6 Tips for Getting the Most out of Your Greenhouse Poly
With the early order poly booking season underway, now is a good time for growers operating in poly greenhouses to take stock of their complete poly maintenance and management systems.
Greenhouse grade poly is designed to be weather and UV resistant, and therefore it will last a long time under the right conditions. The most popular greenhouse poly for growing is a 4 year UV resistant poly. These greenhouse tips will help you get the most out of your poly. Following these best practices below will help make your greenhouse more energy efficient and will increase the lifespan of your greenhouse poly.
Use Cool, Dry Air to Inflate Your Double Layer Poly
The air you use to inflate your greenhouse poly matters! Use air from outside that is cooler and dryer – it will reduce moisture from building up between your layers of poly, and will also prevent greenhouse chemicals from coming in contact with inside film layers.
Upgrade Your Inflators
Attach air deflectors to your air inflation fans – they will prolong the life of your greenhouse poly.
Space Out Your Layers
A good rule of thumb for air inflation levels in double layer installations is to have 4 to 8 inches of air space between the layers. The only way to really know if you have the correct air pressure is to use a manometer. Air pressure between the two layers should be .2 to .45 inches ( 0.5 to 1 cm ) on cold windy days.
Protect Your Greenhouse Poly from Harmful Chemicals to Increase Lifespan
Greenhouse poly is UV stabilized, meaning it’s resistant to the deteriorating effects of the sun’s harmful ultraviolet rays. However, certain chemicals like sulphur and chlorine can deactivate the ultraviolet inhibitors in the poly and shorten its lifespan. Keep harmful chemicals away. Sulphur burners, which are used in some greenhouse for disease prevention, are a common source of sulphur buildup on poly surfaces.
Just Say No to PVC Pipe
PVC pipe is not compatible with UV stabilized greenhouse poly, and may void your poly warranty.
Use White Latex Paint on Your Structure to Reduce Heat Buildup
Growers can reduce heat buildup on greenhouse frame members coming in contact with poly by applying white latex paint. Painting frame members along with poly lock channels will reduce surface friction and reflect excessive heat that accelerates poly degradation. GGS stocks 4 year greenhouse poly in tubes and in sheets for a variety of sizes. We stock anti-drip films, clear films, and also White Nursery Poly.
Author
Amy Carter
Amy Carter was born in Dover, England, and studied graphic design & advertising at Canterbury College and University of Greenwich before moving to Canada. Amy works in the marketing department at GGS Structures Inc. Having previously worked for a large pharmaceutical company Amy understands both B2B and B2C marketing. At GGS Structures Inc. our goal is to help our greenhouse and garden center customers grow their businesses.
