How to Create a Mini Greenhouse
It is very easy to save yourself money on new household plants using a mini greenhouse. Many garden and household plants can be duplicated by using cuttings from the original plants. However, there are certain guidelines that you need to follow in order to successfully reproduce your household plants in this manner. Creating a mini greenhouse is the best way to develop your cuttings into plants of their own.
First, you must choose the cuttings you will place in your mini greenhouse. Choose leaves that are close to the root and in healthy condition. Then, cut the leaves close to the stem of the plant. Now you are ready to create your mini greenhouse to develop the roots for the new plant.
Plant cuttings require moisture and heat to grow new roots. This is why a mini greenhouse is important for this process. The mini greenhouse will allow moisture to develop around the cuttings, and will also hold heat around the cuttings to allow them to grow new roots.
The mini greenhouse is very easy to make. Simply place your cuttings in a container such as a small card board plant holder, such as your plants would come in if you bought them from a gardening shop. Then, place the small container in a gallon size zip lock bag. This is your mini greenhouse.
You do not want to zip up the bag all the way, because you want some air flow. You do want to zip the bag most of the way closed, however, so that moisture and heat will be held within your mini greenhouse. You can create the greenhouse effect successfully within the zip lock bag by placing it near a window.
Your new plants should develop roots and be ready for removal from the mini greenhouse within a few weeks. Check the mini greenhouse often to make sure that your cuttings are in fact developing roots rather than simply rotting away, as can occur. When the roots are firm and offer resistance when tugged you are ready to take them out of the mini greenhouse and plant them in their own pots.