Successful agriculture and horticulture in Alberta’s short growing seasons require durable, high-quality greenhouses. Slip Tube is a Canadian family-run business and commercial greenhouse supplier that offers fully customizable greenhouses to meet your needs.
Industrial and commercial greenhouses play a crucial role in Alberta’s agriculture and horticulture industries. With a relatively short growing season due to cold winters and springs, Alberta farmers stand to benefit significantly from the use of greenhouses, which allow them to grow a wider range of crops throughout the year.
Greenhouses account for more than 137 hectares of growing space in Alberta. The use of commercial greenhouses has been steadily increasing, with the popularity of poly greenhouses surpassing that of glass greenhouses due to better heat retention. The most common vegetables produced in commercial greenhouses in Alberta are tomatoes, cucumbers, and peppers.
In general, the Alberta climate is characterized by cold winters and short springs, which results in a short growing season. The frost-free growing season usually lasts from late May to the middle of September. However, using a commercial greenhouse can extend your growing season from only four months to more than seven months per year.
The predominantly sunny weather in Alberta makes it easy to capture warmth and regulate the temperature during cold weather. However, scheduling crops must be done carefully because light levels significantly decrease in the winter months. Depending on which part of Alberta you are growing in, you may have different requirements for an industrial or commercial greenhouse. For example, the mountainous regions of the province face more extreme temperatures that might necessitate insulation. Other considerations are poor soil quality in certain geographic areas, where hydroponic methods in greenhouses may be the best solution for creating a favourable growing environment.
Growing in a commercial greenhouse allows you to get transplants ready so that they are mature enough to plant in the spring. Commercial greenhouses not only extend the growing season and allow you to plant a greater variety of vegetables but also protect plants from pests in a controlled environment.
When selecting an industrial or commercial greenhouse supplier in Alberta, opt for an extremely experienced supplier that understands how to evaluate relevant characteristics in your growing area. These include considering low and high temperatures and weather challenges such as frost, snow, rain, and wind to ensure your greenhouse can withstand the climate in your geographic region.
Most areas of Alberta experience temperatures well below freezing in the winter. For growing year-round in a cold climate you need to consider extra insulation or a heating system for your commercial or industrial greenhouse. If your area receives regular snowfall, you will also need to consider the ability of your structure to handle heavy snow loading.
Slip Tube has been manufacturing high-quality polyethylene greenhouses since 1981. Our durable, customizable greenhouses are used in Alberta, North America, and beyond. Our extensive experience with designing, manufacturing, and supplying commercial and industrial greenhouses means we can confidently offer greenhouses for any growing purpose and climate.
We use durable arches made from the finest North American steel, which can withstand the harsh Alberta climate. The fully galvanized tubing and corrosion-resistant materials will ensure your commercial greenhouse lasts for multiple growing seasons. We offer several polyethylene options, including Clear 4-Year UVA Treated 6-mil Poly, Anti-Drip Clear 6-mil Poly, Over Winter White Poly, 24-mil Woven Polyethylene, and more.
Slip Tube can build a commercial or industrial greenhouse perfectly tailored to your company’s needs. We can assist with installing any mechanical ventilation, thermostats, humidistats, and furnaces necessary for your greenhouse growing needs. We also offer two different shapes (Gothic or Round) depending on whether your area of Alberta receives heavy snowfall or not, along with other due diligence for winter conditions. Choose from a wide selection of doors (steel garage doors, metal framed, polycarbonate clad, sliding doors, or swinging doors), shade cloths, straps, cranks, handles, exhaust fans, circulation fans, webbing, intake shutters, and poly tubes.
A light deprivation system provides an effective and affordable way to optimize your growing space and maximize your yields. Slip Tube’s unique external light deprivation system has been perfected over a decade and can be operated as either a manual or automated system. The advantage of this external system is that it doesn’t take away valuable space inside the greenhouse and does not create any condensation issues that interior blackout systems do.
Our family-owned and operated business has been manufacturing and supplying commercial greenhouse solutions for a variety of businesses for more than four decades, including in British Columbia and across North America.
We enjoy thinking outside of the box to bring your ideas to life to ensure you get the best growing results possible. From providing site-specific engineering drawings to helping relocate greenhouses and providing a supervisor to help you through installation – we do it all!
Get in touch to find out how we can supply an industrial or commercial greenhouse tailored to your needs in Alberta.
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