The gardening season is about to start again and you can already do it at the end of FebruaryPrefer first types of vegetables. Whether you start with tomatoes, eggplant or cabbage, your seeds need the right growing conditions to germinate quickly and successfully. Today we will show you how you can make a cheap indoor greenhouse yourself using simple household materials.
If you are handy or know someone who is, you can build your greenhouse out of wood and glass. But if you don't feel comfortable cutting, drilling, etc. of these materials, here are some easy DIY mini greenhouse ideas that literally anyone can make.
To ensure that your DIY project is really cheap and environmentally friendly, we recommend using plastic containers that you already have available, such as used plastic food trays from the supermarket.
DIY indoor greenhouse made from a plastic tray
So if you have a few small, clear, disposable boxes with lids lying around, you can reuse them instead of throwing them away. And what could be better than turning these practical little containers into a mini greenhouse for them?Growing seedsto do in the house? A tried and tested, simple project for the frugal and environmentally conscious gardener in all of us. It's really quick, easy and best of all – it's practically free!
Materials to Build a Mini Greenhouse:
- A clear plastic container with a lid
- Potting soil, possibly mixed with compost
- Seeds
- Optional: individual or divided cultivation pots, e.g. B. Egg carton bases
How to build such a mini greenhouse:
First, wash and dry the plastic container. Then poke some holes in the bottom if the box doesn't have any.
Line the bottom of the container with fleece or newspaper, add some gravel on top and fill it ¾ full with potting soil. If you are using nursery pots in your mini greenhouse, place them in the tray and also fill them ¾ full with potting soil. A tip: you can also use the nursery potsvery easy to do yourself, by using various household items such as toilet roll or newspaper.
Plant the seeds according to the package directions, watering them just enough to keep them moist. A spray bottle works well here. Then close the lid.
Depending on the weather, the small growing box can be used indoors on the windowsill or outside. Once the weather becomes milder, move the mini greenhouse outside during the day to a location that receives bright sunlight. Make sure that the soil does not dry out when the greenhouse is in the blazing sun. If the soil dries out, add only enough water to keep the soil moist. Bring your mini greenhouse inside at night and place it in the sun during the day.
In no time, your seedlings will be growing, giving you a head start on your spring planting. If the seedlings become too large for the space under the lid, simply support the lid with a popsicle stick or other device or remove it entirely. As long as the temperature is above freezing, you don't need to close the greenhouse, but remember to bring it inside at night.
If the seedlings outgrow the horizontal space, you should repot them into a container until all danger of frost has passed. As soon as the danger of frost has passed, plant themSeedlings in the groundand enjoy them.
Make your own inexpensive indoor greenhouse out of egg carton
If you already have some vegetable plants such asPrefer tomatoesIf you want to, then an indoor greenhouse can prove to be particularly helpful. Another material you can use for a DIY project is the empty egg cartons. We will now explain how a small greenhouse is made from it.
What you need:
- Empty egg cartons
- Cling film or plastic bag
- garden soil
- Together
- Clothespins
And this is how you make your own indoor greenhouse out of egg carton:
First, use a kebab skewer to poke holes in the bottom of each cup in the egg carton. Then wrap the lid with plastic wrap so it can function like a coaster.
Choose good garden soil and fill the egg carton using a spoon or small shovel. Before planting the seeds, poke small holes in the soil with a skewer or your finger. Sow the seeds according to the sowing depth instructions.
Moisten the soil using a spray bottle. Once the seeds are sown and watered, cover the entire egg carton with another piece of plastic wrap or put a plastic bag over it. To attach the foil you can use some clothespins. The clamps are easy to release so you can water the seeds every day.
Finally, choose a nice spot for the egg carton greenhouses, such as a sunny windowsill.
Remember, you don't have to have a garden to sow seeds. This mini greenhouse is a great way to grow herbs for the patio, balcony or kitchen window.
Make your own indoor greenhouse in a storage box
You can also make a simple greenhouse for your home or balcony using an empty storage box. If you need to increase the temperature in these small greenhouses, simply put the lid on or throw a cloth on top.
All you need to do to convert a storage box into an indoor greenhouse is to sow the seeds in suitable nursery pots, water the soil and place the pots in the storage box. Then cover the box, find a suitable sunny spot and grow seedlings from it.
You can also use a fruit crate for this project. Since it doesn't have a lid, you can simply wrap it with cling film after sowing the seeds.
