What makes the most sense for growing vegetables (tomatoes/peppers/squash/etc) in a new, small 6ftx9ft greenhouse in a hardiness zone of 6?

Removing the grass inside and then...

  1. Planting plants at ground level, simply replacing the first 8 inches or so of soil.
  2. Filling the greenhouse base with 8 inches or so of raised soil (not a problem for wood base).
  3. Replacing the soil with something like rocks/bricks/mulch and keeping plants in pots.
  4. Some hybrid thereof?

What the the pros/cons of each?

It would seem to me that most people go with #3 for some reason. I don't see many people choosing #1, I wonder why... it seems easy and provides lots of surface area to grow in. #2 is a good as #1 but provides extra drainage.

paved greenhouse floor

apparently dirt floor greenhouse

  • What do you want to grow in your greenhouse?
    – Bamboo
    Apr 21 '18 at 0:58
  • @Bamboo - Doh, Idk how I forgot to add that. Vegetables.
    – Bort
    Apr 21 '18 at 1:36
  • 1
    You can grow squash outdoors in Zone 6 - plant seeds beginning of May - they take up an awful lot of room and one or two plants will cover the entire floor of your greenhouse, preventing you from getting in there
    – Bamboo
    Apr 21 '18 at 1:50
  • @Bamboo - Yes, but, then they will get eaten by the $&@#ing aninals. Plus I want to extend thr growing season.
    – Bort
    Apr 21 '18 at 2:09

The main reason that people get a greenhouse is to move their location a couple of zones towards the equator to get a head start on getting seedlings to grow, and to allow the growth of plants that one otherwise can't grow. So, pots serve this purpose just fine hence the reason people mainly choose option 3.

The problem with using option 1 is that the greenhouse is an artificial environment less exposed to the sterilizing UV from the sun, and so the soil is more easily contaminated and pests can be an issue. Some people get around that by putting their greenhouses on rails/skids so that they rest the soil by moving the whole greenhouse.

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