Mini Greenhouse questions

[vanda2020]

For four year I used this. It is Ok. It is like crawling into a bag to take care of your plants. I am surprised I do not have hunched over back. I weighted mine down with cinder blocks laid over the metal bars on the bottom ground. The cover was weighted down with bricks. It withstood West Texas wind and hail. In the winter, I covered the green cover also with 6ml greenhouse plastic, attaching with greenhouse clamps. I put in a small heater and had it on a thermostat Ink bird 15 amp rating. Problems I got were a drippy ceiling, so I added a small dehumidifier. As soon as it warmed up, I removed the 6ml plastic. Warm even more, the green plastic came off too. I would cover the frame with 50% shade cloth in the warm season. I always had a fan working. Sometimes when it got too hot inside I would have to use a garden mister and send water pointed to the floor to cool the unit off. It does take some doing to keep this going. Frankly, I will pay a little more and get a bigger unit with metal bars, windows on the sides, and two ends that zip open with screens to vent out the whole thing. I just got mine a large 10X 6.9 x 6.9 and I love it. A real green house. Just set it up with a fan, dehumidifier set at 60%, and heater on a thermostat. All for the price of 135.00 USD. This greenhouse is fine in a pinch with a few plants, but I will never go back.

[Leisesturm]

Last April, after 30 years without plants of any kind, I ordered several orchids and this mini-greenhouse. For about 3 months the orchids were in the living room under a dual head LED plant light.

I put the mini-greenhouse flush against the back door and cut an opening in the back panel so I can enter it directly out the back door. A Conservatory! I was not prepared for how hot it would get in the summer.

I knew light would be an issue, A 70W LED light gives a lot of light, and I have had mine running 14hr/day till the present time. A number of earlier posts expressed concern with the amount of natural light the greenhouse receives. Mine receives almost none. I don't worry about it.

I've shaded the roof 50%, and the lean to location on the west wall of the house, and the property fence on the west wall of the greenhouse mean only a narrow window of Sun is present, from 1:00pm to 4:00ish pm in Summer. The temperature can go from 70F in the morning (with the heat on) to 80F at noon to 106F at 1:00pm.

I am glad Fall is here and the greenhouse heater (1500W) can keep the night temp at 65F and it is set to make sure the daytime high reaches 80F. Earlier this evening I decided that I am going to use Moving Blankets on all surfaces (including the floor) except the exit door to the HVAC compressor access. All light will be artificial for the duration of Fall and Winter.