Millions of gardeners consider the winter months to be a quiet and desolate time in the greenhouse. However, there is no reason a great gardener shouldn’t enjoy the cold weather with winter crops. Even during the coldest months of the year, gardeners can plant winter crops to enjoy colorful and delicious plants. Depending on if you live in a harsh winter climate or not, you may even be able to grow a multitude of plants even without a heated greenhouse.

Choosing Plants

When you’re interested in growing winter crops in your greenhouse, choosing the right type of plant to work with is essential. Reading about the various winter varieties is important if you want your garden to thrive. Be sure you’re growing your plants at the appropriate temperature by using an inexpensive gardening thermometer. Many times if your local gardening center doesn’t offer plants during the winter you can order them via seed catalog companies. The seed catalogs should tell you exactly where each plant will thrive, and during which seasons. Thus, the choices of what to plant become easier.

Vegetables to try in cold-weather greenhouses:
Lettuce
Kale
Broccoli
Brussels Sprouts
Beets
Fava Beans
Garlic
Carrots
Cauliflower
Cabbage
Radish
Parsley
Spinach

Flowers to try in cold-weather greenhouses:
Christmas Cactus
Freesia
Impatiens
Amaryllis
Azalea
Pansy
Primrose
Sweet Pea
Snapdragon

Winter Crop Needs

Various plants will have different requirements and needs when grown in the winter months or in a cold-weather greenhouse. As a general rule, you’ll need to reduce the amount of water you provide during warmer seasonal growing. Most often, the first inch of soil should be dry before you give the plants water again. During the cold months, plants will grow slower and require less fertilizer, as well. In fact, many plants will survive and grow well without fertilizer is you provide organic content in the gardening soil. Remember, though the weather temperatures are cooler in winter months, there will still need to be some sort of ventilation possible for your plants. Plants require fresh carbon dioxide and gas exchange for them to be able to photosynthesize properly.
Planting and tending to winter crops during the dreary cold months can be a great way to stay active and happy during the harsh winter weather. Not only can winter crops provide entertainment for a gardener, but they can also provide delicious vegetables throughout the winter months when grocery vegetables are at their highest prices. So, essentially gardening in the winter can save your family money! Just be sure you think fully about what you’re going to plant and how you’ll tend to them before jumping into this gardening task.