How Has a Greenhouse Changed How I Start Seeds?

With over 600 seeds started, ranging from heirloom fruits and vegetables to wildflowers and native pollinator plants—I’ve grown exponentially more than my previous years starting seeds in the basement. The greenhouse offers unparalleled advantages, allowing me to sow seeds earlier than ever before because of the amplified natural sunlight and heat retention. Moreover, the natural fluctuations of early spring temperatures have even quickened the cold moist stratification process, providing seeds like milkweed, goldenrod, yarrow, and columbines with the exact conditions they need.

Though I’ve started all of my seeds in the warmth of my greenhouse, more tender summer annuals like watermelons and tomatoes still have to get stored in my basement under grow lights as the nights dip into the 30s and 40s.

All in all, the speed of both the germination process and daily growth has been nothing short of incredible, and growing in the greenhouse has completely changed the way I start seeds.