Section 1: Fields, Greenhouses, and Gardens

Glossary

Lesson 4: Greenhouse/Nursery Crop Production


Greenhouse and nursery crops are usually horticultural crops. They require consistent warmth, and soil is NOT the best medium for producing most greenhouse crops. Thus, a variety of material is used (e.g., peat and other organic materials such as straw) for growing these plants.
Even water can be the primary growing medium, especially for horticultural "fruit vegetables" (tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers).
Greenhouse crops are generally less hardy than field crops.
 
  

 
  • Climate-controllable greenhouses can be used in harsher climatic environments to grow crops that require warm climates.

  • Greenhouses are also used in hot climates to moderate growing conditions. For example, in Spain, they consist of shade cloth, rather than glass or plastic.


 
  • Although greenhouses can be very productive, their space limitations make them unsuitable for large-scale production of staple food sources.

  • There are also major environmental concerns:

    • management of water and fertilizer run-off - the large amounts of water and fertilizer used has the potential for groundwater contamination.

    • waste management - greenhouses produce a large amount of plant debris which must be composted or otherwise disposed of (plant debris can harbour plant disease organisms).

    • pest control - the close proximity of plants is conducive to the spreading of plant pests and cross-contamination with various plant diseases.



    Greenhouse tomatoes (left) are being grown in soil and/or peat. The sweet bell peppers (right) are being grown hydroponically, using only water as a growing medium.




      Digging Deeper


    Hydroponic Tomato Greenhouse   

    Click here to have a bird's eye view of a specialty variety tomato growing operation at Del Fresco Produce, in Leamington, Ontario.