Typically, your raised bed is going to be made of metal or wood. Wooden beds are more aesthetically pleasing, and they will last around 10 to 15 years. Metal beds are going to be more durable, which means you’d have a metal bed for 20 to 25 years. There is not much of a price difference between the two, as there will be cheaper options and more expensive ones. Your choice is going to be based on how it looks in your greenhouse. If you like the traditional or rustic look, you would go for wood. Metal is going to give your greenhouse a more industrial feel.

The other thing you have to think about is if you want the bed raised or closer to the ground. While an elevated bed can be portable, not to mention more comfortable to work with, you might think of something larger. Large raised beds are better on the ground.

If you’re still trying to decide, remember that if you have a smaller greenhouse, an elevated version is better. Larger greenhouses are going to be more reliant on large, grounded beds.

RAISED BEDS OR SHELVES?

More greenhouses will lean toward shelving and benches, and raised beds are more common for outdoor use. However, a combination of shelves and raised beds might be the perfect setup for your greenhouse.

With shelves, you can move your plants around so they can get the right amount of light, and this is perfect for plants that just do better in pots, like your herbs. Then you can use the raised beds to cover your larger growing needs.

The most important thing to keep in mind is to give yourself plenty of walking space.

GROWING IN THE GROUND

Yes, if your foundation choice allows it, you can grow in the ground. Is there an advantage to growing in the ground over raised beds or pots, or is it going to wind up being more trouble than it’s worth?

The first thing you may think is that you will see a higher overall yield by growing in the ground, but you will see the same yield with every method, so don’t let that affect your choice.

Pros of Ground Growing

Ground growing is going to be less expensive. Some areas will have loamy soil, which is perfect for growing. All you have to do is till, mulch, and water the ground. If you add compost, you will increase the drainage of the soil. All of this makes for a great growing environment. You end up saving on store-bought compost and potting mix. Pots are also very expensive, especially when you have a lot of growing room.

Because of that soil, you are also going to have a far easier time with watering. Loamy soil holds on to water and nutrients longer than potting mix, which means you don’t need to water as frequently. You also have less chance of overwatering.

Pots are expensive, but it also means you have to buy a lot in various sizes because you have to repot your plants. This is a time-consuming task when you have a lot of plants. You start them in seed trays, and then they get moved to a 3-inch (in.) pot. As they continue to grow, you move them to a 5-in. pot, a 7-in. pot, and so on. Each time you transplant into a new pot, dig the plant out, which can damage the roots.

Cons of Ground Growing

While it sounds like a great idea to just use the soil already present, ground growing in a greenhouse is not a sustainable venture. Your first problem is going to come from pests and diseases. UV rays are a natural sterilizer for soil. Even though your glazing is letting in sunlight, a lot of the UV rays are being filtered out. Without sterilization, the ground soil in a greenhouse is going to become a breeding ground for fungi, bacteria, and a myriad of other problems. You are also always at risk of something burrowing into your greenhouse and eating your crops. You also lose your year-round capabilities because the ground soil might not be at the proper growing temperature. You can’t grow without proper temperatures, but you could add heating cables to heat your ground. This also means there is something else in your greenhouse that would need power.

When something is growing in the same spot every year with the same soil, that soil can become “crop sick.” You are also going to get the same sickness because you have multiple plants and root systems competing for nutrients. Once nutrients run out, you will notice less yield from your plants.

To get rid of diseases and keep your soil from being crop sick, you would have to sterilize or replace the soil, which can be a time-consuming and expensive endeavor.

VERTICAL GARDENING

Vertical gardening is another ideal growing method for some of your greenhouse plants. You’re just replacing your horizontal rows with vertical ones. Or you can use a combination of vertical and traditional methods to maximize your crops. So what are the different ways you can start your vertical garden?

Shelving

This might have been an obvious method, but it works for your vertical growing needs. There are different ways to set up your shelving, but the best way is to make them tiered. You don’t want your higher shelves and plants shading everything beneath them.

Your highest shelf should be on the wall opposite the side that gets the most sunlight. This will help prevent shading as the sun changes positions.

Vertical Planters

These are structures where the soil is placed inside, and the plants can stick out, which makes this the most straightforward way to grow your plants vertically. Gardeners will usually opt for a store-bought planter, but you can also build your own with a wide piece of PVC pipe.

