Winter Greenhouse

Winter is when a Growing Dome shines. While outdoor gardens lie dormant and supermarket produce ships from far away, dome owners across cold climates are harvesting fresh greens, herbs, and even tomatoes from their own backyards. This category brings together writing on winter dome operation: what to plant for winter harvest, frost protection on the coldest nights, supplemental heat decisions, light considerations through the dark months, and stories from owners across cold climates about what their domes have actually produced through winter.

Gardener holding leafy greens outside a Growing Dome greenhouse in the snow
Gardener holding freshly harvested carrots outside a Growing Dome greenhouse surrounded by snow

How to Grow Food Year-Round Without Spending a Fortune on Greenhouse Heating

August 21, 2026

Learn how to grow food year-round without relying entirely on expensive greenhouse heat. This guide covers thermal mass, heat loss, winter sunlight, microclimates, crop selection, ventilation, and strategic supplemental heating, with practical tips for any greenhouse and examples of how we apply those principles in a Growing Dome.

Read Article
dark chard leaves

The 7 Best Winter Crops to Grow in a Greenhouse (or Your Backyard Garden)

November 25, 2025

Grow fresh food all winter with these seven hardy crops. From beets to lettuce, this list has everything you need. Except kale. We left it out. You’re welcome.

Read Article
Bill giving a tour of his Growing Dome. There are bright red geraniums in the foreground and you can see tropical plants like bananas growing in raised beds in the background

Growing Tropical Paradise in Idaho: Bill George’s Innovative Dome Greenhouse

January 27, 2025

In Nampa, Idaho, an unexpected tropical oasis thrives in a 26-foot Growing Dome during the depths of December. A passionate horticulturist grows exotic fruits

Read Article
Three Growing Dome Greenhouses covered with snow and blue sky in background

How to Keep a Greenhouse Warm

January 7, 2023

An arctic blast swept through the northern half of our continent just before Christmas.  On our Facebook groups we saw reports of temperatures as low as -21F in the US, and even colder in Canada.  Despite these frigid temperatures, Dome Owners were still able to keep their plants alive and thriving by adding a bit of supplemental heat.  Even if the temperature drops below freezing in the Dome, hardy plants will survive and perk back up as the sun hits them the following day.

Read Article
Turnips in Healthy Soil

How to Improve Garden Soil Over the Winter

January 19, 2021

Nurture Your Soil to Keep Your Dome Greenhouse Garden Thriving All Year It is easy to forget that our garden’s soil is alive with organic matter even when there are not any plants growing in it. Soil provides moisture and nutrients to your plants. But to do so correctly, the soil requires a healthy level…

Read Article
Winterizing Your Greenhouse

How To Prepare Your Greenhouse For Winter

December 16, 2020

When the nights start to get cold, and all those fans and vents are working against your best greenhouse gardening efforts, it's time to adjust your dome for the changing weather. Of course, It's never a seamless shift from summer to winter, and temps can fluctuate quite a bit. We want to share some tips that will help you winterize your greenhouse. Helping you adapt to your specific environment and enjoy a flourishing winter garden.

Read Article
Growing Dome greenhouse in a mountain meadow below a hillside of golden autumn trees

Fall Plants for Winter Gardening

September 29, 2020

Fall brings more than changing leaves and crisp air. It also brings changes in your Dome, switching out summer fruits for winter leaves and roots. Summer fruits require heat, light, and longer days to produce optimally.

Read Article
Growing Dome greenhouse and a trailer covered in snow beneath a colorful winter sky

Preparing your Greenhouse for Winter

October 17, 2019

Use our super-secret checklist to ensure a thriving winter garden in your Growing Dome Greenhouse A warm getaway spot is a necessity for gardeners in states where winters consist of low temperatures or heavy snowfall. Your Growing Dome is just that. The perfect winter garden getaway. 1. Do you need Supplemental Heat in your winter…

Read Article
Fish Kissing

Sowing Winter Crops in the Growing Dome

August 28, 2017

Sow your seeds in early fall to prepare for your Winter Garden: If you grow in a Growing Dome, or greenhouse, or even want to try to extend your season in an outdoor garden, the time has come to sow seeds for fall and winter gardening. If you sow in late August to early September,…

Read Article
M1840011

Winter Gardening 2017 And A Hat Tip To The Gardener

January 12, 2017

Winter Gardening 2017 Riding the Pineapple Express Well, welcome to winter gardening 2017. It’s in full swing. Here’s a picture of our most used gardening tools the past few weeks. An old beat up, but highly dependable, Chevy Silverado plow truck, an assortment of hand shovel and we’re going to peek into a Growing Dome® to…

