What's Growing in My Vegetable Greenhouse
My outdoor garden beds are cleared, cleaned, and ready for winter, but fresh, delicious vegetables are growing beautifully indoors - in a special greenhouse I had constructed several years ago that was inspired by Eliot Coleman, an expert in four-season farming.
Here at my farm, we practice succession planting - the process of seeding crops at intervals of seven to 21 days in order to maintain a consistent supply of harvestable vegetables throughout the season. My gardeners, Ryan and Brian, began planting in the greenhouse earlier this fall, and over the last few weeks, we’ve seen wonderful crops of beautiful organic produce emerge.
Enjoy these photos.
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- During the colder months here in the Northeast, it’s so nice to go inside my vegetable greenhouse. It is located near my Equipment Barn next to the Hay Barn and Tropical Hoop House. This structure uses minimal artificial heat, where many cold hardy crops and other greens can be grown and harvested through the winter. Some beds look more full than others. The beds are planted at different times as part of succession planting.
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- Most of the energy in the greenhouse comes from the sun through these giant windows, which can be programmed to open for ventilation or cooling, when needed.
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- Inside the head house, we always keep a number of our favorite seeds. Many are from Johnny’s Selected Seeds, but we also love to use seeds from Seed Savers Exchange, Baker Creek Heirloom Seeds, Vilmorin, a French seed producer, and others. I am always on the lookout for different seeds when I travel, but seeds are also widely available online and at garden centers. Ryan keeps track of what seeds do well at the farm – indoors and out.
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- I love fresh lettuce. It’s a real treat to have lettuce like this all year long. I share it with my daughter and grandchildren, as well as friends and those who work here at my farm. And of course, I enjoy it for my own lunches and dinners when I am home.
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- These lettuce heads are ready for harvesting. A handful are picked, so I can take them to my daughter’s later in the day.
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- These lettuces are younger and need a little more time, but look how beautiful they are – these lettuces love the greenhouse.
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- My gardeners keep a good eye on this vegetable greenhouse – temperatures are monitored and the beds are kept clean and weed-free. Here is one side cultivated and ready to plant more lettuce seeds.
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- We do a lot of prep work to get the beds ready. In this greenhouse we use a compost-based potting soil mix from the Vermont Compost Company in Montpelier, Vermont. This soil is specifically developed for organic gardening called Fort Vee potting mix. Ryan uses a hoe to make the furrows for the seeds. The furrows don’t have to be deep. In general, seeds should be planted at a depth of two times the width, or diameter, of the seed. A seed that’s about 1/16-of-an-inch thick should be planted an eighth-of-an-inch deep.
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- These are pelleted, or coated, lettuces seeds. Pellets make seed handling easier for small-seeded crops such as lettuce, carrots, and some flowers.
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- Ryan drops the seeds about two inches apart in the furrow of the raised bed. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled. My raised beds were designed for easy reach from all sides.
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- Do you know what this is? If you said daikon, you’re correct. Daikon or mooli, Raphanus sativus var. longipinnatus, is a mild-flavored winter radish usually characterized by fast-growing leaves and a long, white, napiform root. Compared to other radishes, daikon is milder in flavor and less peppery. And, when served raw, it has a crisp and juicy texture.
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- These are scallions. Scallions have a milder taste than most onions. Close relatives include garlic, shallot, leek, chive, and Chinese onions. Growing scallions is actually easier than growing onions since they have a much shorter growth period. Varieties sown in spring can be harvested just 60 to 80 days after planting or when transplants reach about a foot tall.
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- In between the scallions and the mature daikon, Ryan carefully drops more daikon radish seeds. This variety, ‘KN-Bravo’, features sweet-flavored, attractive purple roots. The internal color ranges from pale purple to white with purple streaks. It adds beautiful color to kimchi or fresh salads.
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- The seeds are very small now – it’s hard to believe these tiny seeds produce such beautiful vegetables within weeks.
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- I also grow a lot of spinach. Spinach is an excellent source of vitamin K, vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and a good source of manganese, magnesium, iron and vitamin B2. We use a lot of spinach at the farm for my daily green juice.
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- New Zealand spinach is a trailing plant that forms a mat of triangular soft fleshy foliage. It is not the same as true spinach, in fact the two plants are not related but can be used fresh or cooked in the same way.
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- This is a beautiful head of radicchio – a perennial cultivated form of leaf chicory sometimes known as Italian chicory. It is grown as a leaf vegetable. Radicchio has a bitter and spicy taste which mellows if it is grilled or roasted.
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- Other vegetables already growing in this greenhouse include the Swiss chard. Swiss chard colors are so vibrant with stems of white, red, yellow, rose, and gold. Chard has very nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets. The most common method for picking is to cut off the outer leaves about two inches above the ground while they are young, tender, and about eight to 12 inches long.
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- Kale is related to cruciferous vegetables like cabbage, broccoli, cauliflower, collard greens, and Brussels sprouts. There are many different types of kale – the leaves can be green or purple in color, and have either smooth or curly shapes.
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- These are the baby leaves of Arugula. Arugula is a lesser known cruciferous vegetable that provides many of the same benefits as other vegetables of the same family. Arugula leaves, also known as rocket or roquette, are tender and bite-sized with a tangy flavor.
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- Here’s our bed of parsley. Parsley is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning “rock celery.” It is a biennial plant that will return to the garden year after year once it is established.
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- Cilantro, Coriandrum sativum, is also known commonly as coriander or Chinese parsley. Coriander is actually the dried seed of cilantro. Cilantro is a popular micro-green garnish that complements meat, fish, poultry, noodle dishes, and soups. Everyone here at the farm loves the cilantro, but some don’t. Do you know… some even say it tastes like soap. For those, the issue is genetic. These people have a variation in a group of olfactory-receptor genes that allows them to strongly perceive the soapy-flavored aldehydes in cilantro leaves. Among those who strongly dislike cilantro – the late Chef Julia Child.
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- Pronounced bee-KEE-nyo, the name of this pepper from Brazil means “little beak,” and adds great flavor to many dishes. The bright one inch pods taper to a point like an inverted teardrop. The pepper has the distinctive smoky flavor like other members of this species, but also a rich fruitiness that is enhanced by sugar or sweet-and-sour marinades. It also makes the perfect garnish for barbecues and pickles. My family loves these peppers. I pickle them every year. I am so glad they are thriving indoors.
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- In this bed – growing beets. Beets are sweet and tender – and one of the healthiest foods. Beets contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support.
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- I am so pleased with my vegetable greenhouse this year. We’re looking forward to a winter filled with bountiful harvests – there’s nothing quite like the taste of fresh organic vegetables from one’s own garden.
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