How to Turn a Cabinet Into an Indoor Greenhouse

While many houseplants are forgiving of indoor environments, some require more specific conditions. For those who love to keep tropical plants this can be an issue as it’s difficult to provide the right amount of light and humidity inside your home. Luckily, greenhouse cabinets have become a popular trend and easier than ever to set up. Here we’ll go over the basics so you can create your own miniature indoor greenhouse.

Materials

To create an indoor greenhouse using this method, you’ll need:

A display cabinet (mostly glass or plexiglass)
Weather stripping
LED grow light strips
Humidifier (or a basin of stones or pebbles)

Steps

1. The first and most important step in this project is finding the right cabinet. The ideal sizing depends on the number and types of plants you want to keep in it, as will the number and arrangement of shelves. If possible, choose a cabinet slightly larger than you think you need. This will make sure there is room for the plants, lighting and other features.

2. Once you have your cabinet, install grow lights. There are many options available in terms of size and shape but the most efficient option for your cabinet will be stick-in-place LED strips. Look for full spectrum lights that will provide the same type and amount of light as sunshine through your window. Attach the light strips to the bottoms of shelves and “ceiling” of the cabinet for best effect.

3. While optional, adding insulation to your cabinet will help keep a perfect temperature and humidity for your plants. Any conventional weather stripping will work just fine. Use it to add some extra seal to the edges, especially around the door or other openings.

4. Next you’ll want to add either a humidifier or a pebble tray to create humidity. A small tabletop humidifier will work perfectly, but you can also create humidity by filling a shallow dish or basin with pebbles and fresh water. This will gradually evaporate over time, so you will need to replenish it with fresh water occasionally.

5. For a useful finishing touch on your greenhouse, add a temperature and humidity meter. This will tell you the conditions inside the cabinet at a glance.

Your new cabinet greenhouse is ready for plants to move in! Your moisture-loving tropical houseplants will thrive in their new home and you’ll be able to enjoy the aesthetic beauty of them lit up by artificial sunlight.