What To Grow In a Greenhouse [Hometown Structures]
Benefits of growing food in a greenhouse
Greenhouses protect plants from cold weather, allowing you to grow crops earlier in the spring and later into the fall. You can even cultivate plants year-round in some cases. Since you can regulate temperature, humidity, and light levels, greenhouses are ideal for creating optimal growing conditions for specific plants. The enclosed nature of a greenhouse helps to shield plants from pests like insects and rodents, and also minimizes the spread of diseases that can be carried by wind or rain. Because of the ability to control the environment, you can grow a wider range of plants in a greenhouse than you could outdoors in your local climate. This includes exotic fruits, vegetables, and flowers that wouldn't normally survive in your area. Greenhouses safeguard plants from harsh weather conditions like hail, strong winds, and excessive sun exposure. This can result in healthier plants and higher yields.
Choosing the right plants for your greenhouse is absolutely crucial for its success. It's like having the perfect kitchen but picking ingredients that don't go together - you might end up with wasted time, effort, and resources. Different plants have specific requirements for temperature, light, humidity, and spacing. Matching these needs with your greenhouse's capabilities ensures the plants thrive. Imagine putting a cactus in a constantly damp environment - it wouldn't do well! Choosing plants suited to your greenhouse minimizes the extra effort required to maintain ideal conditions. You won't be constantly battling unsuitable temperatures or humidity levels for your plants. Selecting high-yielding plants for your specific greenhouse environment allows you to harvest the most vegetables, fruits, or flowers possible from your space. Plants under stress from unsuitable conditions are more susceptible to pests and diseases. Picking the right plants helps them stay healthy and fight off potential problems. By carefully considering your greenhouse's environment and choosing compatible plants, you set the stage for a thriving and productive greenhouse experience. But before you pick your plants, you need to know what climate you’re working with - and that’s where garden zones come in.
What are garden zones?
Garden zones, also known as plant hardiness zones, are specifically designed for gardeners to identify which plants are most likely to thrive in their local climate. Unlike climate zones, which are large geographic regions with distinct weather patterns, garden zones focus on a single factor: a region's average annual minimum winter temperature.
The most widely used system for garden zones is the USDA Plant Hardiness Zone Map, developed by the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) Agricultural Research Service. This map divides North America into 13 zones, with Zone 1 being the coldest (average minimum temperature of -60 to -50°F) and Zone 13 being the warmest (average minimum temperature of 60 to 70°F). Within each zone, there are further subdivisions designated by the letters a and b. For example, Zone 7a has a slightly warmer average minimum temperature range (0 to 5°F) than Zone 7b (5 to 10°F).
By knowing your garden zone, you can choose plants that are more likely to survive and thrive in your local climate. This can save you time, money, and frustration in the long run. You can find your USDA Plant Hardiness Zone by entering your zip code on the USDA website https://planthardiness.ars.usda.gov/ or using a gardening app.
The best way to grow food in a greenhouse year round is by working with nature, not against it. Which means choosing heat loving, warm season crops in the summer and cold loving winter crops in the winter. Here’s a few of my favorites to get you started:
Warm-Season Food to grow in a Greenhouse
Tomatoes
There are many varieties of tomatoes that are well-suited for greenhouse cultivation. Determinate tomatoes ripen all at the same time so you can make all your sauces and salsas at once for preserving. They grow on compact bushes, so you probably don't need to stake these plants. Indeterminate varieties grow and produce fruit all season; therefore, you could use these tomatoes more regularly in salads and sandwiches. In between these two types are the semideterminate. As you might guess, they do both—produce a main crop that ripens at once, but also continue to produce up until frost. The really big, juicy tomatoes are probably slicer tomatoes, meaning they are thick and sturdy for slicing.
Some tomato varieties require pollination by bees or other insects. If you are not planning to introduce pollinators to your greenhouse, you will need to choose a self-pollinating variety. Many tomato varieties are now available that are resistant to common diseases such as fusarium wilt and verticillium wilt. Choosing disease-resistant varieties can help to reduce the need for pesticides in your greenhouse. Consider how long you want your tomatoes to take to mature. If you are growing in a cold climate, you may want to choose a variety that matures early.
