Mini greenhouses – Are you yearning to grow your own plants, flowers and produce, but lack the space required for a full-blown garden?
Maybe you live in the city, where a rooftop patio is the closest thing you have to a yard. Or maybe you’re in a neighborhood, sharing an outdoor space with families that live nearby.
Whatever your situation, the good news is you don’t need acres of land to enjoy all that nature has to offer. With mini greenhouses, you can cultivate and harvest your own crops right from your home, regardless of how much, or how little space you have.
Here we discuss a few reasons why you may want to consider mini greenhouses for your home, and why they are such a great option to begin your gardening hobby.
What Are Mini Greenhouses?
Mini greenhouses or miniature greenhouses are the smallest types of greenhouses in the market. They can range in a wide variety of sizes — from small cold frames to stand alone structures of 6×8 feet.
They can also be really tiny and meant for indoor gardening or for a small balcony or patio. I discuss both here.
Mini greenhouses are the ideal way to garden for anyone with limited space. They can extend the growing season whatever the climate. Most have shelves which allow you to grow different plants. They all have covers to enclose them for warmth, protection from frost, and to limit access to predators.
Another advantage is that unlike a permanent greenhouse structure, this a type of portable greenhouse. You can move it around your property to take advantage of the sun during different parts of the year.
Types of Mini Greenhouses
The type of gardening you plan to do will play a big role in deciding your greenhouse. If you want to use it to start seeds or are only looking to grow a few flowering plants, a small frame with a few shelves or even hanging hooks will meet your needs.
If you want to grow vegetables or small fruit trees, you need to get a stand-alone greenhouse.
Regardless of what type you choose, a greenhouse is a valuable tool to use in gardening.
Cold Frame Mini Greenhouses
Mini greenhouses come in a wide variety of materials. The smallest incarnation of mini greenhouse is called the cold frame.
These have frames like small boxes or cubes, that are often homemade. They usually consist of wooden sides with a glass top and are not normally larger than 2 feet.
Most of their models are open at the bottom and are used to extend the growing season for certain plants.
They maintain a higher temperature throughout the year which allows plants to be started earlier and have an extended harvest.
Lean-To Mini Greenhouses
Another common form of miniature greenhouses are the lean-to buildings.
For people with limited yard space or those who don’t want to sacrifice much lawn for a greenhouse, a lean-to mini greenhouse is ideal.
They are usually 6 to 8 feet tall and 2 or 3 feet deep. Sometimes they come with several levels of shelving.
Many have plastic or glass coverings. Sometimes, the plastic comes in the form of plates. Other times, the covering is just a pullover for keeping the warm air inside.
Stand-Alone Mini Greenhouses
The largest form of mini greenhouses is the stand-alone greenhouse. It is like its bigger cousins, except that it has no foundation and can be picked up and moved.
The stand-alone greenhouse usually has a metal or wooden frame and plastic plates that fit into the frame.
If you have the space to put one up, this can be a budget-friendly way to garden. They can run many hundreds of dollars less per cubic foot than a professionally installed greenhouse.
Stand-alone greenhouses start at about 6 cubic feet and are usually below 10 cubic feet. Greenhouse frames come anywhere from 2 to 6 feet high. Inside are usually stacked shelves.
You can also find wheeled frames that you can easily move from one spot to another.
They are most often wrapped with a plastic covering. A big thing to watch for when using plastic coverings is the quality. If you get a cheap cover that does not seal well, the mini greenhouse you paid for will not work.
The zippers need to be of good quality and the cover needs to fit well over the frame. If the frame has exposed sharp edges, these need to be smoothed over or covered to prevent them from tearing the frame.
Why Do People Prefer Mini Greenhouses?
Mini greenhouses are ideal for people with not a lot of outdoor space. They are also good to grow in the summer in areas with very cold winters, such as USDA hardiness zones 1a, 1b, 2a, 2b, 3a, and 3b. They can also be a good way for a beginner gardener to see if they like gardening without having to set up a raised garden bed..
They have several advantages for growers and plants.
