Inside the Spare Room Greenhouse
- Lynn Adkison
- Mar 6
- 3 min read
Updated: 6 days ago
People often ask where I keep all these Philodendrons. They aren't in a massive commercial warehouse—they’re in a meticulously managed spare room right here in my Flowery Branch home. It sounds simple, but it's not.
Working out of 1,000 square feet for a nursery is a constant challenge. I’ve reworked this room no less than three times so far, trying to balance space for repotting and maintenance with the massive light and airflow needs of the plants. It is generally anything but "Insta-worthy," but it’s where the magic happens.
The Light Setup
The backbone of any greenhouse—especially one in a spare room—is the light. We did some "redneck engineering" to get the right overhead coverage. We took down the standard ceiling light and replaced it with a 4-pronged adjustable Sansi grow light head (the kind that usually lives on a tripod). It provides consistent overhead lighting managed by a 14-hour timer. All I have to do is remember not to flip the wall switch!
For the larger plants in the corners, I have another Sansi tripod setup to ensure the "back row" maintains stable growth. Every shelving unit also has built-in LED full-spectrum lights, plus a plug-in drop light over the recessed chest of drawers. If there’s a dark corner in this room, I haven’t found it yet.
The Substrate Strategy
After a frustrating battle with fungus gnats, I moved to a completely soilless substrate. It’s light, chunky, and ensures the roots get the oxygen they crave. I mix in worm castings as a natural fertilizer and supplement with silica or light fertilizer depending on the plant’s needs.
I won't get too far into the weeds on "soilless soil" here, but if you’re interested in the specifics, you can download our Soft Landing protocol, which includes a full breakdown and photos of the mix I use.
Humidity & Climate Control
Georgia is humid all the time—except when it’s not. I use a Govee hygrometer to monitor everything from temp and dew point to moisture levels. It sends reports to my phone, so I know exactly when the heat kicking on has caused a dry spell.
That’s my signal to turn on the humidifier. I don't leave it on 24/7 (mold stinks, and I don't want it climbing my walls), but I use the data to keep the room in that "Goldilocks" zone where tropicals thrive.
Small Batch, Big Care
I don’t keep a massive stock. If you ask my husband, he’d say converting a spare room into a greenhouse is proof I have too many plants anyway (grumble, grumble), but in nursery-speak, I’m small-scale. Some inventory items are one-offs; others I might have 3 or 5 of.
I keep it small for a reason:
I’m one person. If I try to manage 300 plants, I’ll start making mistakes.
Quality Control. I can personally ensure the health of every specimen and keep pests under control.
I Listen. I spend a "sad amount of hours" poring over web stats and marketplace views to see what you actually want. No business works if it doesn’t listen to its clientele.
Shipping & Pickup
Plant shipping is a tricky business. There’s a 50/50 chance a postal worker might step on a "fragile" box. I mitigate that risk by over-padding. You’re liable to spend 20 minutes unboxing your new plant—sorry, not sorry. I’d rather you spend 20 minutes with tape and paper than 2 minutes unboxing something that looks more like compost than a display plant.
I’m picky about pickups, too. If it's 54 degrees out, I’m probably going to ask you to wait for a warmer day. Tropicals can survive a chill, but they hate it. My goal is a smooth transition to your home, not the shock of a lifetime.
If you want to "save" money at a big-box store, I won't stop you. But if you want a plant that has been truly loved, stabilized, and hand-selected, take a peek at our inventory. Every living specimen is unique, and I think you’ll like what you see.
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