Retractable roof greenhouses also known as open roof greenhouses help eliminate the common risks tied to all-greenhouse or all-outdoor crop production by providing greater control and flexibility over your growing environment. 

You can safely expose your crops to outdoor environments for steering and conditioning without moving them and without compromising their protection.  

It’s the best of both worlds. 

So, why choose an open roof/retractable roof greenhouse? Below are seven reasons why making the switch can benefit your crops, your crew, and your customers. 

1. Put the Natural Elements to Work

Annuals and other bedding plants must eventually leave the comforts of the greenhouse. But first, they need gradual conditioning or toughening up to prepare them for harsher outdoor conditions.  

Plants sitting on outside benches are at the mercy of sudden weather changes—cold snaps, heavy rain, or high winds—that could damage them or set their growth back.  

An Open Roof Greenhouse or one with a retractable roof allows you to acclimate your plants to the outdoors with complete control and without extra handling.  

You simply open the roof when conditions are favorable and close it when inclement weather threatens. 

2. Save on Labor 

Traipsing back and forth to move plant containers out of the greenhouse to harden them off requires a significant amount of time and labor, which you can put to better use. 

Instead of moving plants, you open your roof for conditioning and keep your outdoor growing space free for other uses. 

Instead of half your team spending hours swapping out seasonal coverings, you can eliminate this labor-intensive step. 

For crops like florist azaleas, using an open-roof greenhouse can mean two to five fewer handling steps, according to Sven. E. Svenson, a horticulture and agribusiness professor at Southeast Missouri State University (previously with Oregon State University). 

In his article Growing Under Open Roofs, Svenson says you can eliminate as much as 50% of your handling labor costs by growing under an open-roof, depending on your crop and current handling system.   

3. Maximize DIF and DIP to Reduce PGR Use 

You can use a retractable roof greenhouse or an open-roof greenhouse to manipulate DIF (the temperature difference between day and night) and DIP (the morning temperature drop). This has a similar effect to plant growth regulators (PGRs) on plant growth. 

Here’s an example. 

A positive DIF promotes stem elongation, while a negative DIF inhibits it. If you want more compact plants, you could open your greenhouse roof just before sunrise to let the greenhouse temperature drop, then close it a few hours later to warm the greenhouse back up. 

This dip in temperature creates the negative DIF needed to suppress stem elongation. You also gain some energy efficiency since you’re not heating your greenhouse as long overnight. 

Christopher Currey, an associate professor of horticulture at Iowa State, dives deeper into this method in “DIP or Drop: The cost-effective DIF.”  

4. Protect Crops from Unwanted Moisture 

You can shield your crops from excess moisture without sacrificing airflow because the peak-gutters in open-roof greenhouses catch the rain while the roof stays slightly open for ventilation. 

And because retractable and open roof systems open by degrees, you can crack it open slightly, from 10% to 15%, in the morning to clear out moisture and humidity without shocking the crop. Continue to open it wider incrementally for the next few hours and then begin closing it in the afternoon to lock in heat for the night. 

The best part? It’s all automated. No manual adjustments needed.  

5. Access Superior Light Levels 

When your crops don’t need shade, you can open your greenhouse roof to expose them to direct sunlight. When carefully controlled, this exposure improves crop quality and leads to healthier and hardier crops. 

This also prepares crops for the constant ultra-violet (UV) exposure they’ll face when outdoors full-time. 

Additives in greenhouse coverings filter out UV light to prevent damage to both the structure and the crop. However, certain crops require some UV light exposure to trigger the natural defenses that help them adjust to full-sun conditions. 

An open-roof greenhouse gives you the control to manage UV exposure more closely. When you move plants to outdoor benches for conditioning, you lose some of that control. 

6. Take Advantage of Natural Breezes 

Letting plants get a taste of natural breezes that cause them to gently sway has several benefits, including:  

• Promoting compact growth 

• Strengthening the stems 

• Preventing pest attacks 

• Reducing disease outbreaks 

• Improving CO₂ uptake  

Natural breezes also encourage the proper development of waxy surfaces on leaves and stems. This helps reduce water loss and provides some defense against insect feeding and disease development, according to Svenson. 

As he puts it, natural breezes are free, but you need a structure that lets you take advantage of them. 

An open-roof greenhouse/retractable roof greenhouse allows you to gently introduce natural breezes without stressing your crop. It’s a simple way to help plants toughen up while still protecting them from harsh outdoor conditions. 

7. Create a Better Shopping Experience 

On the retail side, open-roof greenhouses make it easier to maintain comfortable temperatures through natural ventilation and airflow. 

This means you rely less on fans and pads—so you benefit from lower energy costs and your customers enjoy a quieter environment. 

The higher ceilings and shallow peak heights of open-roof greenhouses also make the space feel more open, helping shoppers feel less cramped. 

When the weather turns nice, you can create the fresh, open-air shopping experience that customers love. If the weather worsens, simply close the roof to allow people to continue shopping without interruption. 

Get the Best of Both Worlds with a Prospiant Open-Roof Greenhouse

Why settle for all-inside or all-outside growing when you can have the best of both? 

An Open Roof greenhouse gives you the freedom to use natural sunlight and fresh air—while still maintaining control over the growing environment when the weather turns. It offers you a lot of flexibility in unpredictable climates. 

All our Open Roof greenhouse roof vents operate with a rack-and-pinion drive for a more positive mechanical system, rather than cables and wires.  

You can also choose from 8 mm polycarbonate or acrylic panels, or double-inflated polyethylene film for your covering.  We’ve designed our Open Roof so these coverings are easy to replace or potentially upgrade when they wear out—saving you time and hassle compared to typical Open Roof greenhouse systems on the market. 

An Open Roof greenhouse pays for itself in better-toned crops, labor savings, happier customers, and peace of mind. 

Let nature do more of the work—without giving up control when it counts. 

We’ll help you find the open-roof greenhouse setup that fits your operation. Contact us today!