An Indoor Greenhouse Has Many Uses

If you love plants and love to garden, you've probably thought about getting an indoor greenhouse. Perhaps you're not sure if it would be worth the trouble or the expense, or just don't know enough about them to make the decision to buy one. In this article, I'll cover some of the uses and advantages of having an indoor greenhouse, as well as helpful tips for success if you do decide to purchase one.

An indoor greenhouse is multi-functional

Gardeners use indoor greenhouses to over-winter their tender perennial plants until the weather is warm enough for them to go back outside. Most plants can be dug up and potted in a container to bring inside. Since replacing these plants can be quite costly, this technique will pay for your purchase in no time.

You can grow greens all year long indoors! Think how great it would be to serve a Thanksgiving salad with fresh lettuce you picked just that morning, or a healthy dish of lightly steamed Swiss chard, kale or spinach.

If you like to cook, indoor greenhouse-growing is a must. Fresh herbs like parsley, cilantro, thyme, oregano, basil and rosemary can be grown inside all year long, and you can snip what you need and let the plant continue to grow.

Exotic tropical plants like orchids do better indoors when they are in a greenhouse. The regulated humidity, temperature and light is more to their liking, and they'll reward you by blooming more often and profusely. Many other flowering and foliage plants also grow bigger and faster under greenhouse lighting rather than relying on the sun.

An indoor greenhouse extends your growing season by allowing you to start seeds and nurture the seedlings weeks before it would be warm enough for them to survive outside. When they're ready to go into the garden, you will have robust, healthy plants that have gotten off to a great start in your greenhouse, without the dangers of insects, critters or frost to threaten their survival.

Indoor greenhouse-growing is not just for the home. It can be a great learning tool for school classrooms. A greenhouse also makes an interesting conversation starter in an office, reception area or small business shop.