CROP 01 · STRUCTURE NOTES
Tomatoes want height, air and a wire that does not sag.
Indeterminate tomatoes are trained up a wire and picked for months. That makes eaves height, crop-support strength and vent capacity the three structural decisions — span comes fourth.
A tomato house is tall because the crop is tall and because the air above the canopy is the buffer that stops temperature swinging. Low houses with the same floor area carry less air, ventilate worse and produce a harder climate to manage. Height is not a luxury line in the quotation; it is the climate system.
| Decision | Why the crop forces it | Typical value |
|---|---|---|
| Eaves height | Wire height + canopy + air buffer | 4.0–6.0 m |
| Span | Bed layout and internal transport | 8.0–9.6 m |
| Crop support | Fruit truss load on the wire | Ø33.5 rails at 1.5–2.0 m |
| Vent area | Humidity control at canopy level | 15–25 % of floor |
| Roof pitch | Condensation drip away from fruit | per design |
The crop-support rail is the member that gets forgotten and then overloaded. It is usually a Ø33.5 tube spanning between posts, carrying tensioned wire. If the rail spacing is stretched, the wire sags, the trusses hang lower and picking slows down. We quote the rail and the wire hooks as separate lines so the quantity is visible.
What to send with a tomato enquiry
Row spacing, wire height, expected truss load per metre, and whether the house needs a ridge vent or only side vents. Those four set the height and the purlin pattern.
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NEXT STEP
Quote a house around your tomato plan
Send the crop plan: row spacing, support height and vent target. We will translate it into a frame schedule you can price.