We want to be able to produce a top quality crop of leafy greens economically, quickly, and repeatedly. In Part One of the Lettuce Blog Series, we discussed the importance of Greenhouse Structures and Crop Management to provide the best possible space for growing. Now, let's consider setting up the inputs to create the best possible growing environment in that greenhouse, focusing on optimizing lettuce growth stages.
In every commercial greenhouse, upgrades are an inevitable reality in order to remain competitive. Updating your greenhouse with the latest greenhouse technology and greenhouse automation is a great way to become more efficient and save on costs, but for growers with older greenhouses or dated equipment, it can be difficult to know where to start.
Year-round commercial greenhouse operations require reliable structures and heating systems that will ensure optimal growing conditions through the winter season. To accommodate the amount of energy that’s required to operate a greenhouse in the cold season, it’s important that your heating system is running as efficiently as possible. If you don’t, an inefficient heating system in your greenhouse will result in wasted energy that will negatively impact your bottom line. You can maintain and increase efficiency in your greenhouse by following the recommendations below:
For greenhouse growers that are ready to expand their business, often one of the first thoughts is to build more or expand on existing greenhouses. While there certainly does come a time where it does makes sense for a grower to expand their operation, it may not be the best option for everyone.
As the cannabis industry continues to mature, more growers have realized that optimal growing happens in greenhouse environments. Even growers who began their indoor grow operations in warehouses have transitioned to greenhouses for more efficient growing and major cost savings.
Here are just a few of the key benefits to growing your cannabis crops in greenhouses:
Managing all of the environmental factors in a commercial greenhouse is a lot to take care of when you’re trying to grow continuously high quality crops. This is why more growers are choosing an integrated environmental computer system that controls all of their environmental factors cohesively. An integrated system eases a lot of the burden and challenges growers face trying to manage all of these factors by keeping your system attuned to the needs of your crop without the need for constant monitoring and adjustment. A fully integrated system will help to build consistent and predictable cycles that will maintain an ideal growing environment.
As we head into October, the cooler days signify that heating season is here. Heating your greenhouse is a necessary reality for commercial growers to maintain an ideal climate for their crops, but with energy prices on the rise, warming the greenhouse can be a costly endeavor. Growers must ensure they're getting the most out of their heating system and often maintaining efficiency involved simple maintenance. Here is quick checklist to maximize the efficiency of your greenhouse heating system:
With a crop as profitable and heavily regulated as cannabis, growers must ensure that they will get the most out of their grow facility in order to produce high quality yields while meeting regulations. The following are common mistakes that should be avoided when setting up a commercial marijuana operation:
