Best Green Houses

Many people would like to grow plants but do not have much space. You may only have a

balcony or a tiny yard. The smaller the space you have the more sense it makes to use of

greenhouse because it enable you to make the most of that space all the year round.

A tiny area can produce a surprising amount of plants if it is approached in the right way. You

may not become self-sufficient in fruit and vegetables but you will be able to grow a supply of

fresh salads and herbs or flowers for the home from even a small greenhouse.

The greenhouse is an intensive system of growing and that is what you need if you have only a

small space available. Even if you have plenty of land you may want to think about a mini

greenhouse next to kitchen door so that you can grab a handful of herbs or salad greens as you

prepare supper. You may already have a large greenhouse but might want a small greenhouse

for some extra plants.

A small greenhouse can be very simple and cheap. It may be no more than a tubular steel

framework covered with a plastic tent. They usually have a zip fastener at the front so that you

can open the canopy.

Greenhouses of this type are available in a range of sizes. They can be bought for under $100.

They usually have several shelves that allow you to grow a number of small plants in pots or

trays. If you place it next to a south facing wall each shelf of a small greenhouse like this will

receive enough life to allow the plants to thrive.

If you want to grow tall plants in your greenhouse you can take the shelves out. But there are

many alternative varieties of plants that have a small form. Choose bush or tailing tomatoes, for

example. They will fit happily on the shelves of your small greenhouse.

It may be an good idea to fix your greenhouse to the wall if you live in windy area or if you have

children or a dog. They can easily be knocked over and your precious plants with them. If you

want to use your mini greenhouse on a balcony make sure that you secure it well.

Just as in larger greenhouses it is possible to have automatic watering systems for small

greenhouses. You could arrange a drip feed irrigation system that watered all your hanging

baskets and planters as well as your mini greenhouse.

If all you want to do is water the mini greenhouse then a passive watering system using capillary

matting may be enough. You will need a reservoir of water at the bottom. Put black plastic on

each shelf and cover it with capillary matting. Soak the whole thing before you start then put the

plant pots on the shelves.

You can even make a small greenhouse into a hydroponic system by putting trays on each shelf

and allowing water to run down through each of them in turn. You would need a small pump.

They cost less than $30. Just drill a hole in one end of each tray and tilt it slightly to allow the

water to drain. Fix a pipe along the side of your mini greenhouse to take water to the top and

turn on the pump.

One of the great advantages of mini greenhouses is that plants can be raised up out of the way

of slugs. A whole tray of basil seedlings can be eaten by slugs before you have got out of bed in

the morning. If you wrap some copper tape around the legs of your greenhouse the slugs will

hesitate to climb up and get your new plants.

Plastic covered small greenhouses tend to be less long lasting that big greenhouses that are

more robustly constructed. But you can get many years of use out of them. You should be

prepared to change the covering on your mini greenhouse every year or so. The framework will

last much longer and can be reused again and again.

If you have a very tiny space the whole mini greenhouse can be taken down in the summer and

stored away until the winter. Another alternative is to take off the cover and use the shelves to

display your plants. Your mini greenhouse will provide a wall of green on your balcony or patio.

Take some house plants out for an airing put them on the shelves of your mini greenhouse.

What would otherwise look rather utilitarian will begin to look quite decorative.