What do you want to plant? Are you looking for just an extra supply of local produce? Do you want to explore by growing plants from other regions? What are good beginner plants? And if you want to plant all year long, how can you do that? This article will explore plant hardiness zones, preplanting preparation, and plant selection for various categories.
HARDINESS ZONES
What is a hardiness zone, and does it matter to a greenhouse? First, a hardiness zone is going to give you the average extreme minimum temperature of your state or region. In the U.S., the USDA has a map that will let you view national zones, state zones, and even regional zones. They also exist for other places in the world, and they are easy to find. If you are planning on having a greenhouse or know someone who is starting one in another part of the world, you will see that these hardiness zones will sometimes account for other variables that aren’t considered in the U.S. map.
Let’s use the USDA map as an example. It’s divided into thirteen 10 °F zones, and those zones have subzones of 5 °F, but how do you know which zone is which, and how are they different? So zone 1 will be the coldest, and zone 13 is going to be the hottest. There is a difference of 10 degrees between each zone, so zone 12 will be 10 degrees cooler than zone 13, and so on.
Using your zone will give you a good idea of what plants are going to succeed in specific zones. There will be some plants that will grow in more than one zone, too, which can be helpful. By using a greenhouse, though, you want to look at other factors like sun exposure, moisture, temperature changes, soil quality, and the plants. Each of these zones is going to have its own microclimate, so if you are trying to grow non- local vegetation, you need to learn about all of them.
Maybe you live in zone 4 , but you learn that zone 9 has the optimal climate for growing year round. This will help you when buying the necessary things for climate control. You can install the right lighting and heating options to avoid the issues that you will face in zone 4. Again, with the right amount of research, you will give plants the best place to thrive no matter where you live.
BEGINNER GREENHOUSE PLANTS
These variables and hardiness zones can be overwhelming. After all, you just want to grow plants, but you can still grow a plentiful garden while learning how to handle all the other variables. The easiest way you can do this is with beginner plants.
You are still going to need to consider your space, soil, temperature, and water source, and you will need to expect to run into some issues throughout your growth. However, you will become more proficient as time goes on, and seeing these plants thrive will only boost your confidence in your growing ability.
What obstacles should you expect with these beginning plants? As you learned in the last chapter, pH levels and a lack of nutrients can affect plant growth. It’s also going to be a challenge to water your plants. You’re going to be getting used to watering them yourself instead of having rain and morning dew as backup, so you will have some struggles to know which plants need a lot of water and which ones don’t.
But possibly the biggest hurdle you will face when starting out is the viability of your seeds. When you plant, you really hope that the seed germinates and you get a healthy plant with great production, but there are some things that will affect viability:
- Age: All seeds are going to be different, but you should think that after the first year or two of purchase, the seeds will lose their viability. While some can go beyond the first year, the probability of those seeds germinating drops after year one.
- Type: While your viability drops after a year, the type of seed you have will also affect viability. Corn and peppers struggle to be viable after the two-year point. Seeds like carrots and tomatoes can be good for four years, and cucumber and lettuce seeds can have a viability of six years after you buy them.
- Storage: You can have better viability if you store your seeds properly. This would be in a cool, dark room or even in the vegetable drawer in your refrigerator.
Easy to Grow Fruits and Vegetables
- Carrots:
They are some of the most popular vegetables to grow because you can plant them at any time, and they can even grow in a cold frame setting. You just need some tilled, sandy soil that is very loose to give the carrot room to grow.
Carrots are fairly resistant to most pests and diseases, but regularly working your soil will help with the prevention stages. Carrots will take around two to four months to ripen, but you can harvest earlier if there has been any plant damage. When you harvest, don’t just pull on the leaves. Loosen the soil with a garden fork or a trowel before pulling.
- Green onions:
This plant is one of the easiest to grow because you don’t need to give it any real maintenance. They can grow in your greenhouse, or you can even transplant them outside to clear up some space in your greenhouse for summer growth.
The bulbs will go in well-drained soil because they need regular watering, especially when it gets hotter outside. Once you see the onions swell up, they are done growing. Now, you just wait until the foliage changes colors and dies. After harvest, you just leave them in the sun to dry.
- Asparagus:
A one-or two-year-old crown of asparagus can produce for the next two decades, and twenty crowns can easily provide for a family of four.
They need to be planted fairly deep, at around 12 to 14 inches, with at least 12 inches of space between them. Make sure the shoots are aimed up. While you might want to plant them in your beds, they will also be fine in deep containers.
You don’t want to pick all the spears from the crown, especially for your first harvest. During the first year, you are still waiting for the plant to develop a stable root system. After that, you want to leave a few of the smaller spears to avoid killing the plant.
- Spinach:
It can be grown all year and loves cooler weather. One of the best aspects is that you will have very few pest problems.
Spinach likes full sun to light shade and soil that will drain well. There are things to remember about spinach: the soil temperature should never get over 70 °F, and where you plant them is where they will stay. This is because spinach is extremely hard to transplant.
And like asparagus, you can harvest as soon as the leaves are mature. Just remove the outgoing leaves, which will let the other leaves mature, and the plant will continue growing.
- Eggplants:
These plants need warm conditions and they do great in raised beds with composted manure.
The issue with Eggplants is that as they get taller and start fruiting, they can fall over. You can use a stake, a cage, or even a trellis to help them stay upright. You want to water them well, and you can keep some of that moisture by adding mulch on top of the soil.
It will take four to six months to get to a harvest point, but remember to pull off any terminal buds. This will promote a thicker bush on your plant. When you harvest, do not pull on the plant. Use your sharp knife and cut near the stem, leaving about an inch still attached.
