Growing Edible Foods in Winter
Growing your edible foods provides you the opportunity to grow healthy while saving a few dollars this is an awesome way for the whole family to connect with nature during the winter months. Below we will be discussing how this is done.
A great way to extend the season is with greenhouse gardening, whether you’re growing fruits, vegetables, herbs, shrubs, or some other type of plant species one thing for sure and that is with a greenhouse you can grow plants both for enjoyment and for food. Many homeowners are getting into greenhouse gardening because of the benefits that are involved.
The winter months or other adverse conditions should not stop you from connecting with nature in this way. What I love about greenhouse gardening is you can eat fresh year-round also you can grow your own foods without the use of harmful chemicals or pesticides, with a greenhouse you can go organic which is good for your health. Many of the crops which are grown today are having a damaging effect on the health of so many people because of foods that are contaminated.
What I also love about this type of gardening is the added benefit of saving a few $$$$$$$$$$$ which is so true because there is an old saying that “a dollar saved is a dollar earned”. Below are other reasons why you should invest in a greenhouse.
13 Advantages of growing crops in a greenhouse
1. As was said a little earlier, you can extend the season by growing year-round.
2. Growing foods without the use of harmful chemicals and pesticides.
3. Saving your hard-earned dollar.
4. Greenhouse gardening is in an enclosed environment which means that garden insect pests invasion is limited. You have better control of them.
5. Attract and keep beneficial insects on the inside. The bad bugs or garden insect pests do not stand a chance and will be consumed by the beneficial insects. This method is known as biological control which is a safe way, especially when growing food crops.
6. Having these gardens can be a place for enjoyment for both you and your family.
7. This type of environment is a great place to teach your kids about the importance of plants including food safety. Pasting this type of information on to the next generation is so great.
8. A greenhouse is a great place to work with nature while you relax relieving stress.
9. A greenhouse is an enclosed environment which means no need to worry about air pollution coming in contact with your food crops.
10. A portable greenhouse can be dissembled and reassembled meaning you can move it from one location to the next.
11. With a greenhouse, you have better control over weeds and disease issues.
12. Working in a greenhouse can keep you safe from ultraviolet or the sun’s rays that cause skin cancer.
13. With this type of garden, you can afford to grow different species of plants under one roof.
This is more than enough reasons why you should invest in a greenhouse, the opportunities are just so great that you can beat them.
Buying a greenhouse
When deciding to purchase a greenhouse there are a few things to consider which are.
1. Where will you place your greenhouse?
2. What size will it be, what you don’t want is to place or force a greenhouse into an area that will take up space. You still need some room to walk around on the outside.
3. Pricing, many greenhouses can be pricy and complex to simple and low-cost fitting right into your budget.
4. Functionality-do you want to have a space for seating, what about temperature control? will you have a misting system or what about the use of fertigation.
5. Do you prefer glass, wood, plastic, or some other material for your greenhouse? each has its advantages so talk with your sales rep to see which type is best for you.
6. Do you want it to be customized or any fit will do.
7. If you are planning on assembling it yourself find out how easy it is to put together.
8. When purchasing ensure there is ventilation.
9. If you’re planning on having your family work along with you at times then ensure that the greenhouse has comfortable spacing to accommodate all of you.
10. It is a good idea to have a water source such as running pipes and electricity to your greenhouse.
11. What will you be growing in your greenhouse?
12. A walk-in or lean-to. A walk-in greenhouse has four sides with a front door or sometimes both a front and a back door. A lean-to is supported or sits against a wall. The roof slopes away from the wall where you reach in.
Food crops to grow in a greenhouse
- Chives
- Basils
- Onions
- Garlic
- Rosemary
- Thyme
- Carrots
- Beets
- Potatoes
- Cucumbers
- Tomatoes
Can you imagine growing some of these foods with your very own hands from your greenhouse? This is something to be proud of which is self-sustaining that I think is so cool. Don’t get left behind but get in on the action.
The final word
Greenhouse gardening is making waves, growing plants, and food crops this way has so many benefits. Many homeowners have and are taking advantage of these types of gardens if the above mentioned describes you then this is the garden for you so why not reap the benefits of these gardens by installing one. Extend the season by connecting with nature along with family and friends in the most amazing way with this type of garden.
About the author
Norman loves being in the garden, both at home and for his job....
he is 'Natures Little helper' being outdoors, growing his vegetables and flowers from an early age.
Now having spent over 22 years in the profession he want to give some of his knowledge to others...
his vast array of hints and tips you will find scattered over this site will help you no end growing plants in your garden.
Thanks for this empowering post on greenhouse gardening! Me and my best friend are planning to start one, a greenhouse in my father’s farm. The only thing is that, we only know the value of a greenhouse how it can help us, but we don’t know how to exactly create one. I understand that it is near to impossible to order or buy a ready-made green house from online vendors, something that we can just assemble easily to use, maybe what can help us is by having a manual on how to create our own greenhouse farm. What guide or book do you recommend us to buy?
Hello so happy to meet you and it is so good that both you and your friends are planning on having a greenhouse. You can check with your garden center or plant nursery even the hardware store. Youtube is also a great place to start even doing a google search. Hope this help and have a good day.
Loved your article. I had a greenhouse untill last year and it showed really useful in my case. I was a farmer and having a greenhouse was almost a must in my case. I was living in colder area, and most of the crops were threatened by cold weather. While reading your article I realised I was unaware of many other benefits of having your own green house.
And they are not as small as they look. After protection, I think relaxing factor is second best thing for me. I could spend hours in my green house without realising it.
Anyways, I am going to bookmark your website.
Strahinja.
Hello so happy to see you. Greenhouses are pretty amazing and have so many benefits. Hopefully, you can get back into having one of these. Wishing you all the best and have a good day.
I have benefited greatly by reading your article.You discuss in your article about GREENHOUSE GARDENING. You also said Extending the season with greenhouse gardening and Advantages of growing crops in a greenhouse.Your article is an informative article. After reading your article i have learned in this topics clearly. So, Thank you very much for sharing your article.
Hello, I am so happy to help, all the best to you and have a good day.
I can definitely see the benefits of having a greenhouse. I hate the fact that we can’t grow a lot of the vegetables all year round. My husband actually has even talked about getting one. Could you possible give some suggestions on the best places to find greenhouses and the price range? They seem like they would be fairly easy to set up and would most likely come with directions on how to do it. This would be great for us folks who like our organic food, especially being able to keep the beneficial insects inside. I love this idea.
Thanks for this great information!
Hello, Lynn so happy to see you and I am glad to help. Greenhouse gardening is pretty amazing and has so many benefits. The prices vary with the size and the model. What I would suggest is to do a little shopping around at your plant nursery or garden center to see what prices fit your budget, You can even check your hardware store. Hope this help and please let me know how it goes. All the best to you and your husband with your garden project have a good day.