How to keep a greenhouse cool in the desert?

Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, are devices that cool air through the evaporation of water, using less energy than refrigeration or air conditioning. They are particularly effective in arid climates, as they provide more moisture. Southwest Solar recommends evaporative coolers for solar-powered applications, with an 18″ swamp cooler in a 26′ dome. Window-mounted units are recommended for 110V models, with better efficiency in the west for late-day cooling. However, swamp coolers may increase humidity in humid climates, making air conditioning units the best option due to potential mold issues.

Do greenhouses work in hot climates?

Greenhouses are essential in hot climates to protect plants from excessive heat, limiting productivity and reducing energy and water requirements associated with controlled environment agriculture. They are used to reduce the energy and water requirements associated with controlled environment agriculture. Copyright © 2024 Elsevier B. V., its licensors, and contributors. All rights reserved, including text and data mining, AI training, and similar technologies.

Should I use a greenhouse in the summer?

In late spring, many gardeners plant seedlings in open ground, but it’s essential to use a greenhouse year-round to create an optimal microclimate for plants. The key is to use the summer greenhouse correctly to control the climate conditions, such as darkening with shade cloth, ventilating during the hottest days, protecting plants from high winds and rain, and maintaining humidity levels.

During summer, plants may experience significant stress due to weather changes such as storms, unexpected temperature drops, drought, or prolonged rains. To control these conditions, use shade cloth, ventilate continuously, protect plants from high winds and rain, and maintain humidity levels. Additionally, weeds will be less of a problem as they grow more reluctant and pests will be less likely to invade.

In summary, using a greenhouse in the summer is beneficial for maintaining an optimal microclimate for plants, avoiding significant stress from weather changes, and ensuring the health and growth of your plants.

What temperature is too hot for a greenhouse?

To maintain a cool backyard greenhouse, it’s crucial to maintain a temperature between 80-85°F (26-29°C) during spring and summer months. If the temperature exceeds 90°F, it’s a sign of potential health issues. To monitor the greenhouse’s temperature, use a thermometer or walk inside to gauge its temperature. If too hot, it’s likely too hot for your plants. Several tips can help keep your greenhouse cool, but they’re more effective when combined.

How to cool a greenhouse in the desert?

Evaporative coolers, also known as swamp coolers, are devices that cool air through the evaporation of water, using less energy than refrigeration or air conditioning. They are particularly effective in arid climates, as they provide more moisture. Southwest Solar recommends evaporative coolers for solar-powered applications, with an 18″ swamp cooler in a 26′ dome. Window-mounted units are recommended for 110V models, with better efficiency in the west for late-day cooling. However, swamp coolers may increase humidity in humid climates, making air conditioning units the best option due to potential mold issues.

How do I stop my greenhouse from getting too hot?

To ensure optimal greenhouse ventilation, use a maximum-minimum thermometer to monitor the temperature and be alert for signs of plant damage. Open doors and vents on sunny days, and temporarily remove panes to help during heat waves. Fit automatic vent openers to ensure roof vents open even when you’re not around, but remember that it takes time for the wax to expand. Provide alternative ventilation such as doors and side vents to prevent damaging temperatures. In changeable weather, vents and doors may need to be partially open to limit sudden temperature increases. Larger greenhouses may require automated ventilation and shading.

Shading is usually required from mid-spring until early autumn to release some heat but limits the light plants receive. Use only the minimum amount of shading to keep temperatures below 25-27ºC (77-81ºF), allowing as much light in as possible, especially for edible plants like tomatoes. Sun-loving plants like succulents may not need shading, but providing shade can make the greenhouse more pleasant.

Do greenhouses work well in Arizona?

Greenhouses are a popular solution for farming in Arizona due to its abundant land and suitable climate for short-day specialty crops. The state’s dry climate and soil are not ideal for these plants, but greenhouses can make the land usable for agriculture. Growers can cultivate in containers, garden beds, or hydroponic systems, using greenhouse plastics with special additives and shade cloth to ensure only good sunlight reaches plants. Greenhouses have become popular in arid and dry lands of Africa and beyond, and Arizona is home to Biosphere 2, which was made famous in the movie Bio-Dome.

However, there are some special considerations to consider when choosing a greenhouse in Arizona. For optimal success, invest in a mechanical ventilation greenhouse kit that actively cools the facility and use greenhouse plastic with IR and UV additives to filter sunlight. Additionally, consider using shade cloth or white greenhouse plastic instead of transparent ones. Overall, greenhouses in Arizona offer a successful and productive solution for farming high-value specialty crops and utilizing the available land.