If you have bought garden plants from a greenhouse or store with a garden center, you undoubtedly know the cost. Calculating the cost of nurturing the plants from seed and the time devoted to have them grow into healthy plants, it is likely worth the expense if you are looking for a half-dozen or so plants. However, if you are looking to grown several dozen vegetable or flower plants, it may be a money-saving endeavor to grow them yourself.
For generations, many have grown their own plants from seed in greenhouses. However, not everyone has the materials or money to construct a greenhouse outside. For a relatively small cost, you can build a greenhouse indoors in which to grown your outdoor plants for the growing season. Last growing season, I built an indoor greenhouse in my basement for less than $40.
Materials list:
Seven - 2” by 2” x 8’ lumber (pine) about $1 each $ 7
Two 3-inch screw hooks about $1 each $ 2
80-square feet of translucent plastic sheeting – about $2.00 $ 2
Four-foot fluorescent light fixture about $10 $10
Two 4-foot fluorescent light bulbs, minimum 2500 lumens about $8 $ 8
4-foot length of ¼” chain about $1 $ 1
Timer (Optional) about $10
Cut the four of your 2’ x 2” boards in half and build two frames, 4-feey by 4-feet square.
Cut another 2” x 2” boards into two-feet long lengths and connect the two frames together at the bottom and the top to create a box, measuring four-feet wide, four-feet long and two-feet deep. Cut another 2” x 2” board and connect in the center of the top of the frame to create a support for the lighting fixture.
I set my frame on a small table about 32” tall, making it easy to reach and using the table top as a bottom for the frame. Cover the top, both sides and the back with the plastic sheeting, attached with staples. Another piece of plastic can be hung on the front of the frame, attached only at the top to allow easy access to the inside of the box.
Attach the screw eyes to the top, center board about six-inches from each end and hang the light fixture with bulbs from the hooks, using two-foot lengths of chain. As the plants grow, the light can be raised higher by adjusting the length of the chains.
I used 3-inch peat pots and Miracle Grow potting soil as a growing medium for the tomato and pepper seeds/ I filled the pots with soil to within a half-inch of the top and used a spray bottle (less than $1) to wet the soil. Place the seeds on top of the soil and then cover with about ¼-“ of soil and again use the spray bottle to dampen the top soil.
When first planting, remember it will be early in the growing season and set the timer to have the light on for about eight hours and off for 16 hours, to mirror the amount of light provided by the sun. The plastic sheeting maintains the warmth emitted by the light and helps contain the moisture in the plants. Now, you can build the frame anytime you want, but the plants need to be planted about eight weeks before you expect to be able to put them in the garden outside.
