Backyard greenhouse plants can really boost your home food budget or, amplify your homestead. Having seen their effectiveness in many places.
I thought, “Why don’t I have a greenhouse? Then I can grow what I want when I want.” That’s important when you live in Canada.
Well, my wife wasn’t quite on board in a few short weeks, we had a greenhouse. It wasn’t cushy or even very large. It was enough to get from hydroponics to the great outdoors – ‘indoors’?
So if you are considering a greenhouse, then you probably wonder what grows best inside your greenhouse? That is what I’m going to be sharing with you. I have quite a few different plants that grow quite well inside the greenhouse.
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Hopefully, it will help you to get your greenhouse growing and thriving for you and your family.
Best Greenhouse Plants:
Here are the plants we Greenhouse Fanatics recommend that grow best inside a greenhouse:
1. Ginseng
Ginseng is a great crop to grow around your home. Not only for its potential health benefits but also because you could use it as a cash crop to help offset the operating costs of your greenhouse.
2. Mushrooms
Mushrooms should be grown very carefully as some of them are quite hazardous if you don’t know what you’re doing.
But if you can get them going in your greenhouse, they are another crop that many people will purchase from you.
3. Bamboo
Bamboo is a great crop to grow. It doesn’t take very long to begin flourishing and it can be used for many things.
Also, it isn’t very difficult to grow. My mother-in-law actually planted some in the woods behind her home and in only a few years (with no attention) it is growing really well.
4. Herbs
Herbs are pretty simple to grow anywhere, in my experience. So why not grow them in your greenhouse?
Then you could make your own spices or enjoy fresh herbs with your daily meals.
5. Leafy Greens
Leafy greens should be constant in our diets. They have many vitamins and nutrients that our bodies need in order to function properly.
So if you have a greenhouse, you should really consider trying to grow these as long as you possibly can. That way you will be certain to be eating enough of them.
6. Microgreens
Microgreens are another really simple green to raise. They don’t require a lot of space or time. Plus, they are also an added health boost that can be quickly tossed on or into a meal.
7. Spinach
We grow spinach in our greenhouse pretty much year-round. I live in a warmer southern climate so I’m able to get away with growing heartier greens in my unheated greenhouse during the colder months.
8. Cucumbers
I love growing cucumbers. They are a really simple vegetable to raise, and you don’t have to grow a ton of them to get quite the harvest.
So if you decide to grow cucumbers inside your greenhouse, be sure to keep in mind that they do bush out and take over if you aren’t careful.
9. Peppers
I’ve always had excellent luck growing peppers inside our greenhouse. The reason is that peppers absolutely love the heat.
So inside a greenhouse, they are certain to get more heat than they would outside. Which in turn gives me a much larger harvest.
10. Tomatoes
Tomatoes are another vegetable I’ve always had great luck with growing in a greenhouse. It is another plant that absolutely loves the heat.
So just be sure to water them more because of the excess heat they’ll find in a greenhouse. Also, be sure not to plant them close to the peppers as you don’t want them to be cross-pollinated.
11. Swiss Chard
I’m a huge fan of swiss chard. We grow it every year. I love the rainbow swiss chard especially because it is gorgeous to look at.
Plus, I love to eat a variety of colourful foods because of nutrients. I know when I eat rainbow swiss chard that I’m getting a lot of good stuff for my body and that makes me feel good.
12. Squash
Squash is another great plant to grow in your greenhouse. It is pretty easy to grow and also puts off quite the harvest from only a few plants. Just be careful as they like to take over where they grow too.
13. Strawberries
Strawberries are quite possibly one of my favourite fruits. I love how easy they are to grow and how much they produce if raised right. You can even plant them in containers so they can be moved around your greenhouse.
14. Peaches
Many people raise their fruit trees inside greenhouses. Peach trees are no exceptions. The reason is that the trees will produce longer in the year since the temperatures can be controlled in many greenhouses.
