So you’ve put a greenhouse in your yard.
It looks great and it’s all ready to go, but right now, it’s sitting empty. By choosing your greenhouse and setting it up, you’ve done two of the hardest parts of winter gardening, but you’re still not done yet.
The next step is figuring out what’s going to go in your greenhouse. That’s what we’re here for.
In this guide, we’ll give you some pointers on greenhouse gardening and what you can grow in a greenhouse in the winter.
Think About What Your Greenhouse is Like
Depending on where you live, you may need to work a little bit harder to make your greenhouse into a good home for your garden. Anywhere with difficult winters will require you to make sure your greenhouse has certain qualities.
You may need to consider the following traits:
- Heating
- Durability
- Lighting
- Space and storage
Keep it heated.
Unless you live in a location where the winters are really mild, you’ll need to make sure your greenhouse is sufficiently heated. There are a number of ways you can accomplish this.
The first way is to insulate the walls. You can coat the walls with things like plastic or bubble wrap to seal up any gaps and keep the warm air in. (link:
Aside from the walls, you can insulate the plants themselves. You can bundle the plants’ containers in bubble wrap or put fabric rows over them.
However, one of your greatest weapons against the cold will be an actual heater. For milder climates, you’d probably be able to get by with an electric one, but a gas heater will give you the power necessary to safeguard your plants from really cold conditions.
Consider your lighting.
Don’t get a lot of sunlight in the winter where you live? Then you’ll need to provide your plants with sufficient light another way.
That depends largely on the kind of plant you’re growing, though. Make sure you look into the amount of light each of your plants need, and if it’s more than the amount of sunlight you’re actually getting, install grow lights in your greenhouse.
Also Related: How Do You Keep Plants Alive in a Greenhouse in the Winter?
Plan to use your space efficiently.
Greenhouses come in all different shapes and sizes. We’ve even already written about some of the best greenhouses for winter growing, and our list covered several greenhouses with amazing qualities.
Some have shelves or other storage in them, giving you various options for arranging your plants. You should take what your greenhouse has to offer you and its size into consideration so your plants have plenty of space.
If you have only one greenhouse, you’ll need to make it count. You may need to either grow only one type of plant so you can foster the perfect growing conditions for that plant, or plan on only growing plants that need the same kinds of growing conditions.
Related Article: Best Greenhouses for Southern California
List of Things You can Grow in a Greenhouse in the Winter
With all that in mind, let’s take a look what plants you can grow in your greenhouse during the winter. There are actually quite a few options for you to choose from, making it possible for you to enjoy garden-fresh and home-grown veggies all year long.
Here are some of the best choices for plants you can keep in your greenhouse during the winter:
- Bok Choy
- Broccoli
- Cabbage
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Garlic
- Kale
- Okra
- Onions
- Peas
- Potatoes
- Spinach
- Squash
- Winter Lettuce
You Might Also Like: How Do Greenhouses Affect Photosynthesis?
Wrap Up
Winter doesn’t mean you need to completely pack up your garden. With a good greenhouse and some preparation, you can keep growing your favorite foods all year long.
When it comes time to decide what to grow in your greenhouse next winter, feel free to refer back to this list for inspiration.
Also Read: How Do You Cool a Greenhouse in Florida?
Hey, I’m Joey. I’ve been cooking since I was a little kid and love everything about it. You can find my writing about food, kitchen appliances (such as blenders) and much more. Thanks for stopping by!
