What's Growing in the Vegetable Greenhouse

February 1, 2025

What's Growing in the Vegetable Greenhouse

There are so many vegetables thriving inside my vegetable greenhouse at different stages of growth.

Here at my farm, I practice succession planting - a process that involves following one crop with another in order to maximize a garden's yield. Yesterday, my gardeners Ryan and Josh checked on the mature vegetables ready to harvest as well as the seedlings now poking through the soil. They also transplanted a collection of healthy, established greens from Bonnie Plants. It's gratifying to have these pure, flavorful crops growing at the farm. I'm always so happy to share the bounties with my family and friends.

Here are some photos.

: This time of year it’s nice to go inside my vegetable greenhouse to see what’s thriving. This large structure has 16 raised flower beds. Right now, some vegetables are ready to harvest, some plants have just recently germinated and are in the beginning stages of growth, and some beds are freshly planted with young, but already established plants.

: In succession planting, crops are planted at different times. This is our bed of arugula, directly planted from seed a couple of weeks ago. Arugula leaves, also known as rocket or roquette, are tender and bite-sized with a tangy flavor.

: I also have a young bed of cilantro, Coriandrum sativum, growing nicely. Cilantro 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.

: And here is a carrot plant also recently planted from seed earlier this month. I like to make sure we keep track of what varieties grow well, so I know what to use again.

: The ideal temperature inside the greenhouse is around 80-degrees Fahrenheit to keep all the vegetables and herbs growing their best. Rosemary is a fragrant evergreen herb in the mint family Lamiaceae. It has needle-like leaves and white, pink, purple, or blue flowers.

: These are mature bold red beet stalks. Beetroot stalks are edible and can be eaten raw or cooked. I harvest the bulbous red or orange root vegetables that appear just above the soil when ready to pick. Beets are sweet and tender – and one of the healthiest foods. They contain a unique source of phytonutrients called betalains, which provide antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and detoxification support.

: All my plants are grown organically and have no chemical taste at all. This is celery, part of the Apiaceae family, which includes carrots, parsnips, parsley, and celeriac.

: Also mature and ready to harvest is the Swiss Chard. One cannot miss the gorgeous Swiss chard stalk colors. They are so vibrant with stems of yellow, red, rose, gold, and white.

: On one side of a bed is a mature crop of kale. 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.

: 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. I like to add this to my green juice.

: Lettuce always grows so well in this greenhouse. It’s a real treat to have lettuce like this all year long. Some of these lettuces will be picked very soon.

: Around this bed, Ryan and Josh plant thyme from Bonnie Plants, a leading provider of plants for the vegetable garden, herb garden, and flower garden. These potted plants are a bit older than the seedlings and ready to be put into the ground to establish strong root systems for the growing leaves.

: Josh digs a hole about six inches deep.

: He uses a Right Angle Trowel designed for ergonomic planting from Johnny’s Selected Seeds.

: Josh removes the plant from its pot and teases the roots to stimulate growth.

: Then he inserts it into the hole…

: … and lightly presses the soil down around the plant. The plants are equally spaced about a foot apart.

: Nearby in another bed, Ryan uses a Bed Preparation Rake from Johnny’s Selected Seeds to make the marked rows for the broccoli plants.

: Broccoli does so wonderfully in this greenhouse. To grow broccoli successfully, 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 foot of overall space and six to 12 inches of soil depth.

: Ryan and Josh plant more parsley in another bed, this from Bonnie Plants. It will be some time before this crop is ready to harvest, but it will be great in my daily green juice. There’s nothing like the taste of fresh organic vegetables from one’s own garden.