Build a Mini Greenhouse from Packing Boxes
Living in a flat in the centre of Newcastle certainly has its benefits, but gardening isn’t one of them. When you live on the fourth floor of an apartment building there just isn’t an opportunity to grow your own vegetables or plants. But with a mini green house, you can do some gardening in the heart of the city. Want to know how to make one? Read on.
Cardboard boxes make a cheap and easy planter. Perhaps you have some used packing boxes left over from your last move. You’ll need them to be at least 6 inches deep; more if you want to grow root vegetables like carrots. Heavy plastic sheeting, some heavy metal wire, packing tape, and light plastic sheeting are the other supplies you need.
Begin by lining the cardboard box with the heavy plastic. Make sure it extends out of the box and overlaps the side by an inch or two. Use packing tape around the outside edge to secure it to the box. Next, cut four pieces of your metal wire to be placed vertically in each corner of the box. They should be long enough to protrude 6-8 inches above the top edge (higher if you plan to plant tomatoes.) Secure them with packing tape, but don’t panic if they don’t seem sturdy. The soil will hold them in place.
Once the box is filled with soil and seeded, cut a sheet of light plastic large enough to be draped over the greenhouse like a tent, reaching the bottom of the box. Water the soil just as you would outside then lie the cover over the top, supported by the corner rods, and you’re done. In no time at all you’ll have your own mini garden growing up a storm.
