Mini Greenhouse

This article is taken from Five Gallon Ideas, which features over 100 uses for 5 gallon buckets with more being added all the time.

Every notice that English has too many words? Take greenhouse for example - A greenhouse is just a fancy term for a box, made of glass or plastic, that allows sunlight through, and keeps heat in and wind out.

Once you boil it down like that, you’ll realize that you’ve got all kinds of thing kicking around that can be rigged into greenhouses.

And it’s high time that we discuss bucket greenhouses. These bucket greenhouses are sheltering seedlings through those delicate first few weeks of plant growth.

Totes are for Toting

These plastic storage buckets aren’t just good for keeping plants warm and out of the wind – the plants are made portable because they can be carried around.

So they can follow the sun  - with your help of course.

Simple Climate Control

This bucket brigade of mini greenhouses was photographed on a hot day, which is why you see them uncovered.

And if you need to raise the temperature in these mini greenhouses, just stick on your secure fitting lid, which actually comes included with these storage totes when you first buy them.

Or try a more porus solution that allows plants to breathe a bit better and the air not to get too stuffy inside our tiny little plastic terrarium

Will it Work With 5 Gallon Buckets?

Now I’ve never come across a translucent 5 gallon bucket in my travels. To be a greenhouse, it’s got to let plenty of light through.

If you’ve found 5 gallon buckets that would work as greenhouses, please show me!

It could be that strong translucent plastic is rare, clear plastic seems to be more delicate and brittle, which is why you’ll more often find it used for light duty indoor storage.

More Greenhouse Ideas

Interested in some even crazier greenhouse ideas?

I’ve covered using mason jars for a greenhouse before on another site, and have several greenhouse ideas on greenhousefarming.net.

For many more ways to use 5 gallon buckets for self sufficiency, visit Five Gallon Ideas. When citing this article, please link to