Planning polyhouse farming in Punalur? Punalur is a town in Kollam district, Kerala, home to about 47,000 people (GeoNames)[1][2], about 450 km from Bengaluru. Below we use the town's monthly temperatures, humidity and rainfall to work out which structure fits, which crops to grow and in which months, before you spend on construction.
Climate for polyhouse farming in Punalur
March is the hottest month in Punalur, with average daily highs of about 35°C. January has the coolest nights, averaging 21°C.[3] The area gets about 2,052 mm of rain a year, most of it in April to November, peaking in October at about 327 mm. Average humidity stays at 75% or more in April to December, which raises the risk of leaf disease and slows evaporative cooling. Punalur sits about 56 m above sea level.[2] On the Köppen–Geiger climate map, Punalur falls in the tropical savanna (dry winter) zone (Aw).[4]
Punalur climate by month
Month
Avg high (°C)
Avg low (°C)
Humidity (%)
Rain (mm)
Jan
31.0
20.5
73
15
Feb
34.0
21.6
64
25
Mar
35.2
23.7
65
60
Apr
33.2
25.0
75
130
May
30.7
25.2
83
233
Jun
28.8
24.4
89
302
Jul
28.1
23.7
90
244
Aug
28.2
23.5
90
210
Sep
28.5
23.5
89
233
Oct
28.8
23.4
88
327
Nov
28.9
22.8
86
218
Dec
29.0
21.3
83
55
Area averages (a grid cell of about 50 km) for 2001–2025, from NASA POWER, centred on Punalur, adjusted for the town's elevation[5]. Rainfall and night temperatures at your plot can differ, especially near hills and the coast.[3]
Advantages of protected cultivation in Punalur
1
ఏడాది పొడవునా పంటలు
Under cover, cucumber can be grown for 11 months a year in Punalur, so you can supply buyers every week instead of one open-field season.
2
మెరుగైన దిగుబడి మరియు ధర
Plants grow without rain, hail and wind damage, so yields are higher and more even, and clean, graded produce sells at a better price, especially off-season.
3
తక్కువ నీరు
Drip irrigation under cover uses less water than flood irrigation, and the roof keeps October's 327 mm of rain off the crop and the soil.
4
Less pesticides
Insect net on vents and doors keeps out most pests, and controlled ventilation helps with leaf disease in the humid months (April to December), so you spray less often.
5
సబ్సిడీకి అర్హం
Polyhouse, shade net and nethouse projects in Kerala can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department.[6]
Which polyhouse suits Punalur?
For polyhouse farming in Punalur, the structure decides which months you can crop and what it costs to run. In Punalur the heat comes with humidity: during February to April average humidity is about 68%. Wet pads cool much less in humid air: on a typical March afternoon they would only bring 35°C down to about 31°C. So we usually start with a tall naturally ventilated polyhouse with wide roof vents, insect net and a shade screen. A Fan & Pad polyhouse still makes sense if buyers need lettuce through the hottest months, but expect a smaller temperature drop than in dry inland towns.
Plan for heavy rain in October (about 327 mm): raise the plinth, size the gutters for that month and keep drains away from the nutrient tank. Sunlight peaks in March at about 6.4 kWh per m² a day, so add a shade screen for leafy greens in the brightest months. A nethouse, the lowest-cost option, can grow hardy crops in December to February, when it is mild and fairly dry.
Crops for Punalur
Based on Punalur's climate, the crops with the longest growing windows are cucumber (11 months), capsicum (9 months) and tomato (9 months). Cucumber fits April to February in a naturally ventilated polyhouse. Lilium and chrysanthemum are hard to time here, so we would leave them out of the first season. These are the crops we would plan first for polyhouse farming in Punalur.
Months each crop suits in Punalur
పంట
సహజ వెంటిలేషన్ పాలీహౌస్
With Fan & Pad cooling
క్యాప్సికమ్
May–Jan
All year
టమాటా
May–Jan
All year
దోసకాయ
Apr–Feb
All year
Chilli pepper
May–Jan
All year
వంకాయ
May–Jan
All year
లెట్యూస్
Difficult
Jun–Jan
బ్రోకలీ
Difficult
Difficult
స్ట్రాబెర్రీ
Difficult
Difficult
గులాబీ
Difficult
Dec–Jan
గెర్బెరా
Difficult
Aug–Jan
కార్నేషన్
Difficult
Difficult
చామంతి
Difficult
Dec–Jan
ఆంథూరియం
Jun–Dec
All year
ఆర్కిడ్లు
Jun–Dec
All year
లిలియం
Difficult
Difficult
Kryzen planning estimate from the monthly averages above and each crop's usual day and night temperature range. Variety, soil or substrate temperature and shading change the result, so confirm with a trial.
₹7,834Spending per person per month, urban Kerala, 2023–24[7]
450 kmto Bengaluru, the nearest metro (straight line)
Urban households in Kerala spent an average of ₹7,834 per person per month in 2023–24, above the all-India urban average of ₹7,078.[7] Local demand in Punalur may be small for exotic greens, so plan where the rest of the harvest goes.
Polyhouse farming in Punalur with Kryzen
Punalur is about 1,050 km in a straight line from our factory and master warehouse at Degaon, Wai (Satara), our nearest site.
Towns near Punalur
We also plan and build farms in these towns near Punalur:
Map: LGD 2024 boundaries via bharatlas, CC BY 4.0. For illustration only.
Polyhouse farming in Punalur: FAQs
Can a polyhouse farm run all year in Punalur?
Yes, with the right structure. For Punalur we would plan a tall naturally ventilated polyhouse with wide vents and insect net. Even then, lettuce is hard to grow in February to May, so plan another crop for those months.
Which polyhouse is best for Punalur?
With March highs of about 35°C and 65% average humidity in that month, we would start with a tall naturally ventilated polyhouse with wide vents and insect net.
Which crops should I grow in a polyhouse in Punalur?
Going by the monthly climate, capsicum, tomato and cucumber have the longest growing windows. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers before you plant.
Is polyhouse farming profitable in Punalur?
It can be, if the crop, the structure and the buyers match. In Punalur, cucumber and capsicum have the longest seasons under cover. Confirm prices and volumes with buyers first; our Detailed Project Report works out the cost, yield and returns for your plot.
Does Kryzen build polyhouses in Punalur?
Yes. Our nearest site is our factory and master warehouse at Degaon, Wai (Satara), about 1,050 km away.
Is there a subsidy for polyhouse or hydroponic farms in Kerala?
Yes. Protected cultivation projects in Kerala can apply for Mission for Integrated Development of Horticulture (MIDH) assistance through the state horticulture department. Check the current rate and area limit when you apply.
Discuss your Punalur farm project
Share your plot location, water test and crop targets. We will suggest the right structure and growing system, and send an itemised quotation.
A computer engineer turned hydroponic farmer from a multigenerational farming family in Satara. Sudhir founded Kryzen in 2019, and the team has since built 350+ protected and hydroponic farms across India.
