Arizona Greenhouses

With new specialty crop legalizations clearing the 2020 election ballot, Arizona farmers may find themselves facing the need to increase greenhouse production. With its arid lands, greenhouses in Arizona are a great option that growers to cultivate on lands that otherwise could not support agriculture. Just what is greenhouse farming?

Greenhouse farming is when a farmer grows their crops inside of a greenhouse. This style of farming is best for farming in areas where it is not practical to cultivate outdoors, for year-round cultivation that can be limited by climate, and for cultivating high-value crops that will be more valuable if they are cultivated in a protected and controlled environment. Greenhouse farming is very valuable because it allows farmers to cultivate plants that may not be compatible with the natural environment for that particular location. Greenhouses allow farmers to cultivate throughout the season and provide protection from the elements.

Are greenhouses good in Arizona?

Short-day specialty crops are certainly not indigenous to Arizona, and the state’s dry climate and soil are not ideal for these types of plants. Arizona has ample sunlight, but its rays can also be too intense and burn plants. However, Arizona does have an ample amount of land, so a greenhouse is a good solution to make this land usable for agriculture. A greenhouse allows growers to cultivate in containers, garden beds, or in hydroponic systems. Greenhouse plastics with special additives and the use of shade cloth can ensure that only the good sunlight reaches plants. This makes Arizona a perfect environment for a greenhouse!

Do greenhouses work in Arizona?

Greenhouses are a great option for farming in the southwest. They present the perfect solution for farming high-value specialty crops and allow farmers to use land that otherwise could not be farmed. This is the same reason why greenhouses have become popular outside of the US, in arid and dry lands of Africa and beyond. Arizona is also home to Biosphere 2 which was made famous in the movie Bio-Dome, which goes to show how hugely successful and productive a commercial greenhouse in Arizona can be.

Best Greenhouses for Arizona

A greenhouse in Arizona has some special considerations that do increase greenhouse costs. You would not want to use a basic passive ventilation greenhouse kit in most parts of Arizona. Instead, you will have the most success if you invest in a mechanical ventilation greenhouse kit that can actively cool the facility. Another misstep would be opting for the cheapest greenhouse plastic option. Instead, you will want to invest in a greenhouse plastic that contains IR and UV additives to filter sunlight, and may also need shade cloth or a greenhouse plastic that is white instead of transparent.

Greenhouses and nurseries in Arizona need to take measures to combat intense sun and heat that can damage plants, but they also may need to consider the cooler aspect of the Arizona climate. A greenhouse will retain much of the heat it accumulates through the day, but at night desert temperatures in the winter can drop below freezing. Likewise, the northern part of Arizona is mountainous and can receive snow. Depending on your local winter climate you may need to add greenhouse insulation and greenhouse heaters to cultivate crops year-round.

Arizona Greenhouses for Sale

If you are looking for greenhouses for sale in Arizona, you may consider looking north to Hortitech Direct, based in Bend, OR. We are a West Coast greenhouse manufacturer that can offer manufacturer direct pricing and expert greenhouse design. We have built hundreds of greenhouses with customizations to cater to local climates and specialty crop needs. Hortitech Direct will make sure that your Arizona greenhouse is properly equipped to set your grow up for success, and is built with high-quality materials that will ensure your greenhouse lasts for years to come.