Greenhouse vegetables are healthy, nutritious, and delectable. Properly done, your greenhouse vegetable garden should flourish in all weather conditions, without being negatively affected by changes in the seasons.
By investing in a greenhouse kit, you will be able to use the sun optimally. Even if your structure is small and unheated, you’ll still be able to extend your growing season and get excellent produce from your greenhouse vegetable garden.
Suitability of Greenhouse Vegetable Gardens
Greenhouses are suited for growing vegetables in the following ways:
- Starting off hardy vegetable plants early
- Harvesting tender plants (such as French beans) earlier than usual
- Growing tender crops such as tomatoes, chilies, peppers, cucumbers, and aubergines through hot, summer months
- Trying such exotic and heat-loving plants like sweet potatoes, melons, and okra
- Use the sun in autumn to raise calabrese, French beans, and late salad crops
What is the best time to use your greenhouse to grow veggies?
The answer to this question is: “whenever you want,” because some of the better greenhouses such as Solexx and MONT are year-round greenhouses. If you can invest in a heater, you should be able to ensure that your garden is thriving even in the coldest weeks of winter.
However, since this isn’t the most cost-effective or environmentally friendly option, consider going seasonal. Try the following:
1. Winter to Spring
When possible, ensure that you sow your hardy plants (peas, onions, lettuce, fresh leeks, celeriac, cabbage, and Brussels sprouts) in winter through to early spring. You can transplant them outside once the weather warms up.*
*Tip: Invest in a heated propagator so that your crops can germinate.
If you can run your heater throughout, such tender greenhouse vegetables such as peppers and tomatoes will grow and thrive throughout the cold months of winter and spring. Of course, if you live in a desert climate you will need to ensure that your greenhouse has proper ventilation to ensure your plants do not overheat.
2. Mid-Spring
In mid-spring, sow fast-growing plants. The best options include sweet corn, melons, French beans, cucumbers, pumpkins and squashes, and courgettes. This way, your crops will be ready for planting under glass towards the end of spring or outside once summer rolls around. Here, you can also use a heated propagator to ensure germination.
Consider the following tips for growing in mid-spring:
– If your greenhouse vegetable garden is unheated, get ready-grown tomato and pepper plants
– Sow basil during this season; you can move the plants outside or indoors in summer
– Plant the greenhouse vegetables into their last position in summer
– Once the frost passes, harden young plants and plant them outside
3. Mid-summer
This stage is one of the most exciting. Your plants will look exceptionally green – almost ready for the outside world closer to the elements.
To ensure everything goes well, do the following:
– Get rid of all spent plants and replace them later with sown plants
– Sow your parsley, French beans, and Calabrese outside
Overall, your understanding of how greenhouse vegetables thrive during different seasons will help you know what to do and at what time to do it. Use the tips and strategies above to get your greenhouse vegetables started.
