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I admit it. I’m wrong. The first thing that comes to mind when I think of a greenhouse is the kind you see on farms or at a big flower shop. They’re big enough to live in! They’re certainly bigger than my first apartment was. So naturally, when I think about tackling the subject of the best vegetables to grow in a greenhouse, my immediate response was, well, what wouldn’t I grow in a greenhouse.
But greenhouses don’t have to be enormous. They can actually be pretty tiny. I’ve seen people turn their porches into greenhouses. You can buy greenhouse kits and build your own. They can even be quite fancy (The New York Botanical Garden has a greenhouse that consists of 11 connected galleries and includes 17,000 panes of glass!). Most of us don’t have professional architects designing our greenhouses, nor do we have unlimited square feet. That means we have to decide which vegetables stay outside, and which are the best vegetables to grow in a greenhouse.
The best vegetables to grow in a greenhouse when you only have a little bit of space
The biggest advantage of planting in a greenhouse is that you have some control over the environment. That’s my favorite part. I don’t currently have a greenhouse at my new house (I inherited a giant garden instead!) but I used a small one at my last one and it was lovely. It’s particularly helpful in colder climates where the growing season is shorter than in, say, southern California. What does that mean in practice? It means you can start seeds early and extend the end of your growing season by weeks or even months.
With that in mind, the best vegetables to grow in a greenhouse are those that need more time to mature and produce, those that don’t like the chilly nights of early spring, or those that may be especially prone to garden pests such as rabbits, squirrels, or other wildlife. Also, flowers. Flowers do great in greenhouses.
While a greenhouse will help keep young plants warm, it’s important to consider the amount of sunlight your plants need before you start planting. Northern parts of the U.S. get limited sunlight in the winter. And at a certain point, even a greenhouse can’t keep out the chill of those long winter nights.
You can, of course, always invest in a grow light and heating system, but let’s take this one step at a time.
Harvesting and planting tomatoes in a greenhouse.
So with limited space, and extended, but not year-round growing conditions, what are the best vegetables to grow in a greenhouse?
- The tomato is always a winner, as they need about three months to produce fruit, and they like warm temperatures.
- Peppers love greenhouses, too. Whether you like sweet bell peppers or spicy jalapenos, these veggies will thrive.
- Cucumbers are a popular greenhouse vegetable, plus if you get too many, you can always make pickles!
- Herbs like basil, rosemary, and thyme revel in the warm confines of a greenhouse.
- You can’t go wrong with eggplants. Ever.
Not sure if you’re ready to take on a project like a greenhouse? You can always buy seedlings and plant them outdoors. That’s another great way to get a headstart on your garden.
Do you have a greenhouse? What vegetables do you grow? Share your tips in the comments below. I’d love to get more ideas for greenhouse veggies.
I have successfully grown potted citrus trees for decades in Michigan and Maryland. I built a greenhouse that I heated to 40-50 degrees in the 5 wall polycarbonate from BC greenhouses. I have a sunroom on my MD house where my trees spend the winter in 50 degree heat. Snow outside and I am currently enjoying kumquats and Meyer lemons.
I have a 6×8 greenhouse from Harbor Freight that my husband assembled. I live in zone 6B and start all my vegetables in late winter early spring in there. We added a small heater and will try some plants in the fall. I love my greenhouse and feel it was a great investment.As small as it is 2 people can fit comfortably in there. We added some sturdy plastic shelves so it can fit a multitude of plants
WHen we built our home, we prepared a corner of the carpentry workshop with large corner windows facing south and east, two overhead sky lights and plugs for grow lights as needed and two workshop table surfaces with storage beneath. . My little corner measure about 8×8.’ I can grow herbs abundantly, low light plants such as pothos, peace lily, hoya, spider plants, purple heart etc. and I can start pretty much ALL my garden seeds in early spring / late winter. SW Ont. COLD winter climate.
