Now imagine yourself trying to start your own greenhouse. It would only make sense to hire an experienced grower to grow your crops. However, did you know that there are several different varieties of plants with their own varieties of seed?
We all know the basics when planting a crop. Many of us mistake the ease of growing crops, because we are growing them in a covered area with everything that one plant needs to produce a yield. Not all crops grow the same way and at times we must account for the pH of the soil, soil temperature, humidity, sunlight, and many other factors.
“Indoor farming is not about how much production you can possibly cram into a space. It’s about growing better food closer to market and maximizing your production as a function of the resources you invest, such as capital, light, water, energy, and labor.” – Chris Michael, Bright Agrotech
Choosing the crops, you plan to grow in your indoor farm should be about practicability. In most cases you can grow anything you desire in an indoor farm, but the real question is, “is it feasible for you to grow that crop?”
Here are some factors to consider when selecting crops to grow within your indoor farm. Economic viability, liability, and time. If you cannot make money off the crops you are growing is it really going to benefit your business. It is important to choose crops that have a demand, don’t require much in production costs, and has a reasonable climate needed to grow within your indoor farm.
Another thing to consider is timing. Would your company benefit by producing short season or long season crops? Growing crops that hit maturity faster can limit the liability of an inventory turnover and reduce production costs giving you potentially higher returns. However, if you plan on growing long-term crops such as herbs you begin to raise cost in maintenance and production of the plant. Some of these long-term crops might have larger returns in profit, but you increase your liability in growing a successfully yielding plant.
These unique considerations are imperative in creating a successful platform for your new indoor growing facility. Never forget that there is more to one plant than what you might believe. Understanding what you are growing from seed to harvest is important even knowing the common pests and diseases that can happen in your indoor farm is critical, which is why I would like to refer to my previous article about why we need farmers.
For further information on factors of what you should grow visit here.