Mini Greenhouse - the small garden solution

Example - 3 tier mini greenhouse

Example - 4 tier mini greenhouse

Example - Tomato house

Example - Walk in mini greenhouse

Example - mini wooden greenhouse

This guide should help you decide what you need to make the most of your cash and your time.
 

Uses for mini greenhouses.

Protecting plants from frost and inclement weather.  We all know what frost can do to our plants, wasting our time and effort and costing us money to replace them.  Putting potted plants into a mini greenhouse could save you time and money.
Starting off seedlings with extra warmth and protection from the weather - normally resulting in stronger adult plans, but also as important if not more important is that you should be able to start your seeds earlier in the season than recommended. protected from animals and insects.
If you like fresh herbs with your cooking, a mini greenhouse right by our back door could be just what you are looking for.  Keep pots of mint, thyme, sage, parsley chives and many more herbs close at hand ready for snipping off and throwing into your net kitchen creation.

Ultimately, a mini greenhouse will bring you a better garden
for longer and ultimately more pleasure and enjoyment for you.

What can I fit into my mini greenhouse

Depending on what you want to do with your mini greenhouse will determine what will suit your needs best.
For example, if you only want somewhere to start your seeds off, and you are only doing a few trays of seeds, then consider a 2 or 3 tier type.

If the seed trays you use are the typical size (22.5x36.5cm), these are just a little bigger than a sheet of A4 paper, you will be able to get 2 or 3 trays on each shelf.  So if you are going for a 2 tier type, then you could get up to 6 trays in there.

If you want to start off more trays at the same time, think about a 4 or 5 tier mini greenhouse.  These are normally as wide and deep as the smaller ones, but are taller to fit more shelves. 

Also worth thinking about is the fact that not all your seeds can be started off at the same time. So with a 4/5 tier mini you can dedicate a couple of shelves (say the top two) and use them to start your seeds off.  Leave them to germinate and when the time comes to plant some more seeds, move the seedlings down to the other shelves to make space for your new seeds.  Then when it is time to plant out your seedlings, you will clear out your lowers shelves and the whole process will roll along nicely.

Tips for buying a mini greenhouse ;

1. Plan in advance, and make sure you know exactly what you want to grow in your greenhouse.
2. Whatever size mini greenhouse you buy, make sure that it has a lower shelf on it, as it will ensure that your seeds/plants are off the floor and away from the cold/frost.
3. Try and get a mini greenhouse with a cover that is UV stabilised. This should mean that the plastic cover should not go brittle and therefore last you a good few years.
4. Something else to look out for is new mini greenhouses that come with a spare cover.  The covers won't last forever, they will eventually weather and can also get ripped.  Although, you can buy replacement covers for most mini greenhouses at not much cost.
5. Consider purchasing a fleece cover for your mini greenhouse as these will offer a little more warmth/protection when the weather is really bad, and then you can them off again when the sun finally arrives.  This tip helps you make the most of you cash because it means your mini greenhouse will get used all-year-round.
6. If your garden/balcony gets very windy, consider tying the mini greenhouse to something to stop it getting blown over.  Some people have screwed them to a wall or shed, but even just tying them to a down-spout could help prevent you waking one morning to find your seedlings in a big heap.

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Now if you want more room than a tier mini greenhouse offers, then you need to consider a
'walk-in mini greenhouse'.
 

Walk in mini greenhouses

These are larger versions of the tiered mini greenhouses, they are big enough to walk into and offer similar advantages to traditional glass greenhouses.

As you can see in the photo on the left, this gardener is growing tomatoes using growbags.  Because of the height, this type allows you to grow plants and vegetables that need more height, such as cucumbers, peppers, peas and beans.

Many also come with racking included too, so then you can use it for a number of different things at the same time such as seeds, seedlings, tomatoes and even storage of gardening tools and equipment.

Reasons to consider a 'walk-in mini greenhouse' ;

1) cost, they are considerably cheaper than glass greenhouses,
2) they can be easily relocated or taken down and stored,
3) no glass to get broken,
4) can be mounted on any surface, no need for a special base,
5) space, these are not as large as the glass type,
6) cheap to maintain and repair.

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Growbag greenhouses

It is pretty clear what these are used for.  Often referred to as 'growbag grow houses', shove a growbag in the bottom of them and you can get some great vegetable crops.

Mainly used for growing tomatoes, but there are many other things that you can grow - anything that needs a little height really, such as cucumbers and peppers.

If you are going to grow tomatoes this year, a growhouse will allow your tomato season to be longer than if you didn't use one.  And don't forget you can normally get 3 tomato plants easily into a growbag.

There are plenty of tips online to help you get great tomato crops.

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Cold Frames

What is a cold frame ? Well basically it is a box with a clear roof that keeps your pots and plants safe from the cold.  It acts as a mini greenhouse, sheltering plants from cold, wind, rain and snow.

The cold frame shown in this photo is made up of an aluminium frame with polycarbonate glazing.  It is lightweight and easy to erect and also move to different locations.

Things to consider with your cold frame ;

1) will you easily be able to reach into it ?
As they are low to the floor, a big cold frame may be very difficult to reach into.
2) You can harden off tender plants in them before you put them into your garden.
3) Opting for a plastic cold frame over a glass one may be a better idea, especially if there is the remotest chance of it being smashed by footballs or the like.
4) Wooden cold frames are the best insulators, however they can be heavy and difficult to relocate.

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Polytunnels and cloches

As far as gardens are concerned, polytunnels and cloches are typically the same thing, a lightweight frame draped with either plastic or fleece blanket material.  Polytunnels, as the name suggests, are tunnel shaped and would typically be placed over a row of plants/vegetables to protect them from inclement weather/frost.  A cloche is an older term and would be used to describe a weather covering for single plants.  A 'bell cloche' is an older term for an open bottomed bell jar, used to protect single plants.  These are now more commonly used nowadays indoors for their looks and not their practicality.  The line between polytunnels and clotches is now so blurred that both terms typically mean the same thing.  However, in commercial terms, a polytunnel would refer to a large walk-in enclosure.

Whatever you want to call them, they are typically used for protecting rows of vegetables and are therefore most often found in veggie patches and on allotments.  They are lightweight, consisting of semi circular metal hoops that are easy to stake into the ground and will be covered by either a fleece or plastic sheet.  Normally open ended and of a concertina construction, easy to move about and will fold away for easy storage when not in use.  They are low cost, and will allow you to have longer growing seasons for your crops as well as protecting them from inclement weather.

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