- Turnips:
They are a cool-weather green that can sprout just a few days after being planted. It is also nutritious and can adapt to most regions. Turnips will be another plant that need to stay put, as they do not transplant easily, so find a sunny area for them. The seeds can be scattered on your soil, and they require regular watering.
After a month, you can harvest the greens, and after two months, you can harvest the turnip. The early harvest cycle will help you avoid infestations. But to further prevent diseases, you want to avoid planting your turnips in the same soil for every growing season.
- Kale:
This is one of the most resilient of all greens, and it doesn’t need any real attention. You just need to keep the weeds away and take off the yellow leaves that will show up around the base of the plant.
Kale will do great in practically any situation you put it in, and once it grows, it is perfect for constant harvesting through the growing season.
You will pick the ground leaves first, so the rest of the plant can continue to develop.
- Zucchini:
These are easy to grow, and you can see a decent harvest after a month. They also grow quickly and love to spread out, which can cause problems for your greenhouse. Using containers or growing bags will help you out if you are tight on space.
- Microgreens:
Are they sprouts? Is it edible confetti? These are actually just very young greens that are ideal for greenhouse gardening as long as you protect them from frost. Microgreens cannot tolerate extreme cold. Bottom watering is best, so a mat system would come in handy for these plants. You can water using the top watering method, but that should only be done to soak the soil in the beginning stages.
After a month, you should be able to harvest these greens with scissors. You will know they are ready if they are around 2 inches tall. The entire plant (stems, seed leaves, and true leaves) is safe to eat.
- Okra:
This is another plant best grown in a greenhouse and depending on the variety of okra, you can have a long cropping period.
Planting okra is tricky. You will want to soak the seeds in warm water prior to sowing. When they get big enough, you can transplant them into other containers. You want to find high-potassium compost or fertilizer to add when you see blossoms.
You want to pick your okra before the pods are fully matured to prevent them from being hard and stringy. Just remember to wear gloves because the tiny hairs on the pod can cause irritation.
- Salad greens:
Lettuce, beet leaf, romaine, and other greens are so easy to grow. If you get eight to ten different seeds, you can grow salad greens all year. You’ll just start with the types that fare well in cool soil and low-light conditions, and then as summer approaches, you’ll plant the more heat-tolerant ones.
The best way to remember when to plant is to plant at least two seeds a week. You may have to change this up a bit as you learn how each of them grows in your greenhouse, but that’s a fair start.
Salad greens will still grow after you cut them, as long as you leave around a half-inch of the plant behind.
- Tomatoes:
They will love the soil in your greenhouse and the warm temperatures, too. The only thing you need to do is decide what variety you want to plant, which can be easier said than done. Remember to think of the size of the plant’s matured size and whether it will fit in your greenhouse.
Tomatoes need soil that drains well and will thrive if temperatures are around 70 to 75 °F. As long as you keep one seed per pot, you will get a healthy plant. Thin the plant as needed, and you should start fertilizing once the second set of leaves appears.
- Strawberries:
They will fare better in a greenhouse than trying to grow them outside. These would be a great attractor for bumblebees, but not everyone wants them in their greenhouse, so you can get an automatic pollinator because your strawberries will need it. These pollinators are machines that will vibrate pollen out of a male flower onto a tray that you can place into the female flower.
Strawberries need well-draining soil that has an exorbitant amount of organic material. You should also use mulch to regulate the soil temperature. Now strawberries are where you want to use a drip irrigation method. These plants have shallow roots and can become havens for pests and diseases if watered using top-down methods.
- Raspberries:
These plants are also great for growing all year. They’re easy to grow and will fruit on a regular schedule. While you can choose between primocane and floricane, you just want them to come from a reputable garden supplier. Primocanes will be yearly producers that have a dormant period, and floricanes will die and need to be removed after producing.
This is another plant where you would rather use base watering because overhead watering will cause rot. Harvest season will last from eight to ten weeks, so you might want to think about preservation methods to keep these berries longer.
- Cucumbers:
They can be a great bumper crop in your greenhouse, but make sure you are using peat pots for propagation to keep the root system free from interference.
Train the vines as they get bigger. You can use lateral training or simply use a trellis. They will grow extremely fast, but you don’t want to let them get too big because big cucumbers will be bitter.
- Peppers:
They will need a longer growing season to have better flavor profiles. You will start them in seed trays, and once their roots push against the cell walls, they are ready to go into their new containers. They will branch out naturally, so you won’t have to worry about training them.
When the peppers reach their desired size, they are ready to be picked. Picking regularly will promote more fruiting. This is also a time to use your knife or pruners to avoid damaging the plant.
- Cherries:
Cherry species that don’t need cross-pollination are perfect for your greenhouse. Potted cherries will take up little space, and you can move them around easily in their own pot.
You want to prune this plant and remove broken and dead branches to promote healthy growth. Cherry plants are going to take some time, though. It can take them at least three years to produce proper fruits.
- Cantaloupe:
This is a fruit that can be easily trained using a trellis. They love loamy soil and will need pollination. For that, you can invite bees or use a rechargeable pollinator. As the plant grows, thin it out to promote healthier growth. You should also make sure you inspect your plants every couple of weeks, as cantaloupe can easily attract pests.
Whenever you see a crack in the stem where the fruit is, you are ready to harvest. While we won’t get too far into companion planting, this is where you plant something in the same bed as another plant. The secondary crop can ward off pests while they both provide the other plant with nutrients. For cantaloupe, because it attracts pests easily, you can plant dill as a companion crop to ward off those pests.
- Grapes:
You certainly don’t need a vineyard to grow grapes. It is going to take a little patience and plant training, but you can grow your own grapevine.
On the opposite edge of the door is where you want to start your vine. You can then train it to grow along the ridge of the roof. Water it every seven to ten days during the growing period, and they may need help with pollination.