The planter is filled with soil, and you will water the top of the planter. Gravity then takes effect, and that’s how your plants will get the water they need. This also makes maintenance easy.

As your plants get leafier, and with all the water and soil included, the planter can become top-heavy and fall over. To avoid this, secure the planter to a support after you have planted your seeds. Also, make sure you research the planter before you buy because these planters will look similar to hydroponic planters.

Hydroponic Systems

Hydroponic growing is basically growing plants without soil. Instead of nutrient-rich soil, plants get their nutrients from a water-based solution. It requires more attention to make sure the solution is at the right pH level, but you don’t have to worry about maintaining soil with higher-hanging plants. This is because the water solution runs from top to bottom, and the excess solution is collected to be reused.

While this is an expensive system that requires extra monitoring, it can be a great way to save space in your greenhouse since you’re not having to use pots and soil that can get bulky throughout the season.

Aeroponic System

This was actually a NASA-developed system so they could practice growing plants in space. Plant roots are suspended in the air and are just misted with the same type of water solution that you would use for hydroponics.

While this sounds like an amazing solution, it is for the very advanced gardeners. Even if you aren’t ready for this yet, it can be something you keep in mind to use after you master traditional gardening.

SOIL MIX

What if you have an abundance of soil on your property? It can be tempting to just plant and see what happens. But if you’re trying to make an environment where plants thrive, you want to do some work with your soil first. Even if you buy soil mix, this is something to keep in mind after growing seasons to make sure it is still good for plant growth. The issue you will have with the soil is whether it’s alkaline or acidic.

You will need a few things to determine this:

• four tablespoons of soil
• distilled water
• vinegar
• half a cup of baking soda
• two empty bowls

If you want to determine if the soil is alkaline, add two tablespoons of the soil to one bowl. Then you will add vinegar and see if there is a reaction. If it bubbles, you have alkaline soil.

In the other bowl, add the rest of the soil, and then you will add the water. Mix them well and add the baking soda. If this mix bubbles, then you have acidic soil.

If you see no reaction to either, then you have neutral pH soil. All you have to do is add organic matter, compost, and fertilizer, and you are ready to grow. But if you are getting a reaction, there are some things you can add to your soil to balance it. Sulfur or pine needles will balance alkaline soil, and wood ash or lime will balance your acidic soil. Then you can add the other things to be ready to grow.

The Best Soil for Your Plants

• Sandy: Just like it sounds, this is a very loose and gritty soil. It doesn’t hold on to water, which means you have superb drainage. This is a great soil for root vegetables, like carrots and potatoes.
• Silty: This soil will keep the water a little bitter and is good for most plants. It doesn’t drain as well, which could lead to overwatering, but it still has adequate drainage.
• Clay: This soil can become compacted easily and will not offer you adequate drainage. However, this is a good soil for plants that won’t take on deep roots like broccoli, snap beans, and others.
• Loam: This is the ideal soil for many greenhouse gardeners because it has a combination of other soils and humus. Humus is a mix of leaves and animal matter that give moisture retention and plenty of nutrients to plants.

Depending on what you want to grow in your greenhouse, you can have various soil needs. All you have to do is check with your gardening center or on seed packet labels to find out which soil each plant will need before you buy or make soil mixes.

Soil Mix Ingredients

If you look at what’s in store-bought mixes, you will typically see a certain mix of ingredients. These can also be found on their own if you are trying to turn your soil into the ideal mix. The ingredients are

• Peat moss: This has a very light texture and keeps moisture, which promotes root growth.
• Coconut coir: It has become more popular because it is environmentally friendly. The properties of coconut coir are the same as peat moss.
• Compost: Compost can make soil heavier, so it will be used as an anchoring component. However, most gardeners will use compost to add nutrients to the soil.
• Bark: You really won’t want to use bark for your fruits and vegetables because of the air pockets it will create in the soil. However, it can be a great addition to your ornamental plants.
• Perlite: Many gardeners who are looking to improve soil drainage will use perlite.
• Vermiculite: This is another addition for water and nutrient retention, but it’s one you will need to monitor. Vermiculite is pH neutral, but the carbonated compounds within can make it alkaline.