Polk County Master Gardeners
News Articles
Mini-Greenhouses
I learned the hard way that plants in my house seem to feel they have
been abandoned in the middle of the Sahara Desert, but it was not until we got a
humidity gauge that I realized the moisture content of the air was hovering
around 35 percent. Not good.
Since I don’t really want to live with humidity high enough to suit the
seedlings I’m growing, I decided to build them a “greenhouse” until it is warm
enough to move them outdoors. I used a huge clear-plastic bag (about 4 feet x 6
feet - bags from the cleaners would be just fine), some trays to set the pots in,
and a few plastic milk bottles full of water. The trays and bottles slip inside
the bag. The bottles are at the four corners of the bag, holding it up off the
plants; the water in them provides weight to keep them from tipping over. As the
water evaporates, it adds moisture to the air in the “greenhouse” so I don’t
have to water very often. The open end of the bag is tucked under the bottles
and trays at that end. The whole thing sits on the floor by a sunny south window
so that the plants get enough light and the heat from the sun keeps them warm
without drying them out.
I recently learned of another approach from a friend. If you don’t have room
by a sunny south window, you can use grow lights. Follow the instructions that
come with the lights about distance from the plants. Enclose the trays holding
the plants in clear plastic bags tied shut to conserve moisture. Then wrap the
whole thing - lights, plants, and trays - in aluminum foil. The foil reflects the
light, giving the plants as much benefit from it as possible. You just need to
be certain that the top of the light is not covered so that heat can escape.
Of course, you still need to do the ordinary things in starting seeds: use a
good commercial potting soil, plant the seeds at the depth indicated on the
packet, plant more than you expect to need in case they don’t all come up.
Come on, Spring!
By Barbara M. Tobias
Back to News Articles
Back to
Polk County Master Gardeners
|
