Using Windowsill Greenhouses Inside Or Out
Today there is a wealth of incredible gadgets, tools and equipment available for the professional, or keen amateur, gardener. Some of the equipment can be rather expensive and not all of us can afford such luxuries as a large greenhouse but there are greenhouses available to suit every pocket. If you find that you can not afford to buy a greenhouse or that you simply do not have the space then maybe you should be setting your sights a little lower and investigating the incredible opportunities there are when using windowsill greenhouses.
A windowsill greenhouse is simply a very small, miniature or compact greenhouse which can be positioned on your windowsill either inside your house or outside. If you are planning to use one outside you really must ensure that it is in a sheltered spot and firmly fixed in place. Such items are great for families and highly educational for children and many of those available commercially have been specifically designed with children in mind. However it can also be exciting building your very own interior or exterior windowsill greenhouse and such a project is perfect for father son bonding.
Windowsill greenhouses offer many opportunities ranging from growing your own herbs to growing exotic plants such as bananas. The reason why windowsill greenhouses are the perfect solution for such plants is the fact that it is so easy to maintain the required temperatures, levels of humidity and even the amount of light made available.
Herb Gardens
The most popular windowsill greenhouses are those used for growing herbs and are sold as "herb gardens". Some are more expensive than others, the price very much depends upon the size and if it has a grow light or heater. In the case of the herb garden it is generally true to say that you get what you pay for and the most expensive are usually the best for the job. However, when gauging the cost it is important to consider the facts that you can not get fresher herbs by any other means and that the more you grow the lower the cost per crop (as the seeds and compost is very cheap).
It is very easy to find herb garden kits for all kinds of different herbs such as parsley and catmint but this does not mean that you can only use them to grow this herb. Windowsill greenhouses are suitable for almost all herbs and if you buy a kit once you have harvested your first crop you can simply replace the compost and buy different seeds.
Other Uses of Windowsill Greenhouses
Until I moved to a rural setting I had always lived in a city and nearly every property I stayed in either did not have a yard or had a very small backyard so when I discovered my first windowsill greenhouse I was extremely pleased with myself. The first place I stayed was a simple one room affair so the greenery added some cheer but as I grew older I eventually bought my first house with a small backyard garden. It is then that I found windowsill greenhouses of most importance. Yes I had much more space but I did not have enough room for a full sized or even a compact greenhouse.
The problem of the lack of a greenhouse became most obvious when it came to growing my own plants from seed. Unfortunately there are many species that almost demand a greenhouse to germinate and my small windowsill greenhouse proved the perfect solution as I could closely monitor their progress from initial germination to judging when to begin hardening them off for planting outside.
When it came to hardening off my seedlings I was lucky in that my mini greenhouse did not have any electrical components, such as a grow lamp or heater, so I could simply place it on my outside windowsill during the day and bring it in during the evening. If you have one of the expensive windowsill greenhouses which is all singing and dancing I strongly advise that you take extreme care to ensure all electrical components are well insulated against water. Most of the ones I have owned have these elements in the lid or cover so I simply keep this bit indoors.
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