Cold or Hot Greenhouse

Most crops for winter greenhouse vegetable gardening doesn’t necessarily need to be heated; only certain plants need extreme heat year round, tropical fruits for example can need extra heat in the winter.  Most leafy and root vegetables will do well in the fall and winter months; winter greenhouse vegetable gardens are protected from the cold and enhanced with a bit of extra heat from the surrounding glass.

Most plants in a winter greenhouse vegetable garden will be in containers or raised garden beds; the purpose for this is to make the plants easily transferable once the risk of freezing has passed.  Most vegetables will grow well in container part or full time provided they have adequate drainage and plenty of water; plants not producing fruit or blooming may require less water, it is important not to overwater plants.

Choosing the right containers for winter greenhouse vegetable gardening will improve the success of the winter garden; every container should have drainage holes.  For greenhouse use terra cotta or plastic containers are probably the best choice; terra cotta is porous and allows the roots of the plants to breathe, while plastic is inexpensive and unbreakable.
 
Top Choices For Greenhouse Winter Vegetable Gardening

A greenhouse will extend the life of an existing garden or it is possible to have a greenhouse winter vegetable garden; many salad favorites such as lettuce, spinach, Swiss Chard, Kale, carrots, radish, and beets grow well in the winter.  A greenhouse winter vegetable garden can keep the cold off the winter hardy crops allowing them to be harvested all winter instead of until the first freeze.

Caring For A Winter Greenhouse Vegetable Garden

Potted plants in a winter green house garden will often need more water than in-ground plants; as such checking the water level and insuring the roots are not water logged is essential.  To check if the plant needs to be watered place a finger about an inch into the soil; if the soil is dry it needs to be watered, always water the soil not the leaves, the roots bring the moisture to the leaves they have no need of their own. 

To ensure the roots are not water logged pour water onto the plant until the water drains freely from the bottom drainage spouts; when this happens allow the water to pool and spill off access water, standing water can attract parasites or disease.

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