What is a Mini Greenhouse?
Mini greenhouses or a greenhouse is a structure made with either pipes or metal with a shelf in them for the placement of plants. They can be short or tall as well. The frame structure usually has a plastic cover that can be zipped or unzipped as per need. There are many DIY pop-up greenhouses that you can make right at home. They need very simple materials and items.
The patio greenhouse isn’t like how a traditional greenhouse would be. However, they are a great alternative to regular greenhouses. The small greenhouses are a good seed starting way, which can later be shifted to a garden as they grow. The tabletop greenhouse provides the right factors required for the plant to grow.
How does a Mini Greenhouse work?
A tiny greenhouse is intended for growing plants beyond their seasons. Greenhouses are built to improve or boost the comfort of the plants. The irregular climatic changes can otherwise harm your plants and seeds in a damaging way. A mini indoor greenhouse regulates the temperature and protects the plants from infestation. In addition, they also retain the correct amount of moisture required for the plants. There are some greenhouses that are made to grow crops used for decorative purposes. While on the other hand, there are mini greenhouses built solely for growing fruits and vegetables.
Step 1: Light
We all know that plants require sunlight for proper growth. Hence, mini green houses need a way for the sunlight to come in. This is why most of the collapsible greenhouses have translucent materials like plastic or glass.
Step 2: Absorption
Once the sunlight comes into the greenhouse, it is absorbed by the seeds or plants. It is then converted to infrared energy. Here it is important to note that the darker the surface, the more energy it absorbs.
Step 3: Trapping
Here the energy is now converted to infrared energy. Once inside the mini greenhouse, there is a difference in the wavelength. This change does not allow the heat to escape the balcony greenhouse. It is easy for the sunlight to get in the small indoor greenhouse, but it is difficult to out of it.
Step 4: Warming
The heat trapped in the miniature greenhouse warms the air inside it. Usually, greenhouses are airtight. This means the warm air stays inside for long. The warm temperature in the small glass greenhouse provides the right growing conditions for the plants.
Step 5: Photosynthesis
The trapped energy in the mini earth greenhouse then starts with the photosynthesis process. The ample amount of sunlight gives way to photosynthesis. Plants need close to six hours of sunlight each day. This also depends on the type of plant. In addition, the placement of a small plastic greenhouse is also very important.
Types of Greenhouses
If you are a gardening lover, then building the best small greenhouse should be your dream. Having your own mini greenhouse allows you to have many advantages to it. For example, you can grow plants all year round in spite of the growing season. This method enables you to grow fresh and organic plants and crops. Let’s have a look at the different types of greenhouses that you can build.
1. Freestanding: Freestanding greenhouses, as the name suggests, stand-alone. You are free to place them anywhere you want. These types of greenhouses are a bit expensive than the others on the list. However, they are a good investment considering you can grow a wide number of plants in them.
2. Attached: The attached greenhouse is where you won’t have to build four walls of the structure. These lean on greenhouses are also a great idea to build if you have no extra space. The one side of the greenhouse can be a sturdy wall. Hence, the other sides can be lighter. These 4 tier greenhouses are less expensive as compared to the rest. This set up is best for growing plants or herbs as well. However, one disadvantage of this structure is that sunlight can enter only through the three sides.
Important Factors To Consider
If you plan to build a greenhouse, here are a few points that you should take into consideration.
- Site Selection
The first important step to building a greenhouse or a mini greenhouse is site selection. You first need to choose where you wish to place the greenhouse. This is one crucial factor that you need to consider, as this will determine how much sunlight your plants will get. It is best to build the mini greenhouse closer to your home. The closer the mini greenhouse is, the more likely you will attend to it. You will also need water and electricity near the greenhouse. Hence, consider that too.
- Glazing
Glazing is the outer frame for the small wooden greenhouse. This frame is important as it lets in sunlight and necessary elements for the proper growth of the plants. The best glazing material for a greenhouse is glass. However, it can get too expensive. The best alternative to glass is a plastic cover sheet. It is also super affordable. You can also go to polycarbonate. This material is lightweight and affordable as compared to another mini greenhouse. Polycarbonate is very strong and can be used for bent or flat surfaces as well.
- Environmental Control
If the climate is too cold, you will need to insulate the greenhouse in order to keep it warm. During the day time, you can allow sunlight to do its job. While at night, you can use insulation to keep the plants comfortable. There are multiple heating systems that are available online. You can choose the ones that suit your plants better. The best option to choose is a 220-volt circuit electric heater. You can also opt for oil heaters or small gas heaters for this purpose. Heat lamps can be hung over the plants during night time to keep them warm and nice.
