Choosing the best plants for your greenhouse is essential to ensure a flourishing garden that maximizes your space and resources while providing a rewarding gardening experience. Opting for the right plants can lead to better growth outcomes, more efficient use of light and temperature control, and an optimal balance of humidity within the greenhouse environment.
Whether you’re aiming for year-round vegetable production, nurturing exotic flowers, or cultivating delicate herbs, selecting suitable plants allows you to achieve your gardening goals effectively.
Moreover, the right plant selection helps in pest management and reduces the need for chemical interventions, making your greenhouse gardening more sustainable and environmentally friendly.
Best Greenhouse Plants
1. Eggplant
A greenhouse eggplant crop is relatively easy to grow as a commercial or hobby crop. Although eggplant is not a regular food item for many people, it does have a place in the greenhouse production plan for those who like it and value its contribution to their cuisine. The crop is about six months long.
Eggplant or aubergine is used in a variety of cuisines of many countries. It is often stewed, as in the French ratatouille, or deep fried as in the Italian parmigiana di melanzane, the Turkish karnıyarık or Turkish and Greek musakka/moussaka, and Middle-Eastern and South Asian dishes.
Eggplant (Solanum melongena) is a warm-season vegetable that grows best when temperatures are between 70 to 85 °F. It generally has a long growing season and grows slowly during cool periods. Plant in the spring after the last chance of frost and the soil has thoroughly warmed.
2. Tomatoes
The tomato is the edible berry of the plant Solanum lycopersicum, commonly known as the tomato plant. The species originated in western South America, Mexico, and Central America. The Nahuatl word tomatl gave rise to the Spanish word tomate, from which the English word tomato derives.
They grow particularly well in a greenhouse, usually producing an earlier and larger crop. When grown outdoors, these tender plants need a warm, sunny, sheltered site. Tomato is used for preventing cancer of the breast, bladder, cervix, colon and rectum, stomach, lung, ovaries, pancreas, and prostate.
It is also used to prevent diabetes, diseases of the heart and blood vessels (cardiovascular disease), cataracts, and asthma. Tomatoes thrive in rich, free-draining but moisture-retentive soil, so add plenty of garden compost before planting.
3. Peppers
Black peppers add flavor to almost every food in every nation in the world. It is used in rubs, spice blends, salad dressings, and peppercorn blends. Pepper features prominently in several Arabic spice mixtures, such as zhoug, baharat, and berbere.
Growing peppers is easy in any sunny, well-drained spot, and they are good candidates for roomy containers, too. Peppers have a naturally upright growth habit, so they often benefit from staking, which keeps brittle branches from breaking when they become heavy with fruit.
Peppers have a lot going for them. They’re low in calories and are loaded with good nutrition.
4. African violets
African violets (Saintpaulia ionantha) are low-maintenance, easy-to-grow houseplants. They reliably bloom several times a year when cared for properly. It symbolizes love, fortune, and faithfulness, enriching cultural traditions, purifies air and reduces stress, offering beauty and therapeutic benefits.
African Violets must be grown indoors or in a temperature-controlled greenhouse. African Violets are very sensitive to temperature and humidity fluctuations. Additionally, these tender tropicals are very sensitive to direct sun. While they need bright light to thrive, they require indirect light as they can burn.
5. Coral cactus
The coral cactus is a popular houseplant, not only because of its unique appearance but also because it’s low-maintenance and easy to care for. Coral cactus plants prefer bright, indirect sunlight. They can tolerate some direct sunlight in the morning or late afternoon, but too much direct sunlight can cause their leaves to burn.
In general, it is best to place Coral cactus plants near a west-facing window. They can be used as accent plants in rock, cactus, or succulent garden beds, as houseplants, and as container plants on patios or xeriscaping.
6. Hibiscus
You can start growing hibiscus in the basic greenhouse. It provides for warmth and water and that is what it is all about! Hardy Hibiscus does best in full sun. They will grow in partial shade, but growth and flowering will suffer.
If you live in areas with very hot summers, during the hottest part of the day, Hibiscus may need shade. Hibiscus should be planted along or in the back of perennial flower beds. Hibiscus preparations, including teas, powders, and extracts, have been shown to decrease blood pressure, reduce body fat, improve metabolic syndrome, protect the liver, and fight cancer cells.
7. Orchids
Orchids are plants that belong to the family Orchidaceae, a diverse and widespread group of flowering plants with blooms that are often colourful and fragrant. Where space is limited inside the home, window greenhouses offer a prime space in which to cultivate small-growing orchids. Opt for a model with vents and small fans that enhance ventilation.
Most houseplant orchids like bright light but not direct sun, such as on a north- or east-facing windowsill. They like regular watering and misting, preferably with rainwater or boiled water rather than tap water. Many need to be grown in bark-based orchid compost rather than traditional houseplant compost.
Conclusion
Greenhouse gardening offers a controlled environment ideal for a wide variety of plants to thrive, regardless of outdoor conditions. Inside a greenhouse, gardeners can regulate temperature, humidity, good air circulation, and light exposure, creating optimal growing conditions for plants that might otherwise struggle outdoors. This control not only extends the growing season but also enhances plant health by protecting them from extreme weather, pests, and diseases.
In a greenhouse environment, selecting the best plants involves choosing varieties that thrive in both warm greenhouse and unheated greenhouse settings. Fruit trees and grape vines are excellent for warmer climates; they produce fruit in early spring through the summer season. Companion planting can enhance growth by providing essential nutrients and protecting against fungal diseases.
Easy-to-grow plants that adapt to the specifics of greenhouse growing, including the use of organic materials, ensure a robust garden. This makes the greenhouse an ideal place to cultivate a variety of plants, maximizing their health and yield.
