Glasshouses and Hydroponics: How Greenhouses Boost Sustainable Growing

Greenhouses, often called glasshouses, are vital tools for modern growers, especially those using hydroponic systems. In this blog, we explore why glasshouses are more than just elegant structures and how they are revolutionizing hydroponic cultivation in temperate climates.

Why Glasshouses Matter

While the term “greenhouse” often refers to any plant-growing enclosure, glasshouses are specifically structures with glass walls and roofs. Unlike polytunnels made from plastic films, glasshouses offer superior light penetration, heat retention, and environmental control. This makes them a preferred choice for year-round hydroponic cultivation.

Dr. Russell Sharp, the inventor of the all-in-one Liquid Gold fertilizer, highlights the unique advantages of glasshouses over polytunnels. Glass better re-radiates infrared heat, creating a stable growing environment. Additionally, glasshouses are equipped with automated vents, supplemental lighting, and CO2 enrichment systems, offering precise climate control.

Enhancing Plant Growth Year-Round

Glasshouses extend the growing season and enable early germination and transplanting of crops such as tomatoes, chilies, and spring onions. Heated glasshouses prevent frost damage in cooler climates, ensuring optimal growth even in early spring.

CO₂ enrichment in commercial setups can triple ambient CO₂ levels using gas or kerosene burners. For home growers, electric or oil-based heaters with thermostats, bubble wrap insulation, and heated propagators help maintain ideal temperatures.

Sustainable Heating and Environmental Control

Innovative heating solutions include geothermal systems, waste heat from breweries and factories, and even passive heat storage using water-filled bottles. These methods not only reduce environmental impact but also help stabilize greenhouse temperatures overnight.

Commercial operations like British Sugar and geothermal-powered farms in Iceland showcase the potential of integrating waste energy systems with glasshouse growing.

Hydroponics in Glasshouses

Most hydroponic methods can be used in glasshouses except for vertical farming, which requires artificial lighting for all tiers. In Europe, the most popular method is Nutrient Film Technique (NFT) for crops like tomatoes and cucumbers. For strawberries, a gully system using coco coir is common.

Other systems used include:

• Coco Coir Systems: Increasingly replacing rockwool due to environmental concerns.
• Deep Water Culture (DWC): Popular in North America, less so in Europe.
• Aeroponics: Gaining traction with companies like Let Us Grow.
• Aquaponics: More prevalent in North America and developing countries.
• Soil-based Growing: Declining due to pest build-up, though still used in Japan.
• Ebb and Flood: Rare but used for ornamental plants.

Final Thoughts

Glasshouses bridge the gap between indoor grow rooms and outdoor farming. They provide a weather-resistant, energy-efficient, and scalable solution for growing a wide range of hydroponic crops. As technologies advance, the integration of renewable energy and precise climate control will continue to make glasshouses a cornerstone of sustainable agriculture.

Whether you’re a hobbyist or a commercial grower, investing in a well-designed glasshouse can significantly elevate your hydroponic yields and resilience year-round.

And if you are looking for an excellent fertilizer to help out with growing in those glasshouses, check out Liquid Gold

Article by Dr Russell Sharp

If you would like to keep up to date with subjects just like this, you can listen to both our podcasts! Links can be found bellow:

Hydroponics Daily Podcast: https://open.spotify.com/show/207T7p7fw9sPjINfSjVXW2

Cereal Killers Podcast: https://t.co/eSEbBkTVHl