Any recommendations of indoor plants that would be easy to grow inside a greenhouse with students (high school special needs)?
Where can the seeds be purchased? Succulents seem to be popular at school for teenager’s rooms, are they difficult to grow from seed? We have been growing many outdoor plants for many years, but there seems to be more of an interest in house plants with students.
Thanks for any suggestions.
Almost all houseplants originate from tropical or subtropical regions, and as such are ideally grown inside a greenhouse. Your potential choices are vast.
As for propagation, you may find that it is more rewarding to do so vegetatively rather than from seed. Plants that grow and mature reasonably quickly from seed are annuals and certain perennials. Tropicals and subtropicals usually take much longer to germinate (months), let alone flower and fruit. Succulents are not hard to grow from seed, but the seeds are so tiny that they are difficult to handle, and will take weeks to germinate. But succulents are easily propagated by taking whole leaf cuttings and the subsequent growth process is fascinating to watch. Here is a webpage with good photos to show you what the process looks like.
Other plants that eagerly grow from pieces of itself include:
- From whole leaf plus stalk cuttings: Saintpaulia (African violet), Gloxinia, Peperomias
- From whole leaf cuttings: Sedum, Echeveria, Crassula
- From part leaf cuttings: Begonia rex, Streptocarpus, Sansevieria
- From stem cuttings: Impatiens, Ivy, Coleus
If you prefer to grow plants from seed, with a greenhouse you can grow many beautiful annuals and bulbs out-of-season and have blooms in the middle of winter to cheer you up.
We wish you the best of luck and much pleasure from growing plants with your students.