DIY Mini Greenhouse Ideas

Greenhouses hold heat and allow gardeners to start seeds early and keep crops going late. You need not spend thousands building a greenhouse; these real examples start with the very simple and get more complex.

Something as easy as leaning two windows together will help protect plants. Consider connecting them with a couple of hinges to prevent falling in the wind.

(Image: http://www.pinterest.com/pin/433401164111047137)

(Photo Credit: fairleyforge/Flickr)

Love the creativity with the pop bottles. Not only does the plastic let in the light, but if there is water in the bottles it will help maintain a consistent temperature inside the little greenhouse walls.

Image: http://chicforcheapinteriors.wordpress.com

An A-frame greenhouse made from pallets and plastic sheeting. Brilliant!

http://www.property24.com/articles/
build-your-own-greenhouse/13006

Here somebody built their own portable greenhouse instead of buying one.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/8599848@N05

http://www.averagepersongardening.com

Great uses for old windows, above. Old windows are the perfect lids for cold frames and raised garden beds.

Of course, if you don't want to bend over or work on your knees, you may prefer a cold fram on legs.

http://greenhousefarming.net

This must be the nicest looking way of using old
windows to make a greenhouse. This looks like a
little Victorian house.

http://www.robomargo.com

Had to include this beautiful lean-to greenhouse made with, you guessed it, recycled windows!

http://awesomehomepins.com

Companion Planting Tips and Techniques

Companion planting is the practice of creating a healthy garden environment by putting certain plants near and others away from each other. These techniques are used by organic gardeners to ensure a healthy harvest.

Different plants thrive in different conditions. Some like sweeter soil, others prefer acidic. Some plants attract bugs that will improve the garden or eat parasites. Plants affect other plants via the nutrients they take and the by-products they deposit into the soil. Create a healthy garden by putting plants that help each other together.

Good Neighbors

Tomatoes are an easy and extremely popular crop to grow among amateur organic gardeners. When tomatoes are planted next to carrots, onions, or asparagus both crops are likely to do well. Tomatoes and parsley are also good neighbors.

Carrots do well next to peas and lettuce.

Lettuce crops like radish, strawberries, and cucumber as well as carrots.

Spinach and strawberries are good to each other. Spinach and cabbage are good neighbors, but cabbage and strawberries are not (see below.)

Peas and beans are good neighbors.

Potatoes and cabbage family plants, such as broccoli, cauliflower and Brussels sprouts like to be next to each other.

Bad Neighbors

Tomatoes do not thrive when planted near anything in the cabbage family. This includes broccoli and Brussels sprouts. Potatoes are also better kept away from tomatoes.

Peas and beans do not like onions.

Cabbage and strawberries do not get along.

And if you want to plant sunflowers, keep them away from the potatoes.

Bugs, Bugs, Bugs

Tomatoes and corn are eaten by the same bugs. It is advisable to keep them far away from each other, because if one crop becomes infested you will lose both crops if they are close to each other.

Slugs and snails love beer. If you place shallow bowls of beer in your garden, slugs and snails will drown themselves in it.

Sunflowers attract bugs that eat aphids.

Many bugs that destroy squash and squash plants avoid nasturtium; plant nasturtium flowers around your squash rows.

Asparagus beetles do not like tomato, which is yet another reason to plant asparagus and tomatoes next to each other.

Onions deter potato bugs.

Rosemary, Sage, Thyme and Nasturtium are relatively good all-purpose pest deterrents. Try planting them around the perimeter of any vegetable garden.

And if you are bothered by mosquitoes, try planting basil and garlic.

About pH Levels

Lowercase "p" stands for "potential," and uppercase "H" stands for "Hydrogen." So, the soil's pH level refers to the plants' ability to attract Hydrogen ions, which everything needs in some amount to survive.