Read Article
Gardener holding harvested greens in the doorway of a snow-covered Growing Dome greenhouse

Winter Crops in a Growing Dome Greenhouse

November 20, 2016

These are some of the most popular crops that can thrive all winter in a Growing Dome Leafy greens Many different kinds of Lettuce, Spinach, Swiss chard, Tatsoi, Mizuna, Bok choi, Endive, Arugula, Radicchio Root vegetables Radish, Carrot , Turnips, Swede, Rutabaga, Daikon, Parsnip Members of the cabbage family Cabbage, Kale, Collards, Brussel Sprouts, Broccoli, Cauliflower, Kohlrabi Members of the onion family Onions, Garlic, Leeks Herbs Parsley, Sage, Thyme, Rosemary, Marjoram, Fennel,…

Read Article
winter gardening claudia 2

Winter Gardening: Growing Spaces

January 8, 2016

Claudia Stover, a Growing Dome® owner of 10 years, had a visit this past weekend from Growing Spaces® owners, Puja and Udgar Parsons. I’m pretty sure I counted almost 20 varieties of plant foods that she has growing, and thriving, in her Growing Dome right now, in early January. You probably caught that the outside…

Read Article
HarvestPic

Winter Vegetable Harvest

December 17, 2014

It’s winter vegetable harvest time, and we hope to make it a holiday tradition. The long awaited snow and winter cold has finally arrived in Southwest Colorado, but our lush garden in the 15′ Growing Dome continues to produce yummy, nutrient-rich greens. The longer season crops we planted in October are also coming along nicely,…

Read Article
greenhouse-heating-1000×500

To Heat or Not to Heat Your Greenhouse

December 11, 2013

To heat greenhouse in winter or not? The Growing Dome is a marvel of technology in its efficiency. With 25+ years of research we can tell you that it can be up to three times more efficient than a traditional greenhouse. Not only does the geodesic shape contribute to this efficiency, but the solar powered…

Read Article
2013.05-Cate-Graber-26-web

Surprise Spring Snow – May 2013 Dome of the Month

May 21, 2013

Congratulations to Cate Graber on winning the Dome of the Month contest for May 2013. This fun pair of photos of her 26′ Growing Dome greenhouse in Trinidad, Colorado shows how quickly the weather can change in the Rocky Mountains. Her peach tree had just decided to start blooming above 6,400 feet. Then Mother Nature…

Read Article
floating-row-cover-greenhouse-1000×500

Floating Row Covers in the Greenhouse

January 24, 2013

It’s been an especially cold winter for many parts of the country. We here in Colorado had the brunt of it during December and now the Midwest and Northeast are experiencing exceptionally cold temperatures. We’ve received a flood of questions about when and how to heat the Growing Dome. It largely depends on the amount…

Read Article
2013.01-Wichland-26-web1

Winter Wonderland – January 2013 Dome of the Month Winner

January 9, 2013

Congratulations to Katja Wichland and Josh Rapaport on winning the January 2013 Dome of the Month with this lovely winter photo of their 26′ Growing Dome Greenhouse in Colorado. Protected by their adopted Chow Chow named Bella, they are at 9,000 feet elevation near Telluride and are coming up on their two-year anniversary of owning…

Read Article
Waser-18-Nov-2012-web

Oregon Tropical Flowers in Winter

December 7, 2012

This Growing Dome Greenhouse in Oregon is flourishing in winter

Read Article
Clusters of ripe red tomatoes growing on greenhouse vines

Success Gardening Indoors in Winter on the Oregon Coast

December 6, 2012

This Growing Dome Greenhouse is flourishing on the Central Oregon Coast

Read Article
Two geodesic greenhouses reflected in still water beneath a purple-gray sky

Keeping the Greenhouse Warm in the Far North

April 21, 2011

Growing Dome Greenhouses in Alaska and Canada stay 30 deg. F warmer in the winter than outside

Read Article
Two gardeners standing in the open doorway of a Growing Dome greenhouse, with snow outside and green plants inside

How Winter Growing is Possible

March 10, 2011

The difference between the inside and outside of the dome on a cold winter night depends on how many sunny days you are having. With the domes 7 unique features for heating and cooling, we are able to grow year-round, even in the Rocky Mountains, because we can keep the temperature at a decent level…

Read Article