How to Use a Portable Greenhouse

Expand your gardening experience when you use a portable greenhouse.

When building a greenhouse is not a viable option for your living situation, portable greenhouses offer the flexibility a permanent structure cannot. Perhaps you are a renter fortunate enough to have a space to garden, but no rights to build on the property. Maybe you're a homeowner whose budget for outdoor projects is tied up in other landscaping materials, a passionate plant lover without room for an outdoor greenhouse or a garden hobbyist with a job that requires frequent moves. Whatever the reason, use a portable greenhouse to enrich your gardening experience.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Start seeds for the garden in a portable greenhouse that you can disassemble and put in storage after all the seedlings have been transplanted, leaving more space for growing. Set up the greenhouse unit about two months before the last frost date in your area and plant seeds in trays beginning six to eight weeks before you plan to set the plants out in the garden.

2. Introduce children to nature's phenomenon of seed growth, even if you are in an urban setting with no garden space. Set up a small portable greenhouse on a deck or porch. Plant larger seeds, like beans, chard and nasturtiums, that are easy for little fingers to handle. Allow older children to develop responsible habits by assigning them routine care and plant watering chores.

3. Tuck a portable greenhouse into the corner of a three-season room or a porch during the winter months to make use of unheated space that otherwise sits vacant. Grow pots of pansies, chives or delicate plants, like orchids and African violets, that may be brought in occasionally for a cheerful, live decorative touch when outdoor plants have died back in the coldest months of the year.

4. Provide a portable greenhouse as a substitute garden for a senior or disabled person who is physically restricted from attending to a larger outdoor garden or more rigorous gardening activities. Set up a miniature portable greenhouse indoors for accessibility or a larger portable version on a patio or porch where the individual can enjoy continued small-scale gardening opportunities.

5. Extend the growing season for herbs and tender perennials when you dig them from the garden in fall, before the first frost, and place them in a portable greenhouse. Trim the older leaves off of parsley, oregano, thyme and other herbs before setting them in the greenhouse. Water and fertilize routinely to keep a steady supply of savory leaves for cooking use well into the winter months.

References

• Alabama Cooperative Extension System; Hobby Greenhouse Operations and Practices; J.R. Kessler, Jr.; July 1999
• Better Health Channel; Gardening -- People With Disabilities; March 2010
• "Orchids for Dummies"; Steven A. Frowine; 2005
• "The Herb Companion"; Greenhouse Herbs for Year-Round Gardening; Melissa Coleman; 1999