- Saving space
- Better climate control
- Cost reduction
- Increased mobility
- Protect from frost
- Extend growing season
- Less or no weeds, critters, insects
- Summer growing in colder climates
These are just some of them. Overall, a mini greenhouse can give gardeners a better experience to have a longer growing season and protection for their plants.
Let’s look at how mini greenhouses help the gardening community and produce in detail:
Mini Greenhouses Have Increased Mobility
As mini greenhouses are mobile, you can move them into shaded locations for most of the day during the summer, and to sunnier spots in the yard during winter months.
You can grow different plants in the same greenhouse during different times of the year.
Year Round Culinary Delight
Have you ever wanted fresh strawberries in the middle of winter? What about straight-from-the-earth broccoli in the heat of July?
Depending on where you live, certain foods such as these might not be available in their peak forms during most of the year.
You could follow a seasonality chart to determine which produce is most ripe during which months. Or you could leverage the benefits of climate controlled mini greenhouses to create the food you crave all year long.
Because they’re designed to fit into even the smallest living quarters, you can set your greenhouse up on your patio, deck, or backyard, where you can easily access produce.
And that’s perfect for adding that colorful touch to your favorite dish.
Mini Greenhouses Help Plants to Thrive
Whether you are a new gardener or one with experience, mini greenhouse gardening will help you grow more things, including non-native plants.
If you’ve ever tried to keep a hibiscus alive through a blustery December, you’d know that some plants are simply not designed to hold up against extreme temperatures, both hot and cold.
This is another area where the climate control aspect of mini greenhouses comes in handy. With this setup, you can maintain a comfortable, year-round temperature for your plants.
Strategically designed overhead watering systems help keep humidity in check while the greenhouse works as a heating agent, trapping sunlight to warm even the most cold-resistant plants. Learn how greenhouses leverage heater systems.
Keep in mind, though, that too much sunlight and heat can harm certain plants, so it’s important to monitor their condition.
There are also ways to cool the greenhouse via ventilation and shade tactics. All these features makes mini greenhouses ideal for tight spaces.
You won’t have to worry about losing your beloved patio garden plants to the elements because you lack the space to move them. Rather, place your plants into your mini greenhouse and let nature do the work.
Involve the Whole Family
While standard-sized greenhouses may feel like a challenge for little gardeners, mini greenhouses are just the right size!
According to industry reports, more households than ever before are getting their children involved in the gardening process. In fact, the number recently rose by 25%, jumping from 12 million to 15 million families.
Whether you’ve got children or not, the reality is that mini greenhouses are manageable, accessible, bite-sized versions of their large-scale gardening endeavors.
That means that from small kids to the elderly, any member of your family can appreciate the ease of use that they have to offer.
If you’ve been searching for a way to get the whole family outdoors, this is the perfect idea! Because they don’t take up a lot of room, you can install one almost anywhere. So lack of space isn’t an excuse any longer.
Experiment More Freely With Mini Greenhouses
When you maintain a large crop inside a traditional greenhouse, you’re often limited to how much you can swap out and switch around.
On the other hand, mini greenhouses allow you to have fun and experiment with your plants!
As most solutions are scalable, you can determine how big or small you need your greenhouse to be depending on your space requirements.
From there, you can choose to grow many different kinds of plants that suit your taste. Because you’re not limited to seasonal varieties, you’re more free to change the layout whenever the mood strikes.
Taking up an average of around 10 square feet of space, mini greenhouses are the perfect way to try your hand at myriad gardening tasks in small batches.
Then, if one crop doesn’t work out, you haven’t lost rows and rows of hard work. At the most, you’ve sacrificed a few shelves. This makes it easier to invest in the plants you love and those you’re interested in trying out. Want to grow orchids one month, then cacti the next? It’s up to you!
Grow Herbs Indoors
If you want to go really mini… You can buy a mini greenhouse for indoors too. This means it is possible to set up an indoor garden within the four walls of your home.
The kitchen is the best place to grow herbs as some of the herbs have properties in them to repel insects and bugs that are usually found in most kitchens.
Be it a small countertop near the kitchen window for herbs and other small plants like mint, chives, cilantro and dill, a flowery indoor garden in a corner of the bedroom near the window, or tropical houseplants, a mini greenhouse can be an option.
