What to Grow in your Greenhouse?

“Eat food. Not too much. Mostly plants.” – Michael Pollan

I’ve had my greenhouse for almost a year now and in that time there have been many experiments; some successful and some terrible failures, but after all this time I’ve figured out a thing or two and I’m going to let you in on my secrets so that you don’t have to make the same mistakes that I did.

Herbs, celeries, lettuces, spinaches, and any leafy plants will grow really well in a hydroponic setup. I’ve been struggling with tomatoes because it tends to get too hot in summer, but they grow really well in autumn and winter, provided I have some additional lights to supplement the distinct lack of sun that we tend to have here in the Western Cape during winter.

The only things that won’t really work in a hydroponic set up are root vegetables just because there is not really enough space in the growing channels for large roots. These all belong in your veggie patch, which brings us to the next step in growing your own food.

I use the greenhouse for all our fresh salad ingredients and any vegetables come from my garden. Think about this, we pay about R15 in the shops for a bag of lettuce. I pay R1 for a lettuce plug and 2-3 weeks in I have all the lettuce that I could possible need on tap for about 3 months, so when I make a salad, I just pop into my greenhouse and pick and choose whatever I feel like and eat it moments later. 

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It’s fresh, healthy and alive – and trust me, you will taste the difference!