How to Build a Cactus Mini Greenhouse

Most cacti are desert plants, though there are some tropical varieties also. Cactus plants thrive in dry conditions and cannot tolerate too much moisture. The majority of cacti also prefer warm climates and the temperature in the home may be too cool for them to thrive. Creating a greenhouse for a cactus helps improve the warmth in the surrounding air, but you must take care to avoid providing too much moisture and humidity. An open greenhouse provides many of the benefits of a traditional one but doesn't hold in excessive moisture.

Glass bowl
Gravel
Charcoal
Sand
Soil

Instructions

- 1
  Fill a clear glass bowl, such as a fishbowl, with a 2-inch layer of gravel. Choose a bowl that narrows toward the top.
- 2
  Cover the gravel with a 1/2-inch layer of crushed charcoal. The charcoal filters the moisture and prevents bad odors from forming in the greenhouse.
- 3
  Combine two parts coarse sand with one part potting soil. Place a 3- to 5-inch layer of the soil mixture on top the gravel and charcoal layer.
- 4
  Plant the cacti into the soil. Set them at the same depth in the greenhouse as they were growing in their individual pots.
- 5
  Mist the soil with water until it just begins to feel moist. Any excess moisture drains into the gravel layer. Cacti only need watering when the soil dries out completely.
- 6
  Set the greenhouse in front of a warm window that receives bright light. Choose a location that only receives three or four hours of direct sun, and four or more hours indirect sun, as too much direct light in the greenhouse can burn the cacti.

How to Dry Agave

How to Divide Aloe Plants

Growing Cactus