Choosing greenhouse film

Film is the most visible cost of a film greenhouse, and a wrong choice costs a harvest. Here is what to look at so the cover lasts as long as promised.

Thickness: how many microns

• 80⁠–⁠100 µm — temporary covers, seedlings and hotbeds for one season.
• 120⁠–⁠150 µm — the all⁠-⁠round choice for arched greenhouses: handles wind and lasts 1⁠–⁠2 seasons.
• 180⁠–⁠200 µm — large commercial greenhouses and windy areas.

Thicker isn't always better: very thick film lets in less light and costs more. For most farm greenhouses 120⁠–⁠150 µm is optimal.

The stabiliser decides the lifespan

Plain polyethylene turns brittle and tears under the Uzbek sun within 6⁠–⁠8 months. Film with a UV stabiliser lasts 2⁠–⁠3 seasons. The price difference is small, and you replace the cover two to three times less often.

Useful additives

• Light⁠-⁠diffusing — softer light, fewer leaf burns.
• Anti⁠-⁠fog — droplets don't gather on the roof and drip on leaves, fewer diseases.
• Thermal — keeps heat longer at night, useful for early planting.

How not to damage film when installing

• Stretch it in cool weather, morning or evening: in the heat film expands and later sags.
• Paint the metal frame a light colour or wrap it with tape: hot metal burns through the film where they touch.
• Don't over⁠-⁠tighten — leave a little slack so the film doesn't split in the wind.

Send us the greenhouse size and what you grow — we'll choose the thickness and additives and work out the metres and price. We make the film ourselves in Samarkand and deliver to every region of Uzbekistan.