Saturday, 12 March 2011

Creating a Mini Greenhouse Indoors

The phrase mini indoor greenhouse does not have a strict definition. It used to describe any of the freestanding greenhouses created indoors. It is also used to refer the ones the ones that sometimes bigger than the closet that you walk-in to. This article will discuss in detail the smallest green houses created indoors that are used for growing small flowers or herbs.

 
Herb Garden - Indoor
One can nurture fresh herbs, cherry tomatoes, chives and chill peppers on the counter top of their kitchen if they can create a mini green house indoors. There would be nothing more exciting than to prepare a pasta dish or a chili con care with the help of the ingredients grown by them.
One can create a green house indoors with the help of plastic sheeting, wooden frame and seed beds. There are also a lot of kits and green houses that are readily available in the market. One can choose the right option for them based on their needs and crop plants even in a very small space.
Aeroponics and Hydroponics
If you have made your mind to create a mini green house indoors, care has to be taken so as not spill the potting soil all over your place. The best way to avoid this is to opt for the aeroponics or hydroponics green houses. Hydroponics refers to a process of cropping plants without soil and aeroponics is a process where no specific growing medium is used.
The main means of providing nutrients to plants in the hydroponics process is by water. Some of the gardeners have the roots of the plant directly submerged into a water solution that is mixed with a lot of minerals. And some others opt for an aggregate means like coconut fiber, brick shards, gravel, mineral wool.
In the aeroponics process, there is no submergence of the roots in any liquid. They are rather suspended in air and are continuously sprinkled with a solution which is mix of nutrients and water. The technique of aeroponics was developed originally by NASA. They were specifically interested in cropping plants in their zero gravity environments. However this was soon incorporated in the greenhouses created indoors of a house. They create lesser mess when compared to the hydroponics system but are relatively more expensive. An aeroponics garden for home use would typically be priced at about $150. Where as, the smallest of the hydroponics system is sold for price which is a fraction of the price for an aeroponics system.
Pests in a Hydroponics Greenhouse
The biggest advantage of cropping plants in the hydroponics way is that it attracts lesser pests as there is no usage of soil. However there are no plants that are completely immune to blights and bugs. It is advised that you do not use any pesticides that have harsh chemicals as they can get into the solution and in turn poison the plants.
One can use solutions made organically for controlling the pests. These include extracts from orange peel. They can be sprayed on the plants to get rid of pests. These herbal extracts will kill a wide range of pests and friendly bugs which prey on pests while leaving the plants untouched.
Article Source: EzineArticles.com

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