Last two years I tried indoor gardening in my basement with overhead grow lights (led bulbs tiem 8). It did make my plants come up well until I transpanted them outside and then they died. I had to move them for a reason so I transplanted them instead of just shuffling them around but they did not take off outside even thoughit was about May or so.Disappointing to say the least!
Well dear gardening friends…I now have a greenhouse and love it. This is my first winter in it so I am a greenhorn for sure. I am loading up on seeds but have no idea WHEN to begin planting in tiny pots. I Brought in and reported annual flowers…it has snowed heavily and they are STILL alive. \0/ so any and all advice is most welcome here. I LOVE my greenhouse. It is what i call skeleton & skin. Otherwise aka portable…however I would be hard pressed to move it now that it has made itself to home.
Blessings!????????
Oops! I am zone 7a
Stefeni
All answers about greenhouses need to tell the plant zone (I’m 5B in VT) and state so one can compare tomatoes and leafy greens accurately. Still I am just beginning with a real greenhouse with a GHAT system, automated vents, and the north wall is my home’s south side. 10 x 30. I want to add mandarin orange trees eventually and may use it as an orchard house for miniaturized tender fruits which I can move outside after danger of frost.. I am on the FODMop diet which is very restricted, but cured a lifetime of irritable (understatement) bowel syndrome. So what I grow is foods I can safely eat.
I do the tomato/pepper/eggplant/cukes/melons in the summer and as long as they continue to produce plus seascape strawberries year round. I am lost time dirt gardener and just trying to figure out how much heat I can afford in the winter and how much is needed,
I built a greenhouse within the greenhouse and had cherry tomatoes all winter, I kept it heated warmer than the rest and the artificial heat was otherwise what came out of the cobbled together inner green house. I also have a seed starting set up with heat mats, lights, plastic cover etc.
How do you have tomatoes all year long even in winter? I have a very small green house.
This is the first year I’ve been serious about a garden and its hard work, for sure.
I started and can’t stop. I have vegetables all over the place. I’ve never had a greenhouse tho. I would love to have one but I have no earthly idea where to start to find one and where I put it when I get it.
Live and learn, I guess. lol
I will let you know how that one goes.
You can get a greenhouse from just about anywhere that sells plants. There are various sizes and of course costs.
Be sure to secure it in cement if you live in an area prone to gusty winds.
I have a Greenhouse and grow various herbs and vegetables in it, for example:
Cucumber
Grapes
(truss) Tomatoes
Paprika
carrot
Onions
Garlic
potatoes
Cauliflower
Broccoli
Different types of lettuce
Radish
strawberries
Parsley
Chives
Blackberries
Red berry
Raspberry
And in winter, as soon as most of it is out of the ground, I put the pots there to overwinter: Apple bush, Pear bush, Cherry bush
I love gardening and my Greenhouse
Not “unseated”. “Unheated”. 🙂
I use my greenhouse in the spring to start my tomato seedlings. This year I started five different varieties, two cherry tomato varieties, two paste tomato varieties and one early variety. I have subsequently transplanted the paste variety starts into a high tunnel greenhouse. I also use the greenhouse to start seeds of my summer vegetables to transplant into the garden when the soil is warmer. And I use one of the sub irrigated raised beds in the green house to raise hardy greens all through the fall and winter. My greenhouse is 8 x 10 and is unseated. The one 2x 8 raised bed provides enough greens (lettuces, spinach, kales and broccoli ) to provide salads 4 to 5 a week throughout the winter. Due to where it is sited on my lot, I run LED lights above the 2x 8 bed all year long to boost the productivity. The greenhouse has been the best garden investment I have made. Definitely worth it.
Sounds absolutely dreamy!
Howdy! I am running my first winter with a green house on my property. How did you find you needed the grow lights over the winter months? Now I’m thinking that I may need to add lighting. I’m in Southeast Arkansas, Zone 8a (I think). Happy New Year!