Light Deprivation

Greenhouse Guide for

New York

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New York Specifics

Can I use an external light deprivation system on my greenhouse in New York?

New York receives significant precipitation which can negatively impact the way the system rolls up and down. The excess weight from precipitation can cause the motors to burn out. We recommend our dual frame internal light deprivation system for your area.

Is an evaporative cooling system (wet wall) recommended for greenhouses in New York?

New York has higher than average humidity during the summer months which greatly reduces the effectiveness of the evaporative cooling system. Use historical weather averages to understand your climate during the growing season and opt for a wet wall if your humidity is below 70% Example from UMASS: 90 degree outside air @30% humidity = 30 degrees of cooling @50% humidity = 20 degrees of cooling @70% humidity = 8 degrees of cooling

Should I invest in an advanced environmental controller?

Yes! Upgrading your environmental control system to the competitively priced agrowtek gcx is necessary in any instances where you are using artificial lighting, heating, or want programmable controls with different stages of heating/cooling. Example features include: Turning lights on and off based on cloud cover, interrupting functions such as heat when the exhaust fan turns on, using heat or cooling stages to even out the temp/humidity swings to create more consistent growing conditions. Analog controls can be used if you are just concerned with one or two variables. Be aware that if the heater and exhaust fans are on separate thermostats, they can both get stuck on at the same time, this will drain the propane tank and prevent the greenhouse from getting up to temp.

How many harvests can I get during New York's outdoor growing season if I use light deprivation techniques?

In New York (Latitude ~40°+): 1 Light Dep + 1 Full-Season Harvest Daylight for Vegetative Growth: Begins mid-May (~14+ hours of daylight).

Natural Flower Trigger: ~August 15 (12–13 hours of daylight).Full-Season Harvest: Mid-October (60 days from natural flowering trigger).

Harvest Schedule:Light Dep Vegetative Growth: Mid-May to Mid-June (30 days, >14 hours of daylight).

Light Dep Harvest: Mid-August (60 days flowering, starts mid-June).

Full-Season Vegetative Growth: Natural vegetative period continues until August 15.

Full-Season Harvest: Mid-October (60 days flowering, natural trigger mid-August).

Total Harvests: 2 harvests (1 light dep + 1 full season).

Does it make more sense to build one large gutter connected greenhouse or multiple single span greenhouses in New York?

In New York, single-span greenhouses are a cost-effective solution for small farmers. They shed snow efficiently, are quicker and cheaper to build, and their independent structure minimizes the risk of pest and pathogen spread. While gutter-connect greenhouses offer scalability, they come with higher upfront costs, longer construction timelines, and greater risks of disease spread due to shared systems.

What greenhouse upgrades do I need for perpetual harvests in New York?

To grow year round in New York you will need to control all of the environmental variables to maintain consistent growing conditions. Dual Frame Insulated Greenhouse-Hortitech's dual frame design can grow year round in any state. The internal light deprivation system is protected from weather elements and the 2ft thermal air gap provides superior insulation. Photo period- Use artificial lighting to supplement when days are short to maintain enough DLI to keep plants in vegetative state or to provide enough energy to flower on cloudy winter days. Use light deprivation to shorten the days during spring and summer to maintain flowering cycles. Temperature- Use intake shutters/exhaust fans with light traps to cool and dehumidify the greenhouse during the summer and as needed in shoulder seasons. Use a greenhouse heater to maintain optimal growing conditions year round and to prevent freezing during the winter. Dehumidifiers- During the cooler months when the exhaust fans are not running as often, you will need dehumidifiers to offset the humidity from plant transpiration. All of the water put into the growing media will transpire through the plant and become air borne. Mismanaging humidity will lead to botrytis and powdery mildew.

What greenhouse shape makes more sense to build in New York? Quonset or Semi Gable?

Semi Gable frames are used in areas with snow and high humidity. The steep pitch of our semi gable frame allows for the snow to shed on its own. The increased peak height allows for heat and humidity to rise off the plant canopy and be exhausted by a peak fan.

Should I upgrade to heavy duty woven plastics in New York?

Yes! woven plastics are mandatory with roll to peak light deprivation systems. These systems take time to install, and you'll want to make the most of your investment by using thick plastic, do not use anything less than 9mil. An added benefit Hortitech's clear light dep plastic is that we can weld blackout overlaps into the clear plastic creating a perimeter light seal. This saves on labor and materials, eliminating the need for extra channel, wiggle wire, or lumber.

Dual Frame Light Dep Greenhouse

▪ Perpetual harvests

▪ Long term reliability

▪ Insulated 2ft thermal barrier

▪ Low price compared to gutter connect

Light Dep Greenhouse Kits

▪ Also multiple harvests per year

▪ Lowest start-up costs

▪ Fastest speed to market

▪ Maximized plant canopy

Heavy-Duty Rolling Benches

▪ Eliminates aisles

▪ Maximize your grow space

▪ Heavy-duty design

▪ Made in the USA

All Greenhouse Kits

Browse all pre-configured kits using filters like width, length, price, ventilation method, and greenhouse shape.

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Recommended Features for New York

Galvanized Steel End Walls

We use 2” square tubing for our end wall framing kits. The kit includes the uprights and horizontal wall pieces required for supports and rough openings, and installation hardware such as brackets and screws.

Truss Spacing: Standard 5ft

5ft truss spacing is suitable for moderate snow and wind loads and common in temperate climates. The choice between 4ft, 5ft, or 6ft truss spacing depends on your local climate, with 4ft spacing being ideal for heavy snow areas and 6ft spacing for milder regions.

