MINI INDOORGREEN HOUSE

[markeckstein8]

So the jist is i just bought a mini type house that i want to use as a mini greenhouse i have never ever done anything like this so i know nothing. I did a little research i have 3 big problems .this green house is about a foot and a half tall and 2 feet long i am wondering about ventilation i dont have money for expensive fans or devises to raise the humidity is opening the window once a day enough, it will be in an easy facing window and gets Direct light until about 12 is that too much? Lastly one of the my windows you can see it in the picture on the right there is no glass in the small triangular area does that have to be covered or can it be used as ventilation lastly how much do I have to water . Just a reminder I know nothing so if I left out anything all tips would be helpful

[Leafmite]

No idea as to the answer to your questions as it would probably depend on what you are growing but the greenhouse is adorable!

[rbarata]

...i am wondering about ventilation i dont have money for expensive fans...

I also no nothing about greenhouses but I've noticed people use computer fans.
To raise the humidity, since it gets some sun, a water tray inside might increase the HR.
But I think it's a fragile balance between the sun and water that might lack stability.

[Pattywack]

I love this little greenhouse! I have a couple that are very similar. Not knowing what plants you will be growing, I'm not sure about the amount of light or the frequency of waterings. Obviously you don't want them to dry out or at least most plants you would grow in there need to be kept moist.

The direct sun may be too much except early morning. If the end window is open, you shouldn't need to worry much about ventilation. It maybe too open in fact. I use hydroballs in one of mine with moss on top of the balls, keep the moss damp and the humidity stays up around 80% or more. I have two small computer fans in this one. It is a metal frame and not air tight at all. There are mounted orchids hanging and others potted sitting on the bottom. This greenhouse is stuffed with plants so the two fans really help with air circulation.

My other one is smaller, (looks like a bird house) it is a wood frame with wood bottom. I have a plexiglass tray in the bottom and my plants are mounted on wood and cork mounts. The mounts sit in the tray and I keep water in the tray. There is no fan in this one, it is not air tight either. There is a small opening at the top of this and I've cut clear plastic to close that opening.

I mist/water every day, sometimes every other day. I grow miniatures with intermediate requirements. Your little greenhouse is really cute, I hope you will post pictures when you have it planted.

[dounoharm]

maybe try it with some other plants instead of your fav orchids at first, till you get it ironed out....good luck!

[stonedragonfarms]

Originally Posted by markeckstein8

So the jist is i just bought a mini type house that i want to use as a mini greenhouse i have never ever done anything like this so i know nothing. I did a little research i have 3 big problems .this green house is about a foot and a half tall and 2 feet long i am wondering about ventilation i dont have money for expensive fans or devises to raise the humidity is opening the window once a day enough, it will be in an easy facing window and gets Direct light until about 12 is that too much? Lastly one of the my windows you can see it in the picture on the right there is no glass in the small triangular area does that have to be covered or can it be used as ventilation lastly how much do I have to water . Just a reminder I know nothing so if I left out anything all tips would be helpful

To build a bit on what the others have said:
1. Circulation (and how much of it), is largely dependent on what you are planning to grow in the greenhouse--if you are thinking something like Pleurothallids, then you can get by with a bare minimum for most of the smaller plants; something like a cattleya or dendrobium will need the opposite end of the spectrum, great circulation and a steady movement of air. What type of orchid(s) would you like to grow?
2. When stating direct light until about 12, do you mean 3-4 hours of direct light? Direct sun will have a multiplicative effect in a small enclosed space; the heat has no place to go (no venting, no circulation), so it just builds up--sort of like leaving a half-full bottle of water in your car on a sunny day--the interior of the car gets hot, but the water in the closed bottle gets hotter still. You'll need to site the greenhouse about 12" from the window or better yet, use a sheer curtain to cut the light intensity.
3.If I were growing in the case, I'd leave the missing pane of glass out; ventilation is a good thing.
4. The watering question will differ with the sort of plants that you choose, as well as what sort or pots they are in (plastic, clay, etc) and what type of media is in the pot (ie moss in plastic pots will require far less water than bark in clay pots)
Please let us know what type of plants you'd like to try growing so we can help you with more precise suggestions,
Good growing,
Adam

[markeckstein8]

Ok so to start i have only 4 super healthy orchids 1 den nobili un mule ear oncidium and 2 phals the purppsebof the green house in the beginning was to help about 3 other den noids that i got as large kikis but they dont seen to be doing well soni wanted to try to up the humidity but now I am thinking maybe that was a mistake because you said dendrobiums need more air circulation and im not sure if they would be good in there I kno the phals like humidity so maybe I will go with them id appreciate any advice . One nice piece of advice was thr water balls under the moss to maintain humidity plus it might look nice too. My pots are all plastic and my media us mostly bark mix beginner type stuff.

[markeckstein8]

I would love to see some pictures like close up so I can see the set up thanks for your help tho you guys are great

[theanalyst]

I'm interested in seeing what you decide on!

I have several terrariums that I grow in similar mini greenhouses. For this style, I tend to select mini plants or plants that can be trimmed. I also often go with plants that do not need a ton of light or can be augmented with artificial light. For example, I have a mini greenhouse right now that has moss along the bottom with 3 air plants-2 on the bottom and 1 hanging. It does have some ventilation at the top and the light is mainly from a small desk lamp. Since it doesn't get too hot, it does not need a fan.

[estación seca]

I would strongly recommend putting several disposable plants in there to see whether it overheats. Maybe grow some radish seedlngs in there. No sense risking expensive, nice orchids to find out it is a solar oven.