Sun Gold Pole Cherry Tomatoes (Indeterminate)
Rare in grocery stores, 'Sun Gold's' plump, tangerine-colored fruits are a special treat at the peak of flavor in the garden-very sweet and juicy! Provide support for vigorous vines that easily reach 6' long. Pick a bit early and ripen indoors at room temperature. Low-acidity tomato. Disease resistant.
Green Zebra Pole Tomatoes (Indeterminate)
'Green Zebra' has excellent flavor and unique color—golden green with forest green stripes, developing a slight amber blush when ripe. The 2"–3" tomatoes have very smooth skin essentially free of cracks. Provide support for vines that reach 6' or more. More heat and drought tolerant than other varieties.
Brandywine Pole Tomatoes (Indeterminate)
Brandywines have been favored by tomato lovers for more than 100 years. Fruits often weigh around a pound but can weigh close to 2 pounds! 'Yellow Brandywine' turns golden yellow when ripe, with a balance of sweet and tart; 'Red Brandywine' has a rich, well-balanced tomato flavor.
Italian Roma Bush Tomatoes (Determinate)
An absolutely excellent heirloom tomato—firm, meaty, 3" oblong fruits with few seeds, on compact vines that are very productive. As a determinate type, most of the fruits ripen at the same time, which makes this tomato a good choice for canning. In areas with a long growing season, a second planting will double your harvest!
Cream Sausage Bush Tomatoes (Determinate)
True to name, these cylindrical, cream to pale yellow tomatoes are best harvested at 3"—when they start to look like little sausages! With a smooth, buttery, rich flavor, 'Cream Sausage' is ready to eat like an apple right off the vine, or save it for the kitchen to simmer into a yellow pasta sauce, create contrast in salsas, or slice up for a fresh salad. This highly productive cultivar is compact and perfect for containers.
Red Pride Bush Tomatoes (Determinate)
The blue ribbon winner! 'Red Pride' yields a bountiful harvest on vigorous, compact plants. Its reliable production of 10-ounce fruits combined with an excellent disease resistance package, including Alternaria stem canker, gray leaf spot, Fusarium wilt (1, 2), and Verticillium wilt, make it a winner for any garden!
Peppers
There are many pepper varieties that are well-suited for greenhouse cultivation, depending on several factors including your desired fruit size, flavor profile (sweet or hot), and plant growth habit (bush or vining).
Bell peppers are the most common type of pepper grown in greenhouses. They come in a variety of colors (green, yellow, orange, red, purple, and chocolate brown) and sizes, and have a mild, sweet flavor. Peppers are usually indeterminate plants, meaning they continue to produce new fruit throughout the growing season. Hot peppers come in a wide variety of shapes, sizes, and heat levels.
Shishito Chili Peppers
The 'Shishito' is finding its way into many restaurants as a popular appetizer. The 2"–4" slender peppers have a citrusy, slightly smoky flavor enhanced by grilling or sautéing, and can be the life of the party when an occasional hot one passes the mouth of the unsuspecting. Highly productive plants. 50–200 Scoville heat units (mild).
California Sweet Bell Pepper
An old-time favorite since 1928 for good reason! 'California Wonder's' large, uniform shape makes it ideal for stuffing. Delicious grilled, they are perfect for shish kabobs. Peppers left on the plant will turn a beautiful, bright red, and have more vitamin C than an orange! Good container variety, and dependable performer even in short season climates.
Habanero Chili Peppers
Prized by chile aficionados not only for its intense heat, but its distinct fruitiness, the habanero is used in sensational salsas and will turn a bland barbeque into a fiery feast! Habaneros are said to be 100 times hotter than jalapeños. 100,000-350,000 Scoville heat units (extremely hot).
