Gróðurhús á Íslandi

Greenhouses in Iceland

Iceland is a barren country, with a harsh nature and weather conditions that are not always easy. Accordingly, there is not much growing on Iceland, and growing fruit and vegetables is quite difficult.

Therefore, it was a great opportunity when people began to use the natural energy from the earth to grow plants on this island.

The first greenhouse in Iceland was built in 1896 by a merchant from Sauðárkrókur. The first house was small and was heated in the spring by covering the beds with horse manure. Ornamental flowers and vegetables were grown here back then.

In 1924, additional greenhouses were built, a large greenhouse of approximately 120 m², which was heated with natural heating water, and two small ones, one of which was also heated with hot water and the other with coals.

The first tomatoes in Iceland were harvested in 1913/14. The first news of large-scale tomato cultivation in a greenhouse in the Mósfellsbær area dates back to 1925. Within a good 10 years, the tomato harvest in Iceland was increased to around 40 tons per year in 1938. Until 1955, around 200 tons of tomatoes and around 50 tons of cucumbers were harvested in Iceland every year.

Today, around 2 tons of ripe tomatoes are harvested every day in the Friðheimar greenhouses in Reykholt alone.

Tomatoes in Friðheimar

Strawberries in Iceland

Wild strawberries (Fragaria vesca) grow in Iceland, and we found some when we went for a walk in Þrastalundur forrest near Selfoss. However, the wild strawberries are much smaller than the cultivated strawberries that are grown in greenhouses and sold in supermarkets.

The cultivation of strawberries in Iceland does not have a long history - reports of the first attempts to grow strawberries on the island date back to the end of the 19th century. These attempts were initially not particularly successful; the Icelandic climate is not ideal for growing strawberries outdoors.

The use of geothermal energy in Icelandic greenhouses changed the situation and other strawberry varieties became more suitable for cultivation in Iceland. Today, commercial strawberry cultivation is expanding on the island. You can buy Icelandic strawberries commercially practically all year round. Icelandic producers produce over 100 tons per year .

[Translated from here.]