Using Greenhouses, Hoop Houses, and Cold Frames To Extend Your Growing Season

Greenhouses, hoop houses, and cold frames are a few of the many ways that you can extend a growing season. These structures give you the opportunity to start growing earlier than you would be able to if you started your plants outside. They create a warmer, sheltered environment that tricks the plant into believing that it is time to start growing. By doing this, you can get a big head start on the growing season and insure that your crops will mature and produce food.

Greenhouses and hoop houses also provide shelter from the elements for delicate seedlings while they are growing up, as well as full grown plants that need a winter home.

Not only that, greenhouses are fun to play in. There is something to be said about being around a bunch of plants that are growing and thriving. The greenhouse seems to be where the plants party! Just walking through a greenhouse, makes me happy. Maybe it's the oxygen rush I'm getting from the plants.

A hoop house is a cheaper alternative to a greenhouse. It's a simpler design, and uses less materials to build. Anyone can put up a hoop house. By using a small hoop house over my lettuce last fall, I was able to carry my crop through the winter and into spring for an incredible harvest. And some of those winter days got into single digit temperatures.

If you're serious about year round growing, a greenhouse, hoop house, or cold frames are a must have. Which one you construct depends on your budget. If it's affordable for you, get a greenhouse. If it's not, build a hoop house, and lastly, use cold frames. They all work in their own way to extend your growing season through the winter months.