Early Jalapeno Chili Peppers
Lots of bold flavor in a small, 3" pepper, 'Early Jalapeño' is better adapted to cooler climates than other jalapeños. Incredibly versatile, they're hot enough to add a little kick to your favorite dish, but mild enough for any meal. Enjoy green or allow to ripen to red for a sweeter, bolder flavor. Jalapeños rate 2,500–5,000 Scoville heat units (medium hot).
Most pepper varieties are self-pollinating, but some may benefit from hand pollination. Many pepper varieties are now available that are resistant to common diseases such as bacterial spot and powdery mildew. Choosing disease-resistant varieties can help to reduce the need for pesticides in your greenhouse. Consider how long you want your peppers to take to mature. If you are growing in a cold climate, you may want to choose a variety that matures early.
Eggplant
Eggplant is a great choice for greenhouse cultivation because it thrives in warm, controlled environments, and hates wind. Eggplant comes in many colors from dark purple to white and variegated stripes and shapes including round, elongated and large or small fruit. Earlier varieties are a good choice for colder climates.
Black Beauty Eggplant
A beautiful vegetable with lovely, lavender blossoms pretty enough to grow in the flower garden. 'Black Beauty' has set the standard since 1902 for large, high-quality fruit. Outstanding when harvested at their peak, the skin is tender, so no need to peel it. A widely used international food; there are countless recipes from Italy to China to Russia and beyond.
Long Purple Eggplant
This long, slender variety, not usually found in grocery stores, is flavorsome in countless recipes from Italy to China to Russia and beyond. Also called 'Italian Long Purple', this prolific heirloom will bring beautiful color to the garden and savory goodness to the table.
Jewel Amethyst Eggplant
‘Jewel Amethyst' is perfect for containers, with a tidy habit that makes harvesting a breeze. Glossy, oval, purple fruits are best harvested when about 3''–4 ½" long. Harvest regularly from this prolific plant and keep eggplant on the table throughout the season. Its firm texture and mild flavor make this mini eggplant ideal for roasting, frying, or glazing with a flavorful sauce.
Rattlesnake beans
Rattlesnake beans, like most beans, thrive in warm weather. But most beans stop producing when temps go above 90°F - rattlesnake beans don’t! They actually love the hotter temps, and a greenhouse provides a controlled environment where you can maintain the ideal temperatures (around 80-90°F) for them to flourish, especially if you live in a climate with cooler summers.
These beans are known for their extended harvest period. Greenhouses can extend the growing season for rattlesnake beans, allowing you to enjoy fresh beans for a longer time. Rattlesnake bean plants are vigorous growers and produce a high yield of beans. In a greenhouse, you can create optimal growing conditions that can maximize your harvest. Rattlesnake beans are vining plants, so they grow vertically and take up minimal floor space. This is a great advantage in a greenhouse, where space can be limited. You can easily train them to grow up a trellis or other support structure.
As mentioned earlier, rattlesnake beans are vining plants and will need some support to grow vertically. You can install a trellis, netting, or stakes in your greenhouse to support the vines. Rattlesnake beans are self-pollinating, so you won't need to worry about attracting pollinators to your greenhouse. Rattlesnake beans need consistent moisture, but avoid overwatering. Allow the soil to dry slightly between waterings. You can harvest rattlesnake beans when the pods are young and tender, or you can let them mature and dry the beans for shelling.
Malabar Spinach
Malabar spinach is a tropical vine that flourishes in hot and humid conditions. Greenhouses provide excellent control over temperature and humidity, allowing you to mimic its ideal growing environment year-round, especially in cooler climates. This vigorous vine can grow up to 10 feet in a single season. A greenhouse offers ample vertical space for it to sprawl and climb, unlike outdoor settings where it might be restricted. Malabar spinach produces leaves continuously throughout the growing season. Greenhouses can extend this period significantly, giving you a longer window to enjoy fresh harvests. Since it's sensitive to frost, greenhouses offer protection from chilly outdoor temperatures that can damage or kill the plant.