Sidewall Height: Standard 6ft

All greenhouses come with a 6ft sidewall unless quoted otherwise. Other options include 4ft and 8ft sidewall.

Evaporative Cooling System

An evaporative cooling system efficiently regulates greenhouse temperature, promoting optimal plant growth. It uses water evaporation to cool the air, providing significant cooling on the hottest days. This system also maintains higher humidity levels, preventing plant stress and ensuring a healthy growing environment.

Click each (+) below for more info on each component

Light Deprivation Retrofit

Electric Film Reeler

Spins roll bar to raise or lower blackout cover. Can be replaced with manual chain crank.

lashing winch assembly
Lashing Winch Assembly

Secures retention straps running over greenhouse with adjustable tension.

Aluminum Shutter for greenhouse
Motorized Shutter

Opens with exhaust fans to exchange greenhouse air in one minute.

channel base with wiggle wire
Wiggle Wire & Wirelock Base

Channel mounted to frame, used with wiggle wire to fasten cover to greenhouse without damaging plastic.

Blackout Plastic
Light Dep Arm Assembly

Allows the motor/chain crank to travel up and down the structure.

Light Trap With Metal Housing
Light Trap

Allows air in while keeping light out to ensure complete darkness.

Retention Strap Roll
Wind Retention Strap

Ran over top of greenhouse, winched in to both sides to prevent roll bar from being displaced.

Welded Blackout Overlap Plastic

Custom-made plastic includes blackout skirting to prevent light leaks at the baseboard.

Greenhouse Curtain Side Clasp Roll Bar + Splice 12ft
Sideclasp Rollbar

2" aluminum rollbar with built-in wirelock base.

Endwall Blackout Plastic

Opaque cover blocks out light from the end wall.

9 mil Woven Clear Plastic

Clear woven plastic cover sits under the blackout cover which allows light in while the blackout is rolled up.

Electric Film Reeler

Spins roll bar to raise or lower blackout cover. Can be replaced with manual chain crank.

lashing winch assembly
Lashing Winch Assembly

Secures retention straps running over greenhouse with adjustable tension.

Aluminum Shutter for greenhouse
Motorized Shutter

Opens with exhaust fans to exchange greenhouse air in one minute.

channel base with wiggle wire
Wiggle Wire & Wirelock Base

Channel mounted to frame, used with wiggle wire to fasten cover to greenhouse without damaging plastic.

Blackout Plastic
Light Dep Arm Assembly

Allows the motor/chain crank to travel up and down the structure.

Light Trap With Metal Housing
Light Trap

Allows air in while keeping light out to ensure complete darkness.

Retention Strap Roll
Wind Retention Strap

Ran over top of greenhouse, winched in to both sides to prevent roll bar from being displaced.

Welded Blackout Overlap Plastic

Custom-made plastic includes blackout skirting to prevent light leaks at the baseboard.

Greenhouse Curtain Side Clasp Roll Bar + Splice 12ft
Sideclasp Rollbar

2" aluminum rollbar with built-in wirelock base.

Endwall Blackout Plastic

Opaque cover blocks out light from the end wall.

9 mil Woven Clear Plastic

Clear woven plastic cover sits under the blackout cover which allows light in while the blackout is rolled up.

A modern, scalable, controlled approach to top shelf flower cultivation

Internal Roll to Peak Light Deprivation Greenhouse

The Auto Internal Light Deprivation Kit is complete and ready to go. Kit includes a 1 7/8" x 2 3/8" frame that's 26'x96' inside a 30'x100' frame. The inside frame is completely sealed with air ducted through the end walls to create a 2ft thermal air "bubble" around the growing space. A full ventilation system includes a 400k BTU heater, exhaust fans, automated louvers, and HAF fans to help lower humidity. Woven membranes with a 4 year warranty insures protection from the elements. A fully automated light deprivation package makes controlling the light cycle effortless with 2 powerful 100nm motors and a programmable controller. Includes all necessary accessories for all core functions. Lumber and cement to be purchased separately.

Key features:

  • internal roll to peak system
  • programmable automated light dep system with drive
  • heavy duty woven greenhouse membranes clear & black
  • greenhouse film fastening system
  • fully automated ventilation system
  • 400k BTU Modine greenhouse heater
  • wind retention system
  • steel framed end wall package with barn style sliding door
  • all steel and hardware for framing package

Internal roll-to-peak light deprivation has many advantages over traditional internal curtain and gutter connect operations

Hyper controlled environments
Each greenhouse can be set up to revolve through each stage of plant growth resulting in ideal growing conditions

Rapid speed to market
Option of growing your operation organically with smaller initial investment

Modular scalability
Highly scalable add structures in phases

Improved risk mitigation
Refine proof of concept at smaller scale and expand with confidence

Fewer parts to maintain (less moving parts)
Fewer parts are easier to maintain, simpler to construct, and have fewer (minimal) points of failure

Lower startup & recurring costs
Significantly more economical per square foot, even at scale, fewer initial costs

Fast construction
Build 3 structures in less than a month (9,000 sq/f total)

Resilience to total crop failure
Isolated production areas protect crops from the spread of pathogens & pests

Rapid tax depreciation
Non-permanent structures are considered personal property and have strategic tax advantages

Simpler land requirements
Multiple isolated greenhouses don't require one continuous flat plane

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