How to Grow Vegetables Year-round in a Greenhouse

If you love to garden every summer and hate when it ends, then you should consider building or purchasing a greenhouse. This way you can eat fresh vegetables all year long, make your own canned items, and save some cash. A greenhouse however, is no small task to upkeep. It takes time and patience to get in a routine of caring for your plants all year long. If you’re tired of paying premium prices for organic fruits, vegetables, and herbs a greenhouse is the way to go. Start small, and in time you’ll save a ton of money a year on food.

The market is flooded with greenhouse starter building options. It can be a task to select the right one and you certainly don’t want to overload yourself with your first greenhouse. Smaller units may consist of two or three shelves and have plastic liners that you can zip around to open and walk inside. They typically come with UV coded polycarbonate panels and have vents. They are durable and the UV panels allow for sunlight diffusion, while the vents assist with climate control and air circulation.

To better understand what size you need, you need to know how many plants and what kinds you’ll be growing throughout the year. Small greenhouses that are 4’ X 6’ are great for growing herbs, but not many vegetables. If you want constant vegetables throughout the year a 10’ x 12’ greenhouse is a manageable size for your first attempt at greenhouse plants. Remember, if you’re planting vegetables that grow fairly tall you want to make sure you have plenty of room. You may need more area for proper shelving to house all of the vegetables you want.

You’ll want to keep your greenhouse close to your home to make your routine go faster. Keep it close to a water source as well – not everyone is on a well or will have a water source inside their greenhouse. Make sure to obtain the proper permits to build a greenhouse on your property. HOA’s could also be an issue, but even without one, check your local zoning laws to be sure.

Your greenhouse will need the maximum exposure to sunlight or at least six hours a day of sunshine. If natural sunlight is not an option, you’ll need to consider acquiring grow lights and solar panels.

A kit doesn’t always come with everything. Typically greenhouse kits are just the shells and you may have to purchase other material to secure the greenhouse to the ground. Make sure you understand what you are buying, do some research, and gather the right information. You don’t want to waste your money buying something that’s too small or too big.

Most of us love tomatoes and squash in the summer, but are you up for growing them in a greenhouse during the winter? There are kinds of vegetables and variations that you could try. To prepare for winter gardening be sure to consider these things:

Plants and pests come hand in hand. To stay green and more organic, use natural pest products. Always clean and straighten your greenhouse. Always check plants before bringing clippings from herbs and fresh veggies into your home. Keep tools you use in the garden and greenhouse clean.

There are a ton of great vegetables you could plant in a greenhouse. The best picks are ones with longer grow times and do better in cooler seasons. Always do research on your favorites to see if they work well. Understand the environments needed, temperatures, and humidity levels in your area so you know what will thrive best.

Starting out, go slow and select only a few. You want your first experience with a greenhouse to go well. Then you can expand in the following years. Make sure you have the appropriate height and space inside for the different plants you select. You can always hang plants for more space.