Did you just get a greenhouse? Congratulations! The first thing you’ll notice, however, is the limited amount of space on the inside. Now you might be wondering what exactly you can grow in there to make the best use of your new greenhouse. 

The options might seem vast and overwhelming, but don’t fret. Let’s get you started with the most popular options. 

Gardening season

10 Best Plants For A Greenhouse

Are you ready to get planting? Setting up your greenhouse is very exciting. If you’re wondering which plants will benefit you most, try the following varieties. 

 

1. Tomatoes

Tomatoes are one of the best plants to grow in a greenhouse. These sensitive plants are easily damaged by frost and need a bit of extra protection from birds and other pests. 

Planting tomatoes in a greenhouse means you won’t need to worry about birds eating your almost ripe crops. You’ll also have access to fresh, pesticide-free tomatoes all year round!

If you’re planning to plant the tomatoes outside in your garden, you can start the seedlings in the greenhouse. This way they’ll be strong enough to survive as soon as planting conditions outside of the greenhouse becomes favourable. You’ll also end up with an earlier crop. 

 

2. Strawberries

Strawberries are a very seasonal crop, but who said you can’t grow them out of season too. A greenhouse will help you to start growing the strawberry plants much sooner than would be possible if planted outside. You won’t need to wait for the frost to pass and the soil to defrost before sowing your seeds. 

As a result of the earlier planting, you’ll also have an earlier crop. This means you might be able to eat some lovely strawberries when everyone else just has a few seedlings poking through. You can also harvest multiple times in one season where everyone else will have a crop that starts later than yours and also ends sooner. Thanks to the greenhouse you’ll have an extra-long season. 

 

3. Herbs 

There’s nothing better than using fresh herbs in your food, especially in winter. Growing herbs in your greenhouse makes this possible even when everything else in your garden is dead or hibernating. 

Simply sow a few seeds in hanging baskets or planters and watch your herbs grow like weeds. You won’t be disappointed especially when it becomes time to make that Christmas roast. You will have herbs year-round. 

The growing season for all herbs will be extended. You just need to make sure you can use them all. If you have too much, you can dry some for later use and plant something else there instead. 

Different herbs do have different growing seasons so you can adjust what you grow to suit the season. This will make it easier since you won’t need to specially heat the greenhouse. 

 

4. Asparagus

Do you love asparagus? If so, you’ll know how tricky it can be to grow this delicious plant. Fortunately, a greenhouse makes growing these delicacies very simple. 

There are lots of studies that show asparagus has much higher yields when grown in a greenhouse. This means that you’ll save a lot of money since they can be quite expensive. 

What's more, you also don't have to worry about any pests getting into your crop. This means that growing organic, pesticide-free crops is so much easier and less time-consuming.

lettuce-greenhouse

5. Lettuce

Lettuce is a very easy to grow greenhouse crop. It doesn’t take up much space and you don’t have to harvest the whole thing at once. This means that your lettuce will continue growing even through winter. 

Simply harvest the outer leaves and let the middle grow. This way one plant will last for months. Place it somewhere out of the way on a shelf or even in a hanging basket inside your greenhouse. Just make sure it gets enough sunlight and water to grow sufficiently. 

Fresh lettuce from your garden is just the best. You’ll be ecstatic to also have it in winter when the tasteless imports arrive in the shops. 

 

6. Cucumber

Cucumber is a good crop to plant around mid-spring. These tender plants need extra protection to grow quickly. In no time you will have a bunch of juicy cucumbers to make delicious salads with. 

The greenhouse will help you to create the perfect conditions for your cucumbers to grow. They need just the right amount of humidity and protection against harsh winds and frost. The greenhouse can help with that. 

You also don’t have to worry about pests. They are locked out. If any do get in, it’s quite easy to eradicate them. Overall, your crop should be 100% organic without any strange blemishes and bad spots due to pests. 

Cucumber crops

7. Peppers

If you have a fancy heated greenhouse, then you can also start to grow peppers in mid-spring. These heat-loving plants do need the extra care to survive, however, so make sure your greenhouse is kept at the right temperature. 

Make sure you plant in an area that gets full sun inside the greenhouse. Water and fertilise regularly and watch your peppers grow.

 

8. Sweetcorn

Another plant for mid-spring is sweetcorn. You will need to make sure your greenhouse is big enough for this crop, however, since it grows quite tall. 

Sweetcorn is a very easy to grow crop. If you’re worried, start with this plant. You don’t need any special heating to succeed, but you do need to make sure the whole plant is covered by the greenhouse. Any part of the plant outside will get damaged by frost. 

It’s also a very fast-growing plant so you won’t need to wait long before you can enjoy the fruits of your labour. 

Peppers

9. Peas

As you know, there’s nothing better than eating a fresh pod of peas straight from the plant. Usually, you’ll need to wait for the weather to warm up before you can plant this delicate plant. With a greenhouse, however, you can already start in early spring. 

This means more peas sooner than ever before! Start licking your lips for so long. 

Make sure you have enough space, however. Peas are climbers so you can save some space by training the plants to go up a trellis. You can also have them growing from hanging baskets and simply let them create a waterfall over the side. 

 

10. Melons

Melons are usually mid to late summer fruits. With the help of a greenhouse, however, you can enjoy this juicy treat much sooner. There’s nothing better than a chilled melon on a hot day by the pool. 

You can plant melons in mid-spring if you have a greenhouse. This will protect the plant while keeping the environment moist and warm enough for the melon to develop exceptionally juicy fruits. You will also have a higher yield than normal since the plants don’t need to struggle for anything inside a greenhouse. 

Make sure you water properly, check the temperature and fertilise often for the best results.

 

Other Plant Options  

If a veggie garden isn’t something you are interested in, then you can also grow all sorts of other plants in your greenhouse. Here are a few ideas.

 

  • Exotics

There are loads of exotic plants like peace lilies, philodendrons, hostas and more. These plants usually require a bit of extra care to grow properly. With a greenhouse, you can easily recreate the conditions in their native countries to achieve optimal growth. 

 

  • Succulents

Another option is succulents. These usually prefer a dry, warm environment. You can grow these beauties in Ireland despite the weather as long as your greenhouse is properly set up. Make sure it’s on the dryer side, has some kind of heating system and get’s lots of sun for the best results.

 

  • Flowers

If you love flowers, then you can also create a flower garden inside your greenhouse. There are so many different species that you’ll need to decide which you like best. These flowers can be started from seed much earlier than normal which means you can also enjoy some colour in your garden much sooner than normal. 

Gardenhouse flowers

  • Trees

If you have some delicate tree species, you can use your greenhouse to overwinter these plants. This will protect them from harsh winds, frost and too much rain. Once the weather warms up again, you can plant them out again. 

If your greenhouse is big enough, you can also permanently grow some fruit trees like peaches in your greenhouse. This will protect the fruits against any pests while stimulating more fruit to grow in one season. 

 

Conclusion

Now that you know a bit more about plants that will do well in a greenhouse, it’s time to start planning. You will need to decide on the layout, what kind of plants you want and where exactly everything needs to go. 

Once you are ready, simply run to your nearest nursery or visit an online store to buy the plants you desire. 

The sky's the limit, or in this case the greenhouse walls. Let us know in the comments below what you’ve planted in your greenhouse for this season. 

Happy greenhouse gardening!