How To Create A DIY Greenhouse With Empty Storage Bins
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Used to protect plants from cold weather while still allowing them to soak in the sunlight, glass or plastic greenhouses are often placed in backyards. If you wanted to purchase a mini, inexpensive type with a plastic cover, it'll cost you around $40. However, what if you could DIY a mini garden greenhouse with items you already have in your home?
Luckily, you can, and all you need to complete this DIY are four things: a plastic cart with drawers (or empty storage bins), cardboard paper towel or toilet tissue rolls, seeds, and potting soil. As explained in a TikTok by Kennedy Sanchez, which has over 2 million views, place the cardboard rolls on their ends inside the drawers, fill them with soil, plant the seeds inside, and close the drawers. To water your seedlings, simply open the drawers and hose the plants down, then close them again. Once the plants outgrow the containers, you can easily transfer them into your regular garden.
Benefits of this DIY greenhouse
As stated, this DIY garden greenhouse is extremely budget-friendly, even if you have to make a few buys. For example, if you don't already have a plastic cart or empty storage bins, Kennedy Sanchez (in the comments of another TikTok) says, "Try to thrift them or find them cheap or free on [Facebook] marketplace." If you still can't find one, you could buy a cart with wheels from retailers like Target for under $20, and potting soil can be purchased for around $10 a bag. Another benefit is that, because you're going to be reusing your cardboard toilet tissue rolls, this hack is extremely sustainable.
A commenter on Sanchez's most popular TikTok says, "Okay this is brilliant for small spaces and with cats!" to which Sanchez replies, "And dogs and toddlers in my case! Very convenient to have it stacked rather than all laid out somewhere." If you have a very limited amount of outdoor space, perhaps because you live in an apartment with a small patio, you could even stack multiple plastic carts or individual bins. Finally, when you're ready to plant your seedlings in the ground, this can easily be done by removing the drawers or bins and transporting them to your garden.
Tips when using this DIY greenhouse
If you're going to try creating this DIY garden greenhouse at home, there are a few things to be aware of, including what to do in certain weather conditions. "When it's windy we either take them in or set heavy stuff on top of them! I'd hate to lose and mix all my seedlings like that!" explains Kennedy Sanchez in the comments of one of her TikToks.
And, if you're worried about your seedlings getting enough sunlight, there's something else you could do. One person asks in the comments, "So it still gets enough light even with the top of each drawer with opaque covering?," to which Sanchez replies, "Yes through the sides. And on nice days I set them out when I can." Laying the bins out side by side in a flat area will allow them to get more sun on bright days.
Another tip is to keep all the same type of seeds inside each drawer and add a label on the exterior so that you can easily keep track of which vegetables are inside which bins. This will make transporting them to your garden much easier. When watering, if you find that your bins fill with too much water, you could also drill a hole in the side of the plastic container, to use as a drain.