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 |  | Basic Tabletop Kit: $3-$25 |  | Large Tabletop Kit: $30-$60 |  | Greenhouse Hut or Portable Grow Room: $100-$600+ |
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Whether used for nurturing exotic flowers, growing seedlings or harvesting herbs, vegetables or fruit inside, an indoor greenhouse can extend the growing season to the entire year. There is a wide variety of options, starting with small growing trays with plastic tops designed to sit on a windowsill, tabletop or countertop; and ranging to racks of shelves or even small huts with plastic zippered covers to retain heat and moisture. Complete indoor greenhouses can include automatic watering systems, growing lights and a fan for ventilation. Small indoor greenhouses can be set up in a kitchen or family room; larger versions might be installed in a garage, basement, spare room, sunroom or screened porch, or outside on a small patio or balcony.
Typical costs: | - Windowsill or tabletop growing trays, often referred to as indoor greenhouse kits, cost about $3-$25 for a basic kit with just a soil container and a plastic cover. These greenhouse kits can be used to start seedlings or to grow herbs or other small plants. Many kits in this price range are designed as an educational opportunity for children. For example, DuneCraft offers a series of windowsill greenhouse kits[1] complete with themed plants (herbs, desert plants, etc.) for $15 each. Or the Elenco EDU-8470 Hydro Lab Greenhouse System comes with four growing trays, a fertilizer tank, an adjustable cover, safe chemicals and plant bedding; it sells for $22-$40.
- For more serious gardeners who want to grow seedlings, larger tabletop kits or those with features such as additional trays, a grow light, a heating mat or other options can cost $30-$60 or more. For example, the Hydrofarm CK64060 Hot House with Heat Mat[2] sells for $35-$40, with 72 cells for seedlings in an 11"x42" watertight base tray on a 17-watt waterproof heat mat.
- Indoor growing racks with three- to five-shelves and a zippered plastic cover (to keep the moisture inside) typically costs $30-$90 for basic models, and can cost $100-$400 or more depending on size, materials (aluminum is typically more expensive), type of covering and whether the kit includes options like grow lights for each shelf or a ventilation fan. For example, Wheatgrass Kits offers a 4-Tier Growing Rack[3] that's 63" tall, 27" wide and 19" deep with a clear vinyl zippered cover for $90, while its aluminum 72"x27"x12" Four Tray Tall Growing Rack[4] with eight 20-watt wide-spectrum lamps and 3" wheels sells for $330-$360.
- Indoor greenhouse huts or portable grow rooms designed to completely control the plants' atmosphere and light sell for $100-$600 or more, depending on size, materials and the features included. For example, the Hydrofarm Lighthouse 2'x4' Indoor Greenhouse[5] has steel poles, molded plastic corners, premium zippers and five duct port and sell for $208; while the taller Hydrofarm Lighthouse 4'x8' Indoor Greenhouse[6] with six duct ports sell for $441.95.
Related articles: Outdoor Greenhouse, Portable Greenhouse, Utility Sink, Greenhouse, Cold Frame
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What should be included: | - The small windowsill or tabletop kits often include the container, cover, soil, plants and most everything needed for specific growing projects. Larger indoor greenhouses usually don't include the plants, soil or other materials. Most indoor greenhouses come in kit form, and require some assembly. Some models are designed to be easily set up and taken down as needed, while others are a more permanent installation.
Additional costs: | - A greenhouse with a warming pad or growing lights can increase the household utility bill; exact costs will depend on the energy efficiency of the specific items and local utility rates.
Discounts: | - An indoor greenhouse of any size is relatively easy to build. Free-Home-Gardening-Tips.com describes how to build an indoor greenhouse using metal or plastic utility shelves, fluorescent lights and a small fan for $60-$195; and FineGardening.com explains how to build a tiered growing stand designed to nurture up to 640 seedlings at a time for less than $200. TheYardFarmer.com lists DIY tips for indoor greenhouses.
Shopping for an indoor greenhouse: | - Decide where the greenhouse will be placed, and how much space is available. If the indoor greenhouse does not include a grow light, the ideal is to position it in front of a sunny window that receives at least six hours of direct sunlight daily. If such a window is not available, consider getting an indoor greenhouse that includes a grow light. It' sIt's best to keep the grow light as close as possible to the plants, so check whether the lights are adjustable and can be moved as the plants grow.
- Indoor greenhouses are available from big box stores or home improvement centers like Target[7] or Lowe's[8] , and from online retailers like Amazon[9] .
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External Resources: | - www.dunecraft.com/products/minigreenhouses.htm
- www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=1899
- www.wheatgrasskits.com/product/hr-4
- www.wheatgrasskits.com/product/G-44
- www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=11309
- www.hydrofarm.com/pb_detail.php?itemid=11308
- www.target.com/s/greenhouse#keywords=greenhouse&searchNodeID=3151061&ref=sr_bx_1_1...
- www.lowes.com:80/pd_33855-4-60025CGREENHOUSETINT_0__?x=0&Ntt=indoor+greenhouses&Us...
- www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Dgarden&field-keywords=indoor+gr...
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