Balancing speed of growth and the low light tolerance of foliage plants is one of the most difficult challenges when growing foliage.

Compared to growing in shadehouses or simple poly houses, growers using retractable roof greenhouses and shadehouses have reported achieving up to 30% faster growth, more desirable internode lengths, and a better overall quality.One Florida grower commented that he gained 4 months of growth in the winter on the crops inside the retractable roof compared to the crops in a shadehouse with overwintering poly installed.

This is accomplished by using the retractable clear or white poly roofs to keep plants warmer in the winter and cooler in the summer. Plants are exposed to direct sunlight early in the morning and during the late afternoon when they benefit most from the extra light, and are protected from the excessive heat midday when they cannot tolerate it.

For acclimation, a retractable shade system has resulted in crop quality actually improving during the acclimation stage, instead of deteriorating like what can happen under a 70% or 80% stationary black shade. When shipping was slower than normal and crops were in the acclimation house under the retractable shade longer than normal, crops continue to grow in size without the internode lengths becoming excessive. This has avoided the need to cut back and regrow plants like what typically happens under stationary shade.