Zero-Base Guide to Building a Greenhouse: A Compact and Beautiful Home Hydroponic Farm
Want to create a home farm that combines vegetable cultivation and flower growing in a limited space? By integrating a plastic greenhouse, hydroponic technology, and ornamental plants, you can achieve both lettuce self-sufficiency and the joy of harvesting beautiful Phalaenopsis orchids. This guide provides a complete configuration plan for a small home farm tailored for absolute beginners.
1. Plastic Greenhouse: The Core Infrastructure of Your Home Farm
A plastic greenhouse is an ideal choice for a small home farm due to its low cost, excellent light transmission, and easy assembly. We recommend a arched greenhouse measuring 3m×2m×2m (L×W×H), covered with UV-resistant polyethylene film (0.15mm or thicker) to withstand daily wind and rain while providing effective insulation. The frame should be made of galvanized steel pipes for rust resistance and strong load-bearing capacity. To adapt to seasonal changes, equip the greenhouse with manual side vents with insect nets for ventilation, cooling in summer, and pest prevention.
Choose a location with at least 6 hours of daily sunlight, preferably facing south. Lay gardening landscape fabric on the ground to suppress weeds, and ensure drainage ditches are to avoid water accumulation. If winter temperatures drop below 10°C, install a heater or thermal blanket to maintain warmth.
2. Lettuce Hydroponic System: The Core Technology for Efficient Cultivation
The lettuce hydroponic system is the backbone of your home farm. We recommend using either an NFT (Nutrient Film Technique) or DFT (Deep Flow Technique) system, both space-saving and easy to manage. Here is a configuration list suitable for a 3㎡ greenhouse:
NFT pipeline system: PP planting pipes (75mm diameter), each with 6-8 planting holes, arranged in tiers to save space.
Nutrient circulation equipment: 500L storage tank, low-power submersible pump (1.5m head), timer (circulate 2-3 times daily, 30 minutes each time).
Nutrient solution formula: Use water-soluble fertilizer specifically for leafy vegetables, maintaining an EC value of 1.2-1.8 mS/cm and a pH of 5.5-6.5.
Planting management: Lettuce can be harvested 25-30 days after transplanting. Stagger planting batches to ensure a continuous supply. Regularly check nutrient concentration and replenish with fresh solution every two weeks.
This system can produce approximately 80-100 heads of lettuce annually—equivalent to farm-level yields—meeting the daily needs of a 3-4 person household.
3. Hydroponic Vegetable Garden Indoor: Expanding Crop Diversity
In addition to lettuce, a hydroponic vegetable garden indoor can further diversify your crops. Add small planting units in greenhouse corners or layered spaces, such as self-standing vertical systems (e.g., column or A-frame structures), paired with full-spectrum LED grow lights (4-6 hours of supplemental light daily). Suitable crops for indoor hydroponics include:
Fast-growing leafy greens: Spinach, arugula (harvest in 20-25 days).
Herbs: Basil, mint (can be harvested for multiple years).
Miniature fruit vegetables: Cherry radishes, strawberries (require manual pollination).
This area requires an independent circulation system to avoid cross-contamination with the lettuce nutrient solution. With vertical planting, a 3㎡ greenhouse can expand its effective planting area by an additional 2㎡.
4. Synergistic Management of Lettuce Grow Farmstand and Phalaenopsis Orchids
The other end of the greenhouse can be dedicated to Phalaenopsis orchids. Co-cultivating orchids and lettuce requires differentiated environmental management:
Humidity: Orchids require 60%-80% humidity, higher than lettuce’s 50%-60%. Use a humidifier or partition with film to adjust.
Temperature: Orchids thrive at 18-28°C, similar to lettuce, but require stricter insulation in winter.
Light: Orchids prefer diffused light; use a 50% shade cloth to create a gradient light environment between the lettuce and orchid areas.
Orchids are best grown in sphagnum moss pots or mounted on boards, fertilized every two weeks with orchid-specific liquid fertilizer. Use transparent partitions between the lettuce and orchid areas to balance aesthetics and zonal management.
5. Automation and Daily Maintenance
To reduce management costs, we recommend the following automation configurations:
Environmental monitoring: Temperature and humidity sensors with mobile app alerts.
Automatic irrigation: Hydroponic systems with timers for fully automated nutrient circulation.
Simple drip irrigation: Independent drip irrigation for orchids, watering twice weekly.
Daily maintenance includes: Weekly checks of nutrient pH/EC levels, monthly cleaning of the storage tank, and regular pruning of dead orchid branches and old lettuce leaves. Beginners can gradually master management skills through such systems.
Conclusion
By integrating a lettuce hydroponic system, hydroponic vegetable garden indoor, and Phalaenopsis orchid cultivation within a plastic greenhouse, you can achieve the dual goals of self-sufficient leafy greens and ornamental flowers. The total cost of this setup is approximately ¥5,000-8,000 (depending on the level of automation), making it suitable for balconies, courtyards, or rooftop spaces. As long as you follow zonal management principles and leverage automation, even beginners can create an efficient and visually appealing home farm.