Provide a trellis, netting, or poles for the vines to climb. This encourages vertical growth and maximizes space usage. Malabar spinach prefers full sun to partial shade. If your greenhouse has limited natural light, you might need to supplement with artificial lights. Maintain consistent moisture in the soil but avoid waterlogging. The humid greenhouse environment might require adjustments in watering frequency compared to outdoors.
Cool-Season Crops
Lettuce
Lettuce prefers cooler temperatures. Most lettuce varieties mature quickly, within 30-70 days, meaning you can enjoy multiple harvests throughout a single greenhouse season. Lettuce plants are relatively compact, making them ideal for maximizing space utilization in a greenhouse. You can grow them in rows, beds, or even containers. There are many varieties of lettuce available, from crisphead to romaine to leafy greens, allowing you to cultivate a diverse selection in your greenhouse.
Buttercrunch Butterhead Lettuce
‘Buttercrunch' is a vigorous grower with a creamy yellow interior, buttery flavor and melt-in-your-mouth texture, pleasing palates since 1963. Small heads are perfect for a single-serve salad. The compact size makes it a good container variety, and it's also attractive in the flower-garden border.
Red Sails Leaf Lettuce
A favorite to use as baby greens, 'Red Sails' is ready to harvest after just 2 or 3 weeks and grows to a full head in just over 6 weeks. Very heat tolerant, the soft buttery leaves will grow well into warm weather without getting bitter. Contains more vitamins A and C than grocery-store lettuce! Attractive container variety, too.
Ice Queen Crisphead Lettuce
Ice Queen' dates back to 1883, and gets its name because it is cold tolerant, but also tolerates heat well and is slow to bolt. Also considered a summer crisp or Batavia, this bright, emerald green lettuce with frilly leaves has crisp texture and excellent fresh flavor. Also delicious as a baby green in as little as 21 days. You can harvest the outer, frilly leaves while waiting for the head to form.
Spinach
Spinach thrives in cooler temperatures, and most spinach varieties mature quickly, within 40-50 days from seeding. This rapid growth cycle allows you to have multiple harvests throughout a single greenhouse season. Spinach plants are relatively compact, making them good for maximizing space in your greenhouse. You can grow them in rows, beds, or even containers.
Bloomsdale Spinach
'Bloomsdale' is an early 1800's, dependable, open-pollinated variety. For growing tender, baby greens in as little as 28 days, you can sow seeds just 1" apart. Very nutritious—lots of vitamins A and C and iron. Grows great in a container too!
Kale
Kale is quite tolerant of a wider range of temperatures than some other cool-season crops. It can even handle frosts, adding to its resilience in a greenhouse setting. Most kale varieties mature within 50-70 days from seeding, allowing you to have multiple harvests throughout a single greenhouse season. Kale plants are not overly bushy, making them suitable for maximizing space utilization in your greenhouse. The three most common types of culinary kale include: curly (e.g., 'Redbor', 'Dwarf Blue Curled'), Russian (flat leaf with serrated edges, e.g., 'Red Russian'), and cavolo Nero (also called "dinosaur kale", the Italian lacinato type with dark, savoyed leaves, (e.g., 'Nero Toscana')
Redbor Kale
This kale has it all. Beautiful, ruffled leaves are tasty and have amazing color. Extremely cold tolerant, 'Redbor's' purple color and curliness intensifies, and flavor sweetens as temperatures drop in the fall; plants can last even through hard freezes. Sow with pansies, violas, and snapdragons for long-lasting fall color. Looks great in containers.
Red Russian Kale
Kale gets sweeter after the first fall frost. 'Red Russian', brought to North America in 1885, is sweet and tender all the time, making it excellent for mesclun, garnishes, and sautéing. The red veins, wavy margins, and foliage that resembles oak leaves make 'Red Russian' as attractive as it is delicious. Harvest baby greens in just 21 days.
Lacinato Kale
This tender kale is also known as black Tuscan kale, black cabbage, and black palm. Vigorous dark green to black leaves of this 18th century heirloom are favored by gourmets. Harvest the first shoots as tender young salad greens in just 21 days when 2"–4" tall, or achieve full-sized plants in 2 months.
