Off The Grid Living: Do-It-Yourself Mini Greenhouses

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Do-It-Yourself Mini Greenhouses

Written by: Esther Food, Survival Gardening

For those of us living in areas not blessed with a long growing season, we have to get creative. While many people do not have the space or resources to build a full-fledged greenhouse to extend their growing seasons, there are some handy alternatives in the form of mini-greenhouses that come in all shapes and sizes, built with a variety of different materials and supplies. Lets take a look at some of the ways you can transfer the concept of a greenhouse into a workable garden solution.

Raised Garden Beds
Raised gardens can immediately extend your growing season. The fantastic thing about this method of growing is that you can use literally anything you have to raise your garden beds and create insulation for your soil. Railroad ties to used tires all have equal potential for creating your own raised garden bed. An added bonus is the opportunity to reuse and upcycle items you already have and are not using for other purposes.
Cold Frames
Cold frames are usually raised above ground as well, but in addition, these makeshift greenhouses have lids with windows. These can be used for starters in the early spring, skipping the indoor stage altogether. They can be built as boxes with bottoms or frames that can be placed over actual garden space and later removed when the weather warms in the late spring. Alternatively, they can be used in the fall to extend the growing seasons of many plants or even into the winter to shelter hardier plants like onions. The main function of these devices is to protect plants from the elements (ice, snow, and wind) while trapping in the sun’s heat coming through the window.
There are a number of ways that you can increase the solar power established through the use of windows. You can paint plastic milk jugs or kitty litter containers black, fill them with water, and place them in the corners of your frame. This will allow for added moisture and heat retention. In a similar fashion, you can use painted black rocks placed sporadically among your plants as what are referred to as “solar pillows” to help your makeshift greenhouse do its job.
Alternatively, some gardeners use plastic instead of windowed lids for their cold frames, which works just as effectively with hardier plants or slightly warmer climates.
Indoor Gardens
Moving your garden indoors is not quite as daunting as it may sound. Indoor gardening offers the possibility of fresh produce all throughout the winter, and the concept works similar to the greenhouse method. You’ll want to begin by establishing where you want to set up your garden. Ideally you will want an area that is always between sixty and eighty degrees; basements, heated garages, and sheds all work well for this method.
Next you will want to ensure that you have proper lighting for growing indoors. Plant lights are available at all home and garden centers, and these florescent or LED lights mimic the sun’s light.
Using benching or shelves is ideal for this process. Plants or seeds can be established in potting beds and should be arranged near an empty electrical outlet that can be used for the sole purpose of lighting. Lights should be placed just a few inches above the top row of plants.
Finally, when building your mini-greenhouse indoors, you may want to invest in a heating pad for your plants. Some models come equipped with adjustable controls to ensure that you have just the right temperature for your various plants…..more here 

Source: www.offthegridnews.com

 

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