So then you can enjoy fresh fruit for the majority of the year. That sounds great to me!
15. Cilantro
This one could potentially fall under herbs, but around my house, it deserves a category all of its own. My husband absolutely loves cilantro.
So if you love cilantro too, then you should consider raising it in your greenhouse.
16. Lemons
Believe it or not, citrus fruit was one of the first reasons I wanted a greenhouse. Be careful pets get thinking citrus trees are a play spot. So not having them in the house is a good option.
17. Oranges
Oranges are another fruit tree that grows great inside a greenhouse. That way you don’t have to move them around when the weather dips to lower temperatures. With any luck, you could have fresh orange juice for most of the year.
18. Grapes
Grapes are one you may not have considered raising inside your greenhouse. You’ll need to raise them with an arbour so they can be trained where to grow.
But with a little love and a big enough greenhouse, you could have a few grape vines that produce quite well for you if given the right environment to thrive in.
19. Raspberries
A lot of people have berry patches, but most don’t consider raising berries in their greenhouse. But raspberries are a berry that can grow quite well in a greenhouse under the right conditions.
20. Chillies
Chillies are great for growing in greenhouses because they love the warmer temperatures. When it comes to almost any kind of pepper, the hotter the temperatures are the better they are going to grow (in most cases.)
21. Okra
You may not know it, but okra is another heat-loving plant. I would’ve never thought of okra when I thought of plants that like heat. Naturally, because of this, they would grow well in a greenhouse too.
22. Garlic
We grow our garlic in our greenhouse every year because that way it has a place to grow undisturbed. You probably already guessed that my chickens like to snack on it too.
Well, now you have 45 different items that you can grow in your greenhouse. I hope you find great luck with them all.
23. Pansies
Pansies are always my spring pick-me-up. About the time of year that I’m itching to get out of the house from a long winter, I always put pansies out. The reason is they are cold hearty and add colour to my yard before anything else can.
So it is wonderful that these resilient little flowers can be grown in your greenhouse. That way you can get an even earlier jump on spring.
24. Cabbage
Cabbage is usually a cool weather crop. You can grow them in the warmer seasons, but you have to battle a lot of bugs that you don’t have to worry about in cooler temperatures.
But if you plant cabbage in a greenhouse it is usually to extend its growing season.
25. Peas
Peas are another crop that can be planted in a greenhouse. Most people usually plant them in a field because it takes so many of them to get a decent harvest.
But if you have a large enough greenhouse, then you might be able to grow them there and still get a nice sized harvest.
26. Onions
Our final item that can be grown in your greenhouse is onions. We always plant our onions in the greenhouse. The reason is they are protected from our chickens. If you plant them in your greenhouse, then they’ll have the right growing temperature and can be left undisturbed until mature and ready for harvest.
27. Fig Tree! (Our Guilty Pleasure)
Not number 27. The Fig trees can be successfully grown in a heated greenhouse – either when directly planted into the soil or when grown in a container in a greenhouse.
It’s worth bearing in mind that it can be quite expensive to heat a greenhouse for the sake of a fig tree, and there’s a lot of watering involved, so before you commit to growing a fig tree inside your greenhouse to take into consideration the pros and cons.
Well, now you have 26 different items that you can grow in your greenhouse. And our one guilty pleasure. I hope you find great luck with them all.
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Ultimately, the right greenhouse for you is one that you will use for a long period of time – one which meets your demands and fits in with your lifestyle.
Once you’re happy with your choice, read our guide on getting the most out of your new greenhouse. What works for some growers may not meet your requirements. More complex plans may be just up your alley, sometimes those plans can stifle success.
Grow smart, not hard! Gardening advocates advise that you start with a basic, greenhouse structure like a pop-up greenhouse so you can get the hang of your new plant responsibilities.
The full-size challenges of Backyard Greenhouse gardening await! If you’re looking for more in-depth greenhouse reviews or comparisons, click here to check out the top reviews.