Mini indoor greenhouses also encourage the practice of hydroponic gardening as the plants can be closely placed, thereby increasing the yield per area by more than half.
Mini Greenhouses are Good for Growing Sensitive Plants
The most commonly cited reason to have a mini greenhouse is to protect vulnerable plants from freezing temperatures.
Sensitive plants like orchids have specific needs that can be well satiated in a mini greenhouse. Orchids enjoy a shaded location with well-aerated soil that allows for good drainage. They also do well in humid climates.
Digging up your entire bed and laying down dryer soil is an expensive, time-consuming process that most gardeners won’t want to take on. A comparatively inexpensive alternative is a miniature greenhouse.
The greenhouse will help keep the temperature and moisture levels constant, even when the weather is not favorable.
And because you’re potting the orchids which you can grow on window sills, you’ll need a bit more care, which a mini greenhouse can definitely give. Orchid Greenhouse Design
Great for Starting Seeds
Are you planning to create a small garden space in addition to using your mini greenhouse? Even if you’re just planning to grow a few plants on your kitchen windowsill, a mini greenhouse can help them get a healthy head-start.
Many people use mini greenhouses to start their seeds, helping them grow into tiny plants before transporting them into the ground or a larger container.
There are many elements that go into this process, including having the right amount of light, water, feed and ventilation.
Mini greenhouses provide all of this and more, allowing you to start the seeding process earlier and give your plants the strong foundation they need to thrive.
You’ll learn space maximization and features of indoor greenhouses.
The best part of these greenhouses? You can watch your little seedlings grow from right outside your window.
Mini Greenhouses Are a Rising Trend in Today’s Gardening Community
Nowadays, it has become extremely difficult to maintain palatial houses, which is why people look out for small houses that have less space to maintain.
The introduction of small and mini greenhouses has come as a boon to many of these people who have a huge passion for gardening in spite of limited living space.
Today, with these small greenhouses, it is possible for people to grow plants and continue with their gardening hobby. They also don’t have to deal with the constant vigil needed to maintain large greenhouses.
Where to Put a Mini Greenhouse Outdoors
- Choose a location with good light.
- The surface where you plan to place the mini indoor greenhouse must be even and stable.
- Be sure it’s not in an area with potentially high winds.
- Consider the ability to stake a greenhouse to the ground.
Buying Mini Greenhouse Kits
There are many different types of mini greenhouse kits available in today’s market. It is possible to install small greenhouses in any small space available around your home, like the patio, porches and kitchen gardens.
Make maximum use of greenhouses made from kits by growing organic produce and harvesting them frequently.
Mini Greenhouse are Ideal Solution
Mini greenhouses are ideal solutions for those who looking to grow various types of plants, even those not in season or for your hardiness zone while maximizing space. Many of these greenhouses work well indoors and outdoors.
These energy-efficient systems provide a good environment for plants and crops to grow by letting in only the required sunlight and heat.
Many of these greenhouses are portable with wheels and make good investments for those who live temporarily in places. They are also easy to move around the property to take advantage of sun.
Greenhouse kits are used to set up these greenhouses. Essentially, you can construct them very easily. The best greenhouse kits available will make the installation process as smooth and seamless as possible.
They are ideal for city dwellers and apartment owners who may prefer them to larger greenhouses. Using mini greenhouses, you can get a constant supply of organic produce while beautifying your indoors as well.
Common types of mini greenhouses are lean-to, cold frame and stand-alone models, each one serving a certain purpose with their height.
Many people grow herbs in mini greenhouses right on their window sill. Mint, parsley, coriander, oregano and rosemary are just some of the herbs that can be easily grown this way. Getting one that is 3-tier or 4-tier will enable you to grow more plants.
Mini Garden Greenhouse
Now that you know a little more about how mini greenhouses are changing the game for household gardeners, are you ready to try one for yourself?
Especially in colder hardiness zones and areas with shorter growing seasons, they can help make you a better gardener by giving you more opportunities to grow. You can also grow non-native plants.
With experience and the right tools, tips and guidance, you’ll be successful growing plants inside all kinds of greenhouses, designed to fit any size of space.
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