Alkaline soil is "sweet" soil, and has a high pH balance. Plants, such as tomatoes, that thrive in sweet soil need lots of Hydrogen. Acidic soil has a low pH balance. Plants, such as evergreen trees, that thrive in acidic soil need less Hydrogen.

Levels of pH in soil are measured on a scale of 0 to 14. 0 is the most acidic, and 14 is the most alkaline, or sweet. Most vegetables like a pH level of anywhere from 4.5 to 8. You can buy kits at garden supply stores to test the pH levels in your garden.

If your soil is too acidic and you want to make it sweeter, try mixing lime or wood ashes into the soil in the fall, in preparation for next growing season, or early spring, before planting. Lime can be also be purchased at garden supply stores.

If you want to make your soil less sweet, purchase either aluminum sulphate, for immediate results, or sulphur to be mixed into the soil in late fall, in preparation for next growing season. Warning: both of these compounds will burn plants with which they come in direct contact. Do not use them in areas where you currently have plants growing.

For more information, read Louise Riotte:

Cold Frames and Mini Greenhouses

I first wrote about portable greenhouse options for Suite 101 back in 2009. I have updated the information for Under Cover Gardening.

Gardeners with small spaces or in urban areas often use portable or small greenhouses to create gardening space where there is no yard. As with any greenhouse, mini-greenhouses also serve to extend the growing season, which is why even gardeners with lots of space benefit from the versatility of portable grow racks and flower houses.

Flower House Greenhouse

Some hobby gardeners enjoy using pop up flower houses. Pop up flower houses are especially easy to assemble and use. They are temporary, small, and portable structures that are brought out every year, enjoyed through the season, then stored for the winter until next growing season. They quite literally "pop up" like a tent while being assembled, and require no building skills or tools.

Once the flower house is open, gardeners place plant pots and containers inside the door. The structure provides protection and warmth to the growing plants. In the fall, pop up flower houses may be simply wiped out with a sponge soaked n water and biodegradable soap to prevent mildew. They must be treated gently, however, because they can rip. Pop up flower houses are flat when unassembled, and easy to store over the winter. pan>
                                                          

Grow Racks

Grow racks are portable structures sold as complete greenhouse kits with removable shelves and a plastic greenhouse cover.

Grow Racks are usually a couple of feet long and a foot or so wide. A six foot tall Grow Rack will typically have four removable shelves. There are also shorter two and three shelf varieties. The plastic cover is fitted and therefore the kits are not interchangeable.

Setting up a grow rack on the patio or deck is easy. The plastic cover that comes with a grow rack has a zippered opening for easy access to plants and for ventilation. Shade cloths for grow racks are available and advisable for patio gardeners who live in extremely sunny, hot areas. 
                                                  


Cold Frames

A cold frame is essentially a raised bed with a lid. Cold frames can be either portable or built in as part of a gardener's backyard landscape.

When planning a portable cold frame, remember that the bottom must be perforated for proper drainage. When setting up a cold frame on a porch or patio, place a large enough tray underneath to catch the draining water.

Permanent cold frames are built on the ground the same as a raised bed. Cold frames are deeper than raised beds to accommodate growing plants under the hinged lid. Some cold frames have domed lids to give plants additional space for upward plant growth. 
                                                     


Attached Greenhouse, Lean-To, and Mini Lean-To


An attached greenhouse is attached to the gardener's house. The outside wall of the home is one side of the greenhouse. Attached greenhouses are usually built on the South wall to get the most possible light and warmth from the sun.

"Lean-to" and "attached greenhouse" are synonymous terms. A mini lean-to, however, is a portable structure. Mini lean-tos are smaller than attached greenhouses, the same shape, and sit well next to the outside wall of the gardener's home. They can be set up next to the wall on a patio, deck or porch.
                                                   
 With the variety of portable greenhouses available, gardeners with small spaces are able to find the perfect solution to fit their individual needs. The benefits of greenhouse gardening include a protected, warm space for plants and an extended growing season.