Timing is everything when it comes to gardening. Knowing the right time to plant a particular seed is important which is why research and planning are essential when it comes to home gardening. However, there’s a question that many gardeners ask and that’s how to grow plants, vegetables and flowers year-round indoors? This is where an indoor greenhouse comes in.
A greenhouse is a structure usually made of a glass roof and walls, and is used to grow plants that require regulated climate conditions. With a greenhouse, you’re able to have an environment that’s conducive to growing any plant that you want, even during the winter months.
What is an Indoor Greenhouse?
An indoor greenhouse is a mini greenhouse that you can put inside your home. Your indoor greenhouse can be made in the form of a glass cabinet or a mini tent made of metal stakes, covered with clear polyethylene material.
Benefits of an Indoor Greenhouse: Why Should You Get One?
1. Grow plants of any season year-round
One of the most important functions of a greenhouse is that it helps people grow seasonal plants all year round.
There are people who would like to consume seasonal fruits and vegetables like cucumber, bell peppers, beets, and Brussel sprouts but find it impossible to find them in certain seasons. With an indoor greenhouse, you get access to your preferred fruits and vegetables all year round.
2. It’s excellent for apartments or small spaces
Indoor greenhouses are excellent for anyone who needs to grow plants in a small space. If you don’t have enough outdoor land or just want an indoor garden, then this is the perfect solution for you.
Whether it’s in your kitchen or living room — a greenhouse will help ensure that your plants get the sunlight it needs to thrive.
Having an indoor greenhouse allows you to be creative as well. There’s no need for a huge space as you’re sure to find a place inside your house where you can fit your gardening essentials.
3. It’s aesthetically pleasing
Your indoor greenhouse can also be an excellent centerpiece or a decoration for your living space. Not only will it make your space more beautiful and green, but you can serve food from the garden in case guests stop by.
In addition to aesthetics, plants help improve air quality because they remove toxins through the process of photosynthesis or via earth vaporization. Some indoor plants even have the ability to keep your home cool.
4. You can place it anywhere you want
You don’t have to worry about setting it up in the wrong place because it’s very easy to move. If you decide to relocate to a new house, then you can easily disassemble your indoor greenhouse and reassemble it at your new place.
It’s very portable so you don’t have to worry about the climate is bad. Having a greenhouse inside your house will solve all your plant-growing problems.
5. Easy to maintain
Indoor greenhouses are generally easy to maintain. It’s easy to regulate the humidity and temperature as well as check the plants for pests or health-related problems.
It also enables you to easily provide the best environment for your plants. For example, you live in an area where there isn’t much sunlight and where the place is prone to drafts. Having a greenhouse made of solid glass would help provide your plant the needed protection and the ability of glass to retain heat will ensure that your plant will always have the right temperature for optimum growth.
6. It protects your plants
With an indoor greenhouse, you’re sure that your plants are safe from heavy storms, wind or snow. You can better monitor them and detect early signs of infestations too.
How to Build Your Own Indoor Greenhouse
The average person’s home is not the best place to grow plants indoors. But with an indoor greenhouse, you can provide your plants with the best place to grow and thrive.
Before we proceed with the necessary steps, you have to plan what you want to plant beforehand. This will help you get an idea of what size your indoor greenhouse is going to be.
Next, think about where you would want to put your greenhouse. This way, you know that your greenhouse won’t be a nuisance for other people living in the house.
Here’s how you can make an indoor greenhouse at home:
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Pick the materials
Determine the materials you’re going to use for the greenhouse frame and cover. For the frame, you have to get something sturdy. As for the covering, you need something that will allow sunlight to pass through.
Popular Frame Materials:
- Wood. This is a popular choice as it can easily be modified and shaped to the way that you like. It’s also an excellent insulator. The downside is that it absorbs hear so if you live in a humid place, it can easily rot.
- Steel. Steel, especially galvanized steel, is one of the cheapest materials to use when it comes to greenhouse frames. With galvanized steel, you won’t have to worry about it rusting and you get one of the sturdiest materials in the market.
