The Mini Greenhouse
Setting up a mini greenhouse for early season starts is an exciting process for the avid gardener. Mini greenhouses prolong the growing season by letting you start seeds earlier and allowing you to bring vegetation indoors after the weather grows too cool outside. Mini greenhouses come in many different varieties.
The Attached Greenhouse
The attached mini greenhouse is very popular greenhouses. Not only are they easy to set up, they are conveniently located right next to your home. Many mini greenhouse kits are available that allow for easy attachment to an existing structure, such as your home or garage. Some homeowners choose to convert an unused carport or breezeway into a haven for their plants. Others purchase a greenhouse kit made for attaching to a building. Some lean-to greenhouses are even fully enclosed so you can just lean them up against your home without having to drill holes into your house’s siding. The ambitious gardener may even decide to build an attached mini greenhouse from scratch.
Attached mini greenhouses are often more convenient because sources for ventilation, heating, cooling, and water are readily accessible from the existing structure. Many attached greenhouses are transformed into functional rooms with the addition of brick flooring, wooden benches, and wrought iron furniture. These combination solarium/greenhouse rooms are very popular retreats for rest and relaxation or even as a breakfast room.
The Basement Mini Greenhouse
Numerous gardeners choose to convert a portion of their home’s basement into a mini greenhouse. Many compact greenhouse kits turn a shelving system into a miniature greenhouse, perfect for small spaces. Each shelf includes a grow light and the entire unit is covered in a protective wrap. These types of indoor greenhouses require manual watering and a heated room for plants to thrive.
Some indoor greenhouse kit systems, such as a hydroponic system, come complete with automatic watering and timer controlled lighting.
The Window Mini Greenhouse
The windows of your home can be converted into miniature indoor greenhouses as well. The basic seedling tray with a humidity dome (clear plastic cover) grows seeds quite well when cared for tenderly in a well-lit area of your home. Some people set up an indoor greenhouse in their home’s bay window. These all-glass enclosures provide warmth and light to your seedlings. You may need to add supplemental grow lights if you are not getting enough sun and also keep a fan nearby to provide constant gentle air circulation. If the sun is too intense, you may need to move the plants out of the direct light to keep the plants from burning and drying out too quickly.
Mini greenhouses, whether the conventional outdoor greenhouse or a mini greenhouse area designated in your home, allow a gardener to bring beloved plants and seedlings indoors for extended growing seasons and added convenience. Mini greenhouses add beauty and value to a home, and basement and window indoor greenhouse systems are relatively easy to set up and maintain. Mini greenhouses are the perfect addition to any garden lover’s home.
About the Author
Michelle Torres has nearly 20 years experience using and designing greenhouses and is an avid gardener. You can find additional useful information about greenhouses and greenhouse gardening at http://www.greenhousecatalog.com
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