How to Build an Indoor Greenhouse

How to Build an Indoor Greenhouse
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Greenhouses for All

The word greenhouse might bring to mind an image of an outdoor glass building full of greenery. There are many different designs of greenhouses that can be utilized by all manner of gardeners. Greenhouses can range from elaborately designed glass castles that can be found in botanical gardens or near extravagant homes to a basic glass lean-to against the side of a house. There are also greenhouse kits available for purchase in various sizes that are easily assembled and come in a variety of materials depending on the individual’s needs and desires.

All of these greenhouses have thing in common, and that is that they all are outdoor greenhouses. But what about those individuals who do not have a yard for a greenhouse? Or those who live in places where outside climates are too inadequate for their growing requirements? This article offers a simple but highly effective and extremely cost effective way of building a greenhouse inside your own home.

greenhouse

Just an Idea

A little ingenuity can go a long way

This idea for an indoor greenhouse is not a definitive building plan but more of an idea as to how to go about creating an ideal greenhouse environment inside to maximize your growing potential. As each area designated for an indoor greenhouse will undoubtedly be different according to the individuals available space and wants, it is important to have an plan that can adapt to suit everyone’s needs.

This article will give basic instructions that can then be customized to create your perfect indoor greenhouse. The design given here is (admittedly) not the most visually pleasing but with a little ingenuity it can be transformed into a beautiful indoor display showcasing your plant growing capabilities.

Construction of Your Indoor Greenhouse

You’ll need:

  • solid plastic shelves
  • 4 wooden posts
  • fluorescent shop lights (one for each shelf)
  • zip ties
  • a power strip
  • plastic sheeting
  • a timer

Start by placing several plastic shelves against the wall in the area that you have set aside for our indoor greenhouse. Make sure that the shelves are solid plastic without holes, so if water spills onto them it won’t drip down onto the electrical shop light below. Attach at least one shop light fixture to the underside of each shelf. Most shop lights come with hooks and chains already provided. These can be utilized to fasten the shop lights securely underneath each shelf so that the light will shine onto the shelf below it. They also allow for easier adjustment of the lights should you need to move them. When secure, insert the fluorescent lights into the fixtures.

Next, use zip ties to attach the power strip to one of the support posts that hold the shelves. Fasten it half way between the ground and the top of the shelf post. This will ensure that all of the shop light power cords will be able to reach the power strip. Do not attach the power strip to a shelf as it could come in to contact with water that is accidentally spilled.

When the power strip is attached to a safe place, plug all of the shop lights into the power strip. Make sure that all the shop light switches are in the off position so that when the power is turned on at the power strip, the shop lights don’t receive a surge of electricity and blow the fluorescent lights.

To finish, fix a plastic sheet to the very top shelf either with tape or staples (depending on the strength and thickness of the plastic shelves), so that it hangs down and covers the gap between the top shelf and the one below it. The sheet should covers all three exposed sides of the shelves. Repeat this process for each shelf.

After this is complete set a timer to however long you desire the lights to stay on and plug it in to the nearest wall socket. Then take the plug from the power strip and plug it into the timer. If your power strip isn’t long enough to reach the timer then use an extension cord. When everything is plugged in, turn on each of your shop lights and you have you very own homemade indoor greenhouse. The only thing left to be added now are the plants.

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