- Pipes. Plastic pipes can also be used as frames for your indoor greenhouse. You don’t have to worry about it rotting like you would with wood and it isn’t as heavy as steel. However, depending on the size of the greenhouse you’re trying to build, you might prefer to use something stronger than plastic.
Popular Greenhouse Cover Materials:
- Fiberglass. Fiberglass is kind of like glass but more pliant and durable than glass. Unlike glass, it’s lightweight so it’s easy to install, and like glass, it allows sunlight to freely shine through. Note that fiberglass can turn yellowish after a decade so you might need to give it a coat of UV protection resin to avoid this issue.
- Glass. Glass is the most popular material when it comes to covers for indoor greenhouses. It looks good, is easy to clean and maintain, is durable, doesn’t lose color and it stays the same over time. If you do choose glass then note that it can be lean on the more expensive side and you might need help installing it.
Also, this choice isn’t ideal if you have active pets and kids at home as glass tends to be fragile. - Plastic Film. This is the cheapest option and will require more maintenance as it’s easily damaged.
2. Find the ideal environment for your plant
You need to gather things that you will need to build the perfect environment for your plants. This includes LED grow lights, an electric heater and fans.
LED grow lights. You will need these whenever wintertime hits. Your growing plants will need a temperature between 60-75 degrees Farenheit, which is the typical temperature for autumn and spring.
Fans. You need to air out your plants once in a while to prevent molds. Humidity is important as low humidity can kill plants, but you will have to be mindful that your greenhouse doesn’t get too humid to stop molds from growing.
Determine what kind of plants you’re going to grow to know what kind of environment you’ll be setting up.
3. Gather the supplies
Once you have the frame and covering, you will need a couple more supplies for your indoor greenhouse.
What you’ll need:
- Grow lights (You’ll need one to grow light per layer of your greenhouse)
- Heater
- Fans
- Thermometer
- Hygrometer
- Misting system
- Double-sided adhesive tape or glue gun
4. Assemble your indoor greenhouse
- Assemble your greenhouse cabinet.
- Determine where you’re going to place your grow lights, heater, fans, thermostat, and misting system.
- Drill holes into places where the outlets are going through.
- Stick your double-sided tape onto your grow lights.
- Stick your grow light underneath each layer of your greenhouse, so that it’s facing the plant on top of the layer below them.
- Attach your heater, thermometer and fan (this depends on your vision or plan)
- Your greenhouse is ready. You can now put your plants in.
What Size Should Your Indoor Greenhouse Be?
Indoor greenhouses will vary in size depending on where you’re planning to put them, the available space and the types of plants you’re planning to grow.
If you’re planning to grow vegetables, flowers and small trees, then you have to measure their exact size when fully grown and plan the size of your greenhouse cabinet accordingly.
If you’re planning to grow a couple of herbs then a small greenhouse using 7” x 7” would be enough.
If you’re going to grow plants like peppers and peperomia serpens or plants that can grow up to 5 inches tall, then you can choose to have a 28” x 34” greenhouse cabinet with two layers. You can go taller if you think you’re going to be putting in more plants.
How Much Will an Indoor Greenhouse Cost?
A typical greenhouse that must be built ranges from $3,000 to over $15,000. An indoor greenhouse will be more affordable. But the cost may go up, depending on the materials and the size of your greenhouse. can cost you $10 to thousands of dollars.
What are Ideal Plants for an Indoor Greenhouse?
If you’re just starting out and don’t have an idea what to plant in your indoor greenhouse yet, then here’s a short list of plants, flowers and herbs that all greenhouse beginners can start with.
Flowers
- Orchids
- Roses
- Petunias
- Chinese Hibiscus
Herbs
- Chives
- Basil
- Mint
- Oregano
- Parsley
- Thyme
Vegetables
- Tomatoes
- Spinach
- Avocado
- Carrots
- Cucumbers
- Lettuce
- Peppers
Fruits
- Figs
- Lemons
- Limes
- Oranges
- Grapes
Are Indoor Greenhouse Worth It?
It’s so much easier to gather materials and build an indoor greenhouse today as you can order everything you need online. With an indoor greenhouse, first-time gardeners can easily start their planting journey without worrying about the weather or the season.
Remember to plan and always clean your greenhouse once you’ve got it up and running.