- Ventilation
During climatic changes, your plants can get too cold or too hot. This is the reason why good greenhouse ventilation is important. When you have a greenhouse, you need to keep a close eye on the temperature in it. The temperature should not get too hot or cold, which can damage the plants. There are temperature sensitive hydraulic vents and electric ventilation that are available. You can install an oscillating fan that will help the air move around in the greenhouse.
- Shading
In hot environments, the sunlight can be too harsh. This can result in too much sunlight in the greenhouse. Exposure to extreme sunlight can be harmful to growing plants. You can use roll-up screens of aluminum or wood. There is paint on materials and vinyl plastic shading as well. There is quite a lot of variety in shading that you can find online. Use this shading equipment when you witness a sunny day. This is one of the best ways to take care of your plants.
- Avoid Pests
The next important factor that you need to take care of our pests. There are many pests that could get into the greenhouse and harm your crops. This is why the first thing you need to do is check the quality of the plants. Make sure they are disease-free and have no bugs in them. If you happen to find any pests, take out the plant immediately before it spreads over to other plants. There are several pests killing sprays available in the market. You can also get in good bugs that will eat the bad pests like green lacewings, ladybugs, and white parasites.
- Watering
There are certain techniques and methods that you need to understand. Different types of plants have different water requirements. You first need to understand what kind of plants require how much of water. Instead of using a timetable to water your plants, get some research done on how much water every plant needs. It is important to water plants according to their needs to avoid overwatering or under-watering.
Some signs that show inappropriate watering are decreased shoot, irregular drying, immature plants, and slow root growth. This will result in higher amounts of pesticides to make up for the decreased water. You may ask, what is overwatering? Overwatering happens when you water too often without allowing the soil to drain it. The best alternative to this is to install a drip solution. This will regulate water levels and avoid overwatering.
- Accessories
Since you have decided to invest in greenhouses, you should also purchase accessories to make the work simpler. You can purchase the accessories one by one based on your budget. This equipment will reduce the workload and make it a simple process. You can install shelves in your mini-greenhouses. This will allow you to store any extra equipment that you may have. It is important to keep the greenhouse organized and neat. Hence, shelves will allow you to arrange every element perfectly.
Also, purchase a small thermometer, which is important for gardening. There are some plants that grow well in certain temperatures. Hence, you need to keep a check on that. A thermometer will help you know the exact reading and maintain the temperature as well. Similarly, fans too are a great accessory that you should buy. Small fans get rid of excess moisture, which prevents bugs or pests. You can also buy larger fans, which help in purifying the surrounding.
Easy to Grow Plants For Beginners
Greenhouses are mainly built to grow vegetables. Having your own organic vegetable is a huge plus. You can be sure that the vegetables are fresh and pure without any pesticides. If you are a beginner in this category, then you may be wondering which are the easiest to grow. Here we are listing some of the simplest vegetables that you can grow in a mini glass greenhouse.
- Asparagus
Asparagus is one of the easiest plants that you can grow. Close to twenty asparagus crowns are known to produce for a household of four. One thing about this plant is that you can’t plant other types near it. This plant requires isolation. This simply means not to plant other types of herbs or plants around it. You should plant these in a trench.
- Spinach
Spinach is a leafy vegetable that is great for health. The best part is that spinach can be grown all year round using mini-greenhouses. Spinach usually requires cold weather. They can be cooked or even eaten raw. It is known to have a higher vitamin, calcium, and iron content.
- Eggplants
Eggplants are another easy growing vegetables. These vegetables need warm temperatures similar to tomatoes and peppers. You can harvest the eggplants 16-24 weeks after sowing. Make sure to water them well after placing the seeds. You can also remove the terminal buds for a thick bush.
- Tomatoes
Tomatoes can be grown outdoors as well as in mini greenhouses. You can get fresh and organic tomatoes all year round. For beginners, it is best to choose a variety of tomato that is immune to verticillium and fusarium. The only thing that you need to make sure is that the soil where you plant the seeds have a correct drainage system.
Conclusion
In this article, we have specified the basic things required for developing a greenhouse. If you are a beginner, don’t lose hope if things do not go ahead as planned. With time and practice, things will eventually fall in place. The article gives a detailed explanation of all the important requirements for a mini greenhouse. Simply follow these steps and take good care of your plants for the best results.
In the beginning, you can opt for a moderate-sized mini greenhouse. Later on, once you feel confident, you can then increase the size of the same. A greenhouse is one of the best options to grow a variety of plants. You can also extend the growing season of a number of vegetables and fruits. Growing plants by yourselves a feeling of satisfaction that you must try.
Read full comparison review of the top 10 best mini greenhouses 2020
