DiY: Build your own mini greenhouse at home
As soon as the first warm rays of sunshine appear, impatient hobby gardeners would love to throw on their gardening aprons, pull on their gardening gloves, and plant the seeds for vegetables, flowers, and herbs. But a little patience is still required. Anyone who sows tomatoes and the like outside too early will not have much joy with them. Night frost kills the heat-loving plants before they have even had a chance to spring to life. So, it's better to start indoors and sow your favorite plants in a protected, warm environment. Mini greenhouses are particularly suitable for this! They take up little space but have a big impact! And the best part: You don't have to spend any money; you can easily make them yourself! Here are 5 ideas for building your own DIY mini greenhouse.
From old milk cartons / Tetrapaks
Everyone probably has Tetra Pak containers at home on a regular basis. From now on, you should be careful not to throw them away. Because you can make some wonderful things with them. Especially for hobby gardeners, Tetra Pak containers are extremely versatile. Firstly, of course, as seed trays, as flowerpots, and now, even more advanced, as mini-greenhouses. Once you've mastered the right cutting technique, it's easy to stretch a sheet of clear film/cling film over the whole thing. So, grab a cutter or a sharp knife and cut the Tetra Pak to size as shown in the picture. Then just throw in the soil, add the seeds, and cover with cling film – your indoor greenhouse is ready.
With freezer bag as dome
The freezer bag method offers a huge range of possibilities. This way, you can make a mini greenhouse out of anything small enough to fit in the bag. It's more about size than material. The simplest option: sow seeds in a pot and place it in the bag, stabilize it with a small stick, close it, and you're done. Of course, it doesn't necessarily have to be a plastic flowerpot. Old cans (with holes in the bottom), egg cartons, and so on are also suitable for this version of the mini greenhouse. Be creative, and you're sure to find something suitable to recycle from around the house.
From an old aquarium
Even an old aquarium can easily be turned into a greenhouse. We haven't been able to test it ourselves yet (we're not fish owners ;-)), but you can find both pictures and instructions online. For the most ambitious gardeners, there's even the option of integrating fluorescent tubes. This is not only practical but also decorative!
From PET bottles
PET bottles of various sizes can be used in a variety of ways as a mini greenhouse for growing herbs and vegetables on the windowsill. Cut the bottle in half and use it to build a "dome" over a flowerpot. This traps warm air underneath, providing optimal conditions for seeds to germinate. Of course, you can also place the dome over a coconut seed tray. Another idea: cut off the neck of the bottle, fill the remaining portion with soil, plant seeds in the soil, and cover the entire thing with cling film. Important: Make sure you poke holes in the bottom of the bottle beforehand; this prevents water from accumulating in the soil and allows it to drain away.
From packaging
In fact, many plastic packaging items, which are supposedly trash, are suitable for upcycling into a mini greenhouse. Plastic tomato wrappers or grape wrappers, for example, can serve perfectly as mini greenhouses. And you don't really need much else. Once you've found your "house," all you need to do is gather cling film or freezer bags, seed compost, and seeds, as well as tools like scissors and a cutter. You're ready to go!
Now it's your turn!
Show us your homemade mini greenhouses on Instagram under #diestadtgaertner or send us an email to hallo@diestadtgaertner.de .
We look forward to your DIY ideas!
