Inside My Vegetable Greenhouse in Winter
This morning, my outdoor vegetable gardens are covered with a light layer of snow and sleet, but I'm fortunate to have vegetables growing beautifully in a large and special greenhouse tucked behind my Equipment Barn here at my Bedford, New York farm.
Its design was inspired by Eliot Coleman, an expert in four-season farming. My gardeners, Ryan McCallister and Brian O'Kelly, do an excellent job with succession planting and all the maintenance. I'm always so happy to share the bounties with family and friends. Very little goes to waste as these vegetables taste so pure and delicious to eat - it's very gratifying to have fresh, organic produce available through the seasons.
Enjoy these photos.
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- This entire greenhouse, located next to my tropical hoop house, is almost all glass. Most of the energy comes from the sun through these giant windows, which can be programmed to open for ventilation or cooling when needed. This photo was taken earlier this week when temperatures rose to the upper 60s. Today started with freezing rain, sleet, and temperatures in the 20s.
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- The ideal temperature inside the greenhouse is around 85-degrees Fahrenheit to keep all the vegetables growing their best. We have a large thermometer at the entrance to the structure, so the temperature can be checked easily several times a day.
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- Here’s Brian watering the tree ferns and vegetable beds. We built 16 of these wooden garden boxes to fit the entire length and width of the space. Raised bed gardening allows good drainage, prevents soil compaction, and provides protection for those plants that may otherwise get trampled.
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- Lettuce always grows so well in this greenhouse. These need to grow a little bit more before harvesting. We always plant in succession. Succession planting is a practice of seeding crops at intervals of seven to 21 days in order to maintain a consistent supply of harvestable produce throughout the season. This dramatically increases a garden’s yield, while also improving produce quality.
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- I always grow lots of varieties of lettuce, so I can share them with my daughter and her children. I love fresh lettuce. It’s a real treat to have lettuce like this all year long.
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- Lettuce is most often used for salads, although it is also seen in other kinds of dishes, such as soups, sandwiches and wraps; it can also be grilled.
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- The gorgeous Swiss chard stalk colors can be seen through the leaves. They are so vibrant with stems of yellow, red, rose, gold, and white. Chard has very nutritious leaves making it a popular addition to healthful diets.
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- 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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- And here is a white stemmed Swiss Chard. Look at its giant green leaves – so perfect.
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- These are the leaves of 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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- The radish is an edible root vegetable of the Brassicaceae family. Radishes are grown and consumed throughout the world, and mostly eaten raw as a crunchy salad vegetable.
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- 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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- 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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- And look at our broccoli. This is the first time we’ve grown broccoli in the greenhouse. They are all developing so beautifully. To grow broccoli successfully indoors, it must get at least six hours of direct sunlight per day or grow lights timed to provide the same amount of direct exposure. And they need room – each broccoli plant should be allowed at least a couple feet of overall space and six to 12 inches of soil depth.
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- And do you know… one can also eat broccoli leaves? Eating the large thick broccoli leaves provides another source of the plant’s high content of fiber, vitamins C and K, iron, and potassium. Harvest leaves in the morning or evening so the cut area can heal in the coolest part of the day. Never harvest more than 1/3 of the leaves, or the plant will suffer.
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- We will have so many delicious broccoli heads to enjoy from this crop.
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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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- Here’s our parsley. Parsley is a flowering plant native to the Mediterranean. It derives its name from the Greek word meaning “rock celery.”
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- Last summer, my gardeners planted five of my fig trees in the vegetable greenhouse where they can live all year long in a controlled setting. If you enjoy growing an unusual fruit crop that’s delicious and nearly trouble free, consider figs. Figs will grow well unprotected in zones 8 to 10, and also in colder areas if given good care and proper winter protection.
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- Also stored in this greenhouse is this grapefruit tree with its waxy green leaves – no fruit yet, but fingers are crossed.
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- All the beds are watered and weeded – thanks, Brian. I am so pleased with how well this vegetable greenhouse works. Soon, we will be working on the outdoor beds, but for now, I am so fortunate to have this greenhouse where I can harvest flavorful and healthy produce all winter long.
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