Greenhouses for
Tropical Fruit in NZ

Most NZ greenhouses are built for seedlings, not tropical fruit. There's a real difference — and getting it wrong costs you your crop. Here's what actually works, from 49 years of growing Tropicals in Auckland and Northland.

1
Greenhouses are great
2
The 52°C shock
3
Windows open — still hot
4
What heat does to plants
5
25 cents a day
5 things worth knowing about NZ greenhouses and tropical fruit.
Click any number to find out.

Free Greenhouse Heat Calculator

Enter your greenhouse details — results appear instantly for both a moderate sunny day and the hottest day of the year in your region.

Your greenhouse details

Average height inside — taller greenhouse = cooler. This matters a lot.
32°C
This is what your thermostat holds. Set it to match your controller setpoint.
🌡️

Enter your details and click Calculate — you'll see both a moderate day and the hottest day of the year for your region, for every level of ventilation.

Your Greenhouse Results
Outside air Danger Too warm Safe range Optimal zone
⛅ Moderate Sunny Day
☀️ Peak Hot Day

📬 Send these results to your inbox

No email app needed — fills in directly here. We'll send your greenhouse analysis to you.

Three levels of growing — what each achieves

Where your tree sits determines which varieties you can grow and how well they'll perform.

🌳
Outside
5–32°C

NZ outdoor range, Northland

  • ✓ Works for 9 hardy varieties
  • ✓ No infrastructure cost
  • ✗ Cold southerlies damage new growth
  • ✗ Wet winters stress roots
  • ✗ Frost risk for young trees
  • ✗ Premium varieties not possible
Best varieties: Kesar, Rajapuri, Alphonso, Mallika, Himsagar, Chausa, Dasheri, Langra, Neelam
🏠
Basic Greenhouse
10–44°C

Unmanaged NZ greenhouse range

  • ✓ Frost protection achieved
  • ✓ Dry winter rest possible
  • ~ Summer temps often too high
  • ✗ Overheating damages trees
  • ✗ Poor airflow causes disease
  • ✗ Manual management required constantly
Better than outside — but without ventilation, summer heat causes real damage
🌡️
Controlled Greenhouse
10–32°C

Managed with our equipment

  • ✓ Temperature controlled automatically
  • ✓ All 14 varieties possible
  • ✓ Dry winter rest achieved
  • ✓ Good airflow prevents disease
  • ✓ No constant monitoring needed
  • ✓ Can beat India's variable climate
All varieties including Himiyat, Banganapalli, Peda Rasalu, Cheruku Rasalu
"
In our 6×3.3m greenhouse we set our target temperature at 32°C with a cooling differential of 2°C — so the fan turns on at 34°C and off at 32°C. It's that simple. On moderate days it costs around 10 cents a day to hold that temperature. On the hottest days, maybe 25 cents. That's why we hardly ever lose plants. Good temperature control keeps plants healthy — and healthy plants are far less prone to disease, pests, and the problems that frustrate most growers.
— Ben King, BensGarden, Kaitaia. 49 years growing tropical fruit in NZ.

Equipment — what we sell and what it does

Every item chosen specifically for tropical fruit growing. Not generic greenhouse gear — the right tools for the job.

Recommended Devices

Controllers and monitoring devices that work with our equipment. Click the image for a full review on each.

Inkbird IBS-TH2 📱
Full Review →
Temperature & Humidity Monitor
Inkbird IBS-TH2
Bluetooth temperature and humidity sensor with phone app. Logs data over time — you can see the overnight lows and midday peaks. Great for understanding what your greenhouse is actually doing.
Inkbird IBS-TH3 📡
Full Review →
WiFi Temperature & Humidity
Inkbird IBS-TH3
WiFi-connected upgrade on the TH2 — data goes directly to the cloud so you can check your greenhouse temperature from anywhere. Real-time alerts if your greenhouse overheats or gets too cold overnight.
Inkbird ITC-308WIFI 🔌
Full Review →
WiFi Temperature Controller
Inkbird ITC-308WIFI
Plug-in dual-stage temperature controller with WiFi. Controls both heating and cooling devices — plug your fan or heater directly in. App-controlled setpoints and remote monitoring. Works with 200mm and 400mm fans.

Note: Devices listed are our recommendations — we don't sell them directly. Buy from electronics retailers or Amazon NZ. Our reviews cover exactly how to set them up for tropical fruit growing.

Already have a greenhouse?

Most existing greenhouses can be made to work properly for tropical fruit with the right modifications. Ben's been fixing badly-designed greenhouses for years.

What usually needs fixing

Nine out of ten greenhouses we look at have the same problems — all fixable:

  • 🌡️ No ridge vent — hot air has nowhere to escape
  • 🌬️ No base ventilation — no airflow through the structure
  • 🌀 No exhaust fan — passive ventilation not enough on hot days
  • 📐 Wrong orientation — south-facing traps cold, wastes sun
  • 💧 Poor drainage under plastic — wet roots in winter
  • 🌿 No clear airflow path — stagnant humid air causes disease

The good news is that most of these are straightforward to fix — and our equipment is designed to retrofit into existing structures.

Get honest advice from Sam

Email us with your greenhouse dimensions, orientation, and what you're growing. We'll tell you what's likely causing problems and what would fix it — no obligation.

We've seen enough greenhouses to know quickly what's wrong and the most cost-effective fix.

sam@kingag.co.nz →

09 408 0420

Which varieties need greenhouse protection?

A controlled greenhouse opens up varieties that simply aren't possible outside in most of New Zealand.

Alphonso
Can Grow Outside

Thrives in Northland/Auckland without protection.

Kesar
Can Grow Outside

Ben's top pick for outside growing in NZ.

Rajapuri
Can Grow Outside

Vigorous and productive. Handles NZ conditions well.

Mallika
Can Grow Outside

Outstanding flavour. Performs well in Northland.

Chausa
Can Grow Outside

Juiciest mango in the world. Fine outside in NZ.

Himiyat
Greenhouse Essential

Lychee-honey flavour. Needs protection to perform.

Banganapalli
Greenhouse Essential

Clean firm flesh. Greenhouse necessary in NZ.

Peda Rasalu
Heated GH Advised

Ultimate juice mango. Needs warmth to fruit reliably.

Cheruku Rasalu
Heated GH Advised

Extraordinary sweetness. Worth every bit of effort.

See full tasting profiles and growing notes → Mango Tasting Profiles

🏗️ Building your own greenhouse?

Plans for three sizes — from a single-tree hut to a 21×8m commercial structure. Free to download and use.

Download Free Plans →

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