Winter is already upon us and some regions of the country are getting a harsher start than others. Whatever region you reside, you want to be certain that the plants in your garden are protected.
An evolution of a bottle greenhouse.
(Courtesy: WikiPhoto at Creative Commons)
We’ve discussed in previous articles here how to cover plants during cold snaps. But did you know that you can make mini-greenhouses that could guard all of your plants from the threat of old man winter or can be used to give neophyte plants an early boost.
You don’t have to spend a lot of money building these greenhouses either. However, you do have to collect or purchase materials to use to construct into a greenhouse.
Some styles you may want to consider include bottles and jars greenhouse, picture frame greenhouse and a PVC Pipe greenhouse.
The least costly of the three is the greenhouse made of bottles and jars. This plan requires you to collect the plastic bottles you probably already have.
A 1-liter plastic soda bottle will suffice. This can prove sufficient for growing a single, short, shallow-rooted plant including orchids, ferns, or even cactus. It is suggested that you collect bottles in a variety of shapes so that you have more customization options.
Start with two bottles, one slightly wider than the other. Cut the top off of the thinner bottle just passed the point where it curves to form the tube section. Try to cut straight and clean.
Glue the opening of the bottle top you cut to the bottom of the remaining portion of the bottle. The result will be a vase-like base. Smooth rough edges so that it can stand evenly on a table.
A mason jar greenhouse or terrarium.
(Courtesy: WikiPhoto at Creative Commons)
Cut the top off of the wider bottle to serve as a top. Make the cut where the top of the bottle curves into the tube section.
Put the proper growing materials on the bottom of the greenhouse. This particular style of greenhouse has no drainage. So you should treat it as a terrarium.
You can also use a lidded mason jar to make a small terrarium. These jars are available in an assortment of sizes. Choose the size to use that bests accommodates the size of the plant you wish to grow. As is the case with the bottle greenhouse, you need to fill the bottom with appropriate growing materials.
