Cover the structure or cover the soil
Agricultural film splits into two products that are bought for different reasons. Greenhouse film keeps heat and rain out of or inside the structure. Mulch film lies on the planting bed and manages weeds, moisture and soil temperature. Many farms buy both.
| Air-bubble greenhouse film | Black and two-tone mulch film | |
|---|---|---|
| Fits on | Greenhouse frame or tunnel | Raised bed or flat row |
| Structure | Two skins with air bubbles between | Single multilayer polyethylene |
| Size | 4, 5 or 6 ft wide; 328 ft rolls | 0.9-2.0 m wide; 300-2,000 m rolls |
| Thickness | commonly 0.15-0.25 mm | commonly 0.008-0.030 mm |
| Life | typically 2-5 seasons outdoors | usually one crop cycle |
| Best for | Cool or cold nights | Weed control, warm or cool soil |
Greenhouse film
Single polyethylene covers are the cheapest, but they lose heat quickly at night. A bubble film traps air, which our air-bubble insulating greenhouse film rates at a nominal R-1.7, with about 83% diffused light transmission. Diffused light spreads sun through the canopy and reduces hard shadows. It works well on seedling houses, nurseries and retrofits of older structures in climates with cold nights. In a hot climate, a thick insulating film adds little and a clear single layer with a shade option is usually better.
Fixing counts as much as film quality. A loose cover flaps and wears through at the profile. Use aluminum profile with wiggle wire, or battens with clips, and keep the film taut across the ridge. Anti-condensation treatment stops drops falling on the crop. Regions with strong sun need a heavier UV package.
Reference guides we reviewed group greenhouse film by life: seasonal film, multi-season film and long-life film, with thickness rising from tens of microns to over 200. The longer the life you want, the more UV stabiliser and layers you pay for.
Mulch film
The black and two-tone polyethylene mulch film comes in black, black-white or black-silver, in smooth blown or embossed cast surfaces. Black is the weed-control standard. Two-tone suits hot weather because the reflective side faces up and keeps the soil cooler. Thin film is fine for a short leafy crop. Tomato, pepper and melon crops that stay for months need heavier film, especially in wind. Machine laying also asks for stronger film and edge-trimmed rolls, which we supply as standard.
Pre-punched planting holes save labour if your plant spacing is fixed.
What to send for a quote
- Greenhouse or mulch use, and crop
- Structure dimensions or bed width and length
- Required width, thickness and roll length
- Climate: coldest night temperature, sun load, wind
- Fixing hardware wanted
- Port of delivery
See the Agriculture and Livestock overview for storage and drying equipment that follows the harvest, such as crop storage.