If in the city you lack a piece of wildlife, then you can try to equip your greenhouse right on the balcony. In this bright area, your plants will not interfere with anyone at home. And they will grow quickly, delighting you with their appearance and fruits.
Advantages and disadvantages
The location of the compact greenhouse on the balcony has both advantages and disadvantages. If you want to arrange a place on your balcony for growing seedlings or fresh flowers in pots, then you should familiarize yourself with all the pros and cons in advance.
To the benefits unambiguously compact size can be attributed. A greenhouse with 3 shelves or even 4 shelves does not take up much space. At the same time, the design will look beautiful. Another obvious plus is the ease of installation. Even a person who has never built anything in his life can create a greenhouse with his own hands. And planting plants in prepared or even store-bought soil will not be difficult.
You can also quickly dismantle the structure if you don't like it or you want to use the balcony for some other purpose.
Disadvantage greenhouse is only that it will not fit in any apartment. Sometimes it is more rational to use the balcony for some other needs, for example, to expand the kitchen or bedroom at its expense.
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A high-quality glazed and additionally insulated balcony can already be called a greenhouse. It remains only to supplement it with the details necessary for the correct cultivation of plants. Simple shelves installed under the walls or near the entrance are perfect for this purpose.
Mini-greenhouses that you can install on your balcony are divided into three main types.
Mobile
Greenhouses of this type consist of several tiers. There are greenhouses of different sizes. You can also make them yourself. This mobile structure is extremely simple. But this is at the same time its disadvantage. This type of greenhouse is just a place where you grow plants in the right place and at the right temperature. And the possibility of watering and the presence of additional light have to be provided on their own, either by purchasing additional structures separately, or by watering their plants by hand.
Automated
This type of greenhouse is already more advanced. All processes necessary for the development of plants automatically take place in them. These greenhouses can usually be used in different rooms, not just on the balcony. In a balcony space, this is good because there is usually no lighting and centralized heating there. So, having installed an automated greenhouse, you do not have to bother with insulating the room or conducting light there. This means you will save both your time and money.
Showcases
Another interesting option for a modern apartment is a showcase greenhouse. This design allows you to clearly see all the planted plants and control the process of their development. This design is also self-contained. It is covered by a transparent protective material. The basis of the structure is represented by a simple rack, consisting of several tiers. The dimensions of the rack must correspond to the width of the window opening. Above such a greenhouse structure, it is desirable to additionally install a simple lighting option, for example, a simple light bulb.
All year round, you can grow your favorite vegetables and herbs as well as beautiful flowers in showcase greenhouses, using it not only to get food, but also to decorate the space.
Important details
To organize a mini-greenhouse on the balcony, first of all, you need to make the room glazed. If before that your balcony was open, then immediately put double or triple glazed windows. For those who already have it glazed, it is also better to replace the glasses with more durable ones that allow a minimum of cold to pass through.
In order to constantly maintain the ideal temperature in the room for normal plant growth, it is advisable to install a room thermometer in the room.
Also make sure the plants are getting enough light. Think natural light first. It is natural light that contributes to the correct development of seedlings and flowers. But additional lighting is also needed for dark days.
Also, make sure that the plants are constantly getting their portion of fresh air. To do this, when installing windows, make one of them openable. For a balcony, it is better to choose an option with a sliding window or sashes that swing outward, not inward.
The last important factor when organizing a greenhouse is the constant moisture of the earth. Sometimes there is not enough time to constantly water your plants, so it is better to install a structure with automatic watering.
As for the location of the mini greenhouse, it is desirable that it be on the west side. If your balcony faces north, then you should provide additional insulation for the mini-greenhouse. It is this side that is the coldest.
The east-facing windows are good because they allow the plants to get the most of the morning sunlight. This is good for the rapid growth of your seedlings and flowers.
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DIY greenhouse
If you have favorable conditions on the balcony for installing a greenhouse, then you can either install a ready-made one, or create it yourself. This process is actually not as complicated as it seems.
Before turning your ideas into reality, it is advisable to create a drawing of your future mini-wig on paper. Think about how many floors it will have and how it will fit into the dimensions of your balcony.
The easiest option is to build a greenhouse made of wood. This material is environmentally friendly and natural, so it is ideal for growing plants there.
It is not that difficult to create a wooden structure. To do this, you only need smooth boards and the right amount of nails. Chip the boards together properly to get a stable and practical shelving unit.
Transparent polyethylene is attached to the back of this finished structure. This should already be done not with nails, but using staples and a special stapler. Strong glass can also be used instead of film or polyethylene.
If possible, it is also advisable to install several lamps on the sides of the greenhouse. They will keep your plants growing and developing normally. You can buy these lamps at almost any hardware store. And installing them is not such a difficult process.
When the base of the greenhouse is ready, you can start planting plants. Prepare the ground first. Do not use only clean soil. For plants to grow quickly, the soil must consist of several layers. At the bottom of the box in which the plants will be planted, sand is laid out, which is covered with drainage and only then with a thick layer of soil.
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After that, the plants themselves are planted in the prepared soil. One shelf of a simple rack usually holds about ten standard boxes of plants. But, depending on your individual calculations, the figure may be different.
When the plants are arranged, the front of the greenhouse is covered with foil or glass. This is done in order to create an ideal microclimate inside. However, if you have installed lamps, then this is not necessary.
A greenhouse on the balcony is an ideal solution for those gardeners who live in a small apartment and do not know where to apply their talents. This type of balcony design receives extremely positive feedback from gardeners. Therefore, you can safely design your balcony in this way, using it with maximum benefit.