Cabbage
The enclosed nature of a greenhouse helps shield cabbage plants from common outdoor pests like cabbage worms and aphids. It can also minimize the spread of diseases that can be carried by wind or rain. Consistent and cool temperatures in a greenhouse contribute to optimal head formation in cabbage. Fluctuating outdoor temperatures can sometimes hinder proper head development. Greenhouses safeguard cabbage from harsh weather conditions like hail, strong winds, and excessive sun exposure. This protection can result in healthier plants and potentially higher yields.
Red Acre Cabbage
Solid heads form early on small, compact plants making 'Red Acre' an ideal choice for small gardens. Resistant to splitting and cabbage yellows disease. Heads store exceptionally well in the refrigerator or root cellar.
One Kilo Slow Bolt Napa Cabbage
Also called napa cabbage, 'One Kilo Slow Bolt' has a delicate flavor, a soft texture in between that of lettuce and regular cabbage, and tight heads have a creamy yellow interior. Grows with ease in fall, and can be sown in spring if care is taken to protect young plants from temperatures of 50°F or below, which may cause plants to bolt. Grows best at 60°-65°F.
Carrots
Carrots can be grown in a greenhouse, but it requires more attention to detail compared to other vegetables. If you are a beginner greenhouse gardener, you might want to start with easier crops like lettuce or spinach before attempting carrots. However, with the right care and suitable varieties, you can enjoy fresh, homegrown carrots even outside the traditional growing season. Greenhouses protect carrots from cold weather, allowing you to plant them earlier in spring and harvest them later in fall, or even year-round in some climates. The enclosed nature of a greenhouse helps shield carrots from pests like carrot flies and root maggots, and minimizes the spread of diseases.
Carrots require loose, well-aerated soil to grow properly. Heavier, compacted soils can lead to deformed or stunted carrots. Amending your greenhouse soil with sand or other materials to improve drainage is crucial. Carrots need adequate sunlight for good root development. If your greenhouse has limited natural light, supplementing with artificial lights might be necessary. Carrots need proper spacing between them to allow for root growth. Overcrowding can result in stunted, misshapen carrots.
Choose carrot varieties suited for greenhouse cultivation. These varieties may be shorter or have slower bolting tendencies (going to seed) compared to outdoor varieties. Maintain consistent moisture in the soil, but avoid overwatering which can lead to root rot. The humidity levels in your greenhouse might require adjustments in watering frequency compared to outdoors. Carrots are cool-season vegetables, excessively high temperatures can negatively impact root growth.
Beets
Beets prefer cool weather. Most beet varieties mature within 50-60 days from seeding, meaning you can enjoy multiple harvests throughout a single greenhouse season. Beet greens are relatively compact, making them suitable for maximizing space utilization in your greenhouse. You can grow them in rows, beds, or even containers.You can harvest both the beet greens (tops) and the beetroot (bulb) for delicious and nutritious meals.
Touchstone Gold Beets
Not only does the color of this beet make it stand apart, but so does the flavor. Golden beets are known for being extra sweet and less "earthy" than their red counterparts. Best at 1"–3" round.
Scallions
Scallions prefer cooler temperatures. Most scallions mature quickly, within 40-60 days from planting. This rapid growth cycle allows you to have multiple harvests throughout a single greenhouse season, providing a steady supply of fresh scallions. Scallions are compact plants and don't require a lot of space. You can grow them in rows, beds, or even containers, making them ideal for maximizing space utilization in your greenhouse. You can harvest scallions at any stage of growth, using both the green stalks and white bulbs for adding flavor to various dishes. Scallions are generally quite resistant to pests and diseases, making them a low-maintenance crop to grow in a greenhouse.
White Lisbon Bunching Scallion
‘White Lisbon' is a green or spring onion, and sometimes referred to as a scallion or bunching onion. A popular variety since the 1700s because it produces dependably in widely varying conditions. It thrives in a wide range of soils, is heat and cold tolerant, and can be sown successively throughout the season. For the finest quality, pencil-thin onions, sow seed densely and do not thin seedlings.
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