Who said you need a yard or balcony to start growing plants and vegetables in a greenhouse? Whether you’re a hobby cook who likes to season his food with homegrown herbs or you just like to release your inner child and play with sand and mud, an indoor greenhouse is the perfect addition to your home!
Why an indoor greenhouse? Maybe you don’t have a backyard or maybe your climate doesn’t allow outside growing. Maybe you fell in love with tropical flowers and fruits that have difficulties growing in a normal indoor or outdoor environment because they need extra warmth and humidity. Maybe you just like a controlled environment to give your crops the best growing chances. Whatever your reason is to consider an indoor greenhouse, after reading this article you’ll be convinced to start growing indoors!
- Release your inner chef! When you cut fresh basil, oregano or chives and sprinkle them over your fresh dish, your food will taste so much better.
- Your indoor greenhouse is safe and protected. No need to build a sturdy construction to face wind, sun and snow. When you place your greenhouse indoors, you can go for a low budget option.
- Planning a big move or saving to get the funds together for your dream home? Your indoor greenhouse can move right along with you.
- An indoor greenhouse is perfect for growing seedlings or sensitive plants. Thanks to the protection of the cover or panels, your crops will grow faster than when you just place them in a pot. The greenhouse will hold on to the heat and humidity and help your plants get everything they need to become strong and pretty.
- A great crop for indoor growing is avocado. Now let that be the one vegetable a true millennial can’t live without.
- Not a true millennial or you don’t like to identify with one? Other tasty indoor crops are tomatoes, strawberries, cucumber, oranges, lemons, basil, mint and many more.
- When your greenhouse is indoors, you can grow your veggies all year long. An outdoor greenhouse needs to be heated during winter, but your home is already snuggly and warm so your crops are safe and you don’t need extra heaters.
- Planting, repotting, harvesting, … There’s nothing more relaxing than getting your hands dirty and following the growth of your plants.
- You can use an indoor greenhouse to grow your seedlings and later repot them in your yard or in a larger pot. It will increase your chances of a successful crop drastically thanks to the ideal growing circumstances!
- Your homegrown fruits and vegetables are pesticide free and you don’t need to drive to the supermarket or use plastic or paper bags to bring your veggies home. You can harvest just the amount of food you need so there’s no waste. Planet earth will thank you.
- An indoor greenhouse means not even having to leave the house to harvest your crops. Fresh cooking in your pajamas or taking it one step further and pretending to be the naked chef? I don’t judge!
Still not sure about setting up an indoor greenhouse? Working on convincing your partner or roommate to allow you to bring your gardening enthusiasm inside? Take a look at this video, we’re pretty sure you’ll be convinced after watching this (or find the arguments you need to convince your roommate/children/partner).
Mini greenhouse or portable greenhouse?
The most popular indoor greenhouses are either the mini greenhouses or the portable greenhouses. A mini greenhouse is usually made out of wood and glass or polycarbonate. Whether you want to use it to grow herbs, flowers or a small tomato plant, this cute little addition to your home will make you happy every time you see it.
A mini greenhouse will allow you to grow one or two plants (per greenhouse, obviously). Are you a bit more ambitious and do you have room to set up a portable greenhouse? A portable greenhouse will usually consist of 4 or 5 tiers and comes with a pvc cover. The pvc cover will help the plants to hold the humidity and lower the amount of water you need to give them. In a portable greenhouse you can easily set up 10-15 pots with different plants and/or flowers. Place the portable greenhouse in a sunny corner of your home and enjoy the bright colors!
Are you a DIY enthusiast? Do you want an original mini greenhouse without spending too much money? Take a look at these DIY mini greenhouse ideas. Our personal favorite is definitely number seven!
Setting up your indoor greenhouse
Whichever greenhouse you end up choosing or how many plants you want to grow, the key with greenhouses (as with real estate) is location, location, location. Find the most sunny spot in your house or apartment to install your mini or portable greenhouse. Think about both winter and summer sun. Make sure to optimize your setting for winter sun, as plants will desperately need more light and warmth during cold winter days. During summer you also want your plants to receive enough sunlight, but should be careful not to overheat them.
When you don’t have the opportunity to give your seedlings, flowers and plants enough direct sunlight, it might be worth investigating greenhouse lighting to increase your harvesting chances. This could help to keep your plants and seedlings strong during winter. During your first indoor growing seasons, you want to keep a close look at the temperature and humidity of your greenhouse, to optimize if necessary.
I hope I’ve shared my love of indoor gardening with you and have convinced you to start growing inside. Amaze yourself, your partner and your guests with beautiful flowers. Find new inspiration in the kitchen by using your very homegrown herbs and relax after an office day by getting your hands dirty. Now if you’ll excuse me, I have some homegrown strawberries to harvest! Take a look at our favorite indoor greenhouses.
