How to Turn Tall Wooden Cabinet into Indoor Greenhouse Cabinet
Gardening is a lot different now. With limited outdoor space gardening, a new generation of plant parents has emerged. Instead of relying on the outdoors, plant enthusiasts are actively transforming their living rooms into mini-greenhouses. Succulents, cacti, and other potted plants are now the jewels of sitting rooms. However, the most cherished tropical houseplants and some homegrowns require a warm, adequately humid climate to thrive indoors. A greenhouse allows adequate light to pass through while keeping cold air out. You can also maintain suitable humidity inside the greenhouse. It also keeps the delicate plants out of the reach of your pets and kids.
Getting a greenhouse may sound like a tall order to you. It’s not anymore. Today we are here with an exciting DIY indoor greenhouse cabinet idea that you can easily execute. So let’s dive right in.
Source: pinterest.com
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Is DIY Indoor Greenhouse Cabinet worth it?
An indoor greenhouse is a gardener’s paradise. Every gardener fancies having a greenhouse where his plant babies can grow under ideal conditions. With the growing interest in indoor plants, indoor greenhouses are getting more popular. DIY indoor greenhouses are definitely a budget-friendly option as well as quite easy to create.
How to Make a Glass Greenhouse Cabinet at Home?
Here we will follow the cabinet-to-greenhouse conversion ideas here. For that, you would need an old cabinet. You can also buy a new cabinet but it’s better to bring the old wooden cabinets to use in order to save money. So bring the old cabinet in use, buy some custom glass panels and you are all set to follow the DIY indoor greenhouse cabinet trend.
Making a glass plant cabinet is an easy DIY project. You can execute the whole project without any assistance whatsoever. So let’s not hold up any further and discuss the DIY process.
Required Tools
You would require basic tools to carry out the project. However, there could be some minor changes in the list depending on your personal preferences.
- Old cabinet
- Glass panels
- Tropical plants
- Grow lights according to the cabinet size
- Mini fan for airflow
- Humidity and temperature meter
- Weatherstripping
- Drill and drill bits
Steps to Create DIY Glass Plant Cabinet
Let’s get into the fun part now.
1. Optimize The Cabinet For Use
An ideal indoor greenhouse cabinet is one that has glass shelves and glass doors. The glass panels allow adequate flow of light and optimize the interior temperature. If the old cabinet that you are using is a glass cabinet, then you are in luck. You don’t have to do anything except for cleaning it and putting it in a nice place in your home. However, you can paint the wooden frame in any desired color to match the interior aesthetics.
If the old cabinet doesn’t have any glass doors, then you would have to buy glass panels first. Measure the cabinet doors and shelving space properly. Note the measurements and buy glass panels. Use the glass glue and secure the glass panels in the wooden frame. Take a similar approach with the shelves and let them dry. Paint the wooden structure if you want and set the cabinet in place.
2. Choose The Plants For Their New Home
Tropical plants are especially known to thrive in humid environments. But the greenhouse offers ideal growing conditions for other indoor plants like cactus, veggies, and succulents. Make sure to choose the plants that require humidity and considerably high temperature for growth. Avoid putting cold-weather plants in the greenhouse.
3. Drill Holes For Wiring
You would need some holes in the structure to pass the wires and other accessories for the greenhouse setup. So drill holes in a convenient yet concealed area of the cabinet frame.
4. Add Grow Lights To Your Plants Cabinet
Air flow, humidity, and light are the three primary variables to consider while setting up a greenhouse cabinet in order to create the optimal growth environment for plants. After assembling the greenhouse cabinet, add grow lights to it. You can easily grow lights from any store. Many advanced grow lights with adjustable light, timer and lightmeter are also available in the market now. They not only optimize the greenhouse environment but also monitor the indoor greenhouse constantly.
Grow lights or strips are easy to install. Once you have got the right glow lights, systematically integrate them into your indoor greenhouse cabinet. You can use zip ties to fix the cords in place.
5. Optimize The Ventilation System
Proper air circulation is very important for the greenhouse. It avoids fungal infections and plant rotting. Small mountable fans are typically used to provide ventilation throughout the greenhouse cabinet. You can manage the fan settings according to the plants’ requirements.
6. Maintain Humidity Level
Monitoring the heat and humidity levels is very important to maintain the right conditions inside the greenhouse. For this purpose, a thermometer or hygrometer is used. Humidity levels tend to change according to the outside temperature, so make necessary modifications accordingly. You can also employ a tiny humidifier if you think that the humidity is not sufficient. Position the thermometer or hygrometer along the display to keep a hold on the humidity levels.
7. Organize The Shelves
After setting up the cabinet, it’s time to organize the indoor greenhouse cabinet shelves. Put the plants that require the most light near the grow lights, hang the vines along the sides, and go on with the rest of your plants according to your preferences.
8. Customize And Enjoy!
Some people add pegboards, wire racks, shelf liners, and self risers to clip the vines and hanging plants. Some also install heat mats and other accessories to maximize the greenhouse. You can personalize and accessories the greenhouse to your liking. Once you have organized the shelves, set the greenhouse in place and let it shine.
Bottom Line!
The greenhouse traps the moisture inside, maintains a suitable consistent temperature, and provides ideal conditions for the growth of plants. By turning the old wooden cabinet into a glass plant cabinet, you not only create a growth-heaven for your beloved plants but also add a unique design feature to your interior. Not to mention the additional perk of money saving that you have achieved by bringing the old cabinet to perfect use. From aesthetical to practical, creating a DIY indoor greenhouse cabinet is a great step in every aspect. So roll up your sleeves, and turn your old cabinet into your plants’ growth haven!