If you’re planning to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in high volumes, investing in a large-scale greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumbers isn’t just helpful—it’s essential.

These crops are high-demand, high-value, and high-maintenance. A purpose-built produce greenhouse, like Prospiant’s Venlo model, gives you the precision control needed for your crops to thrive in an optimal greenhouse environment.

Tomatoes and Cucumbers Don’t Leave Room for Error

Tomatoes and cucumbers don’t tolerate mistakes well. They demand the right growing conditions day in and day out—and just one misstep can set your yields back.

Open-field production has its place, but when you’re growing at volume for retail or wholesale, there is too much left to chance. Weather volatility, inconsistent yields, and increased pest pressures can make it difficult to meet market standards.

A large-scale greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumbers solves these problems by giving you full control over temperature, humidity, airflow, and light levels—all critical factors for maximizing fruit quality and yields.

With the right infrastructure you can:

• Grow year-round
• Stabilize production and reduce crop loss
• Dial in climate and fertigation to match crop stages
• Harvest on schedule, regardless of the weather

Why the Venlo Greenhouse Works So Well for Produce Cultivation

When it comes to designing a large-scale greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumbers, the Venlo model sets the standard, checking off every box for produce growers. It’s a proven structure growers use across North America for commercial greenhouse production.

What Sets It Apart

Venlo greenhouses work well for produce due to their glass roofs, high ceilings, and venting options. They offer:

• Alternating skip vents that allow for the release of heat and humidity at a controlled pace
• Maximum light transmission at a lower cost per square foot compared to glasshouses
• Lower energy costs thanks to their shallow-peak design
• Interior trusses strong enough for screen systems, trellises, lighting, air flow fans, and more
• Flexible layouts for different venting and cooling styles

A Large-Scale Greenhouse for Tomatoes and Cucumbers Needs Height

In any greenhouse design for commercial produce, height is important—especially for crops like tomatoes and cucumbers that require high-light conditions and a specific growing environment.

Taller Greenhouses Provide a Built-In Air Buffer

Greenhouses with high gutter heights have more air volume to buffer exterior temperature and humidity fluctuations.

The coverings used for produce greenhouses have high light-transmitting properties but often lack insulating properties. This means the weather conditions outside have more of an impact on what goes on inside the greenhouse.

Extreme temperature changes can lead to stunted growth and reduced fruiting of your tomato and cucumber plants. But a taller greenhouse with an air buffer and climate screens installed protects the crops.

The larger air volume in a taller greenhouse creates an air buffer that slows down temperature changes. This helps keep conditions more stable around your plants and their fruit, which leads to a healthier growing environment.

Ventilation That Supports Transpiration

Taller greenhouses improve natural ventilation by giving warm air more space to rise and exit through roof vents, making room for cooler air to enter from below.

This air movement is key for plant transpiration because it clears away the layer of humidity around the leaf surfaces, which helps plants transpire more effectively.

Prospiant Builds for Scale—and for Growers 

Prospiant has constructed over 1,700 acres of our modified Dutch glasshouse-style greenhouses, equipped with traditional Venlo venting. That includes numerous Venlo greenhouses specifically designed for high-volume tomato and cucumber cultivation.

Customize Your Venting Style

We’ll work with you to ensure the venting style of your Venlo optimizes your crop environment and capabilities—with continuous, double continuous, and open-roof options.

Tap Into Targeted, Energy-efficient Cooling

Exhaust fans located at crop level and above screening systems help maintain the greenhouse environment through effective air exchange when paired with cost-effective evaporative cooling systems.

In our greenhouse environment, we recirculate and adjust the indoor air to match target temperature and humidity levels, instead of using energy to constantly condition fresh air from outside.

Find the Right Fit for Your Location and Goals

The needs of your crop and the location of your production-scale greenhouse shape everything—from the structure itself to the integration of the growing systems and climate controls you’ll need.

Factors like temperature, light, and environment all play a major role in your success. That’s where we come in—we’re here to help you get it right.

Tomatoes and cucumbers are demanding crops. But with the right greenhouse, you can meet that demand and scale your business with confidence. A large-scale greenhouse for tomatoes and cucumbers from Prospiant gives you the tools, systems, and support to get there.

Explore what’s possible with Prospiant’s Venlo greenhouses for large-scale produce growers.