Blush Fact:

Lycopene is part of the family of pigments called ‘carotenoids’ which are natural compounds that create the colour of fruits and vegetables. For example beta carotene is the pigment that give carrots their orange colour.

How it Operates

The technologically advanced Guyra glasshouses are designed for environmental sustainability. The glasshouses are heated by a hot water piping system and their climate is controlled by computers. Any radiant heat trapped in the glass is expelled through a computer-controlled venting system that responds to external variables such as wind, temperature and humidity.

Blush employees stacking tomatoes

To maintain the perfect climate for the plants, excessive heat is dispersed through the venting system. The glasshouses need to maintain a temperature of 16–26°C all year round. If humidity gets too low, or temperatures get too high, a fogging system is used to remove any ambient heat. This involves atomising water into the air within the glasshouses.

We generate heat in the glasshouses by burning butane (to heat water), which is a gas that is rich in carbon dioxide (CO2). This works out very well, as the flue emissions from the heating are actually pumped directly back into the glasshouse to the plants, which thrive on CO2.

In other words, it’ s a highly environmentally sustainable growing method.