Many gardening enthusiasts are looking to find ideas on how to use a small greenhouse for vegetables. If you don’t have enough space in your home for a garden, building a greenhouse in a small area can be a good alternative. With a small greenhouse, you can extend growing periods and create an ideal growing environment for any plant that you might want to grow.
Greenhouses can be a perfect place to grow vegetables. They allow you to control the temperature, water, humidity, and light, which helps you create a perfect environment suited to the type of plants you’re planning to cultivate. Even when the temperature outside is below freezing, or it’s the peak of the summer season, you may still be able to provide an ideal environment for your plants in your greenhouse.
How to Grow Vegetables in Your Greenhouse
A greenhouse is sometimes the best place for vegetables to thrive in. If you want to keep a steady supply of fragile or tender crops like cucumbers, peppers, or tomatoes throughout the summer, a greenhouse will allow you to do that. Here’s how you can successfully grow vegetables in your greenhouse:
Choose an Ideal Location for Your Greenhouse
Several factors come into choosing the best area for your greenhouse. Ideally, the location should be in a place that gets plenty of sunlight with moderate temperature and low humidity.
If you can, place your greenhouse in the south or southeast area of your home. However, you can also place your greenhouse on the east if the south or southeast side of your home is not available.
Aside from that, it would help if you also considered the elevation and the ground stability of your greenhouse location. Elevated areas tend to be cold.
The more elevated the area is, the lower the temperature will be. It would be best if you also place your greenhouse in a stable place, less prone to shifting as this can damage the structure of your greenhouse.
Prep the Soil Before Planting
You need good soil to grow good vegetables. The preparation of the soil starts by making sure that it receives the right moisture every day.
If you have the means, you can install a drip irrigation system. If not, then using a hose or a watering will work just as well. The perfect soil type for vegetables is crumby loam soil teeming with life.
For a productive soil, you can add compost or shredded leaves into it. This will add beneficial microbes into the mix, which will help with the growth of the crops and in increasing yield.
Don’t forget to till your soil to make sure that the soil amendments will be mixed thoroughly. Tilling will also help correct any soil pH or nutrient imbalances.
Add Supplemental Heat to Your Greenhouse
If you live in a cool area, make sure to add supplemental heat to your greenhouse. While some plants can still grow in an unheated greenhouse, additional heat will help create an optimal environment for growth for your vegetables. There are a lot of ways you can achieve this.
For one, you can fill the soil bed of your greenhouse with manure and cover it with soil. As the manure starts to decompose, heat and methane will be released.
The heat will benefit the plants, while the soil on top of the manure will prevent the odor of the methane from coming out. You can also add heat to your greenhouse by installing heat mats or heating coils.
However, if you live in warm-climate areas, it’s also important to make sure that the environment inside the greenhouse doesn’t get too hot during the summer. You should maintain the temperature between 80°F to 85°F. You can install fans to help with cooling.
Always Make Sure that There is Water Available
Water is important in maintaining moisture in your soil and crops. Make sure that you have easy access to water to keep your vegetables hydrated, especially if it’s in the middle of the summer. Have water cans ready in your garden so you can water the plants immediately in case they get dry.
What Vegetables Can You Grow in a Mini-Greenhouse?
You can grow a variety of vegetables in your greenhouse. If you’re growing vegetables during the winter, you can plant cool-season plants like peas, spinach, carrots, and lettuce. In the summer, you can use your small greenhouse to grow crops like tomatoes, peppers, and cucumbers.
Do Vegetables Grow Faster in a Greenhouse?
Vegetables grown in greenhouses tend to grow much faster than those planted in a garden. This is because, unlike in a garden, a greenhouse allows us to take full control of the environment. We can tweak the temperature, light, and water that our plants receive.
For instance, the ideal temperature for photosynthesis is 75°F. We can regulate the temperature inside the greenhouse to reach 75°F to provide an optimal temperature for plant growth. Aside from that, greenhouses also allow better pest control making plant diseases preventable.
Learn How to Use a Small Greenhouse for Vegetables and Enjoy Fresh Produce Every Day!
Vegetables are best enjoyed while they’re fresh.
If you’re ready to learn how to use a small greenhouse for vegetables, follow the tips above. With better control of the environment, you can make sure that your plants will yield better and high-quality vegetables. Don’t forget to share these tips and your grown vegetables with friends and family.