One of the most popular projects for apartment gardeners is building a balcony greenhouse. It can be the most beautiful addition to your apartment and turn your tiny apartment into a work of nature. Many apartment gardening enthusiasts build an elaborate greenhouse that will rival those on the larger properties. The balcony greenhouse is designed with a skylight to provide year round light and structures at the bottom level to store produce. The structures at the bottom allow for full sunlight and are warmly insulated against the cold winter winds.
In the winter, you can partially close the skylight to allow some light in or block out some of the cold winds. The skylights can also be opened wide to allow some light in on the hottest part of the day. This will allow you to grow most of your plants during the summer but in the winter, you can use artificial light to help your plants grow strong and healthy.
Most of the plants that you can grow during the winter season can be maintained year round. However, there are some perennials that need to be planted deeper in the ground to preserve their root systems until the spring. These plants include the Japanese maples, blue flowers, and clematis. Other perennial plants that can survive the cold include bells, buckeye, Canada tulip poppy, sunflowers, and others. The tulips, which are somewhat fragile, can be taken outside in the garden and potted in potting soil right before the first frost. Then they can be brought back inside the house in the fall, while the other flowers can be protected in a window box.
Because a balcony is usually located in the lowest part of your apartment building, it can be a perfect place to grow exotic plants and flowers throughout the coldest months of winter. You can keep a few varieties of bulbs indoors for the occasional surprise bloom during the winter. All varieties of bulbs can be used, from seed, to cuttings, and seedlings. If you have an apartment balcony and live there full-time, you can even grow your vegetables in the balcony’s vegetable planters.
Some apartment balcony gardens are located in shady areas on the lower floor. This is great for using a greenhouse to grow herbs for the kitchen during the winter. You can also use your balcony to grow herbs inside for the summer.
One of the disadvantages of using a greenhouse to grow plants inside in the winter months is that the heat from your home can make the soil damp and warm. If you live in an area where the weather is extremely cold, then a greenhouse can be a nice addition to your home. You can buy inexpensive heating units that you can place near the plants. The main drawback of using a greenhouse to grow plants during the winter months is that you’ll have to pay attention to the moisture content of the soil. You can help prevent this problem by misting the plants each day so that the soil moisture stays at the proper levels.
For a balcony garden, you need to consider how much light your balcony gets during the day. If it’s extremely sunny, then you might want to move some of your plants closer to the balcony railing. This will allow them to get more sunlight without being over-watered. But, if you have windows near your balcony, then you’ll probably only need to keep the plants to a few feet away from the windows so that they don’t overheat.
Another thing to consider when using a greenhouse to grow your plants in the winter is the need to protect the plants from harsh elements like wind, rain and snow. You should choose a greenhouse that comes with built-in roofs or walls that can be erected to protect the plants. You should also choose a greenhouse that has flexible sides that will make it easy to build the required frame for the roof and walls. You can then choose to erect flexible poles along the balcony railings or use pots to mount your greenhouse on. Another option would be to get a free-standing greenhouse that can be erected into the balcony railing. Whichever option you go with, it’s important that you get a greenhouse that will suit your needs in both the summer and the winter.