Indoor Greenhouse

Hi,
I currently am living in an apartment that has 1 west facing window in my bed room and a west facing balcony in the living area. The problem is only the 1 window gets any light do to huge trees and an overhang blocking the sun in the main living area. I also have a cat that likes to eat plants! I am looking at buying the $20 ikea socker greenhouse and was thinking about adding some automated grow lights to it so that I can have the tree in my main area and not tucked away in the 1 room it would get light. Was wondering if anyone has tried this before? I have a syzygium paniculatum bonsai that i know likes humid climates and partial to full sun. Thanks for the help!

Hello.
Your Brush Cherry should be outdoors in spring, summer and autumn.
It can be inside in winter, in a greenhouse and grow lights.
But inside all the time, even with the lights, it will never thrive, unfortunately.
Take a look at the link below:
www.bonsaiempire.com/tree-species/brush-cherry

The issue is I don't have a sunny outdoor space and only the one window gets direct sunlight. The balcony is shaded from an overhang and since i'm in an apartment all the outdoor space I have is the balcony. I do however have an full spectrum light that i'm using to supplement some hours of sun would it be better to use that and just have the plant out on the balcony?

Bonsai is mainly an outdoor hobby. If you dont have outdoor space, maybe this is not the right hobby for you at the moment.

On your answer, yes the tree can be inside a few years, and yes, it is possible to do cross country skiing indoors. But both activities is quite boring and messy to do indoors.

Nasty08M wrote:

Hi,
I currently am living in an apartment that has 1 west facing window in my bed room and a west facing balcony in the living area. The problem is only the 1 window gets any light do to huge trees and an overhang blocking the sun in the main living area. I also have a cat that likes to eat plants! I am looking at buying the $20 ikea socker greenhouse and was thinking about adding some automated grow lights to it so that I can have the tree in my main area and not tucked away in the 1 room it would get light. Was wondering if anyone has tried this before? I have a syzygium paniculatum bonsai that i know likes humid climates and partial to full sun. Thanks for the help!

Hi, Yes I have tried this and it works great. I am enjoying fresh vegetables, fruits, and herbs right from the indoor garden. And the best thing is that, it is inexpensive. So, you can go ahead with this thought!

I couldn't find the "add picture from local media" option. otherwise i will send the picture of my greenhouse so you have a better idea of how the things are working for me.

An indoor greenhouse like this is possible, but for the tree to thrive you need to supply an environment very close to where it evolved, so give the greenhouse grow lights, then turn them off and cover it up every night to give it dark rest. Keep the temperature somewhat like outside where the tree evolved, which involves warm days and cool nights, where warm and cold limits vary according to seasons. Same with humidity. You will have to keep an eye out for bugs.

Good luck.