There have been a lot of great articles about sustainable eating and farming. If you’re thinking more and more about actually putting your money (and a lot of work) where your mouth is, we have a special guide for you on how to start growing your own food, even if you don’t have a whole arable field or a large plot.
In fact, all it takes is a well-planned greenhouse. If you have been intimidated by going greenhouse shopping, don’t be. It doesn’t have to be a construction project if you find a reputable greenhouse store that will understand that all you really want to do is plant seeds – not be Bob the Builder. See if your greenhouse comes with assembly, and voila!
Greenhouses can extend your growing season for months, especially if you live in moderate climates like Central Europe or the UK. There are some myths that we’d like to bust first:
- It’s too big – you can get a greenhouse that is custom built to fit your space. If you’re short on it, you can even get a lean-to greenhouse that snugly fits around your house and doesn’t take that much room at all. In fact, there are balcony-sized ones available too!
- You have to heat it – you can actually extend your growing season even with a tiny unheated greenhouse. And if you can keep a compost pile inside of your structure, it will provide free heating and raise the temperature by a few degrees.
- You have to heat it #2 – yes, some plants do better in heat, especially in early spring. But you don’t have to heat the whole greenhouse. Just set up a small planter, or propagator and heat that. It will help you germinate early spring starters like peppers, cabbage, lettuce and onions.
- You can’t grow anything in winter – well, yes. But there are hardy vegetables like kale and hardy winter cabbages that you can certainly grow when the temperatures are below 0. These are especially healthy in the months that not a lot of fresh greens are available at the stores.
We hope we have addressed some of your fears today. If you have been feeling a bit guilty about eating lettuce that is more travelled than you, here is a great solution that may just turn into your new favourite hobby. Below is a beginner's guide to greenhouses:
