I Tried The Viral Dollar Tree Mini Greenhouse — It's Perfect for Starting Seeds in Small Spaces (Even if You're a Beginner!)

Although helpful, you don’t always need a complicated, space-consuming setup to start seeds indoors. Sometimes it’s as simple as a small plastic greenhouse from Dollar Tree, and it will only set you back $1.50.

It can easily fit in any size kitchen, on a windowsill, or on a balcony, making it an easy, small-space solution to start seeds — from flower seeds to vegetables, and even fast-growing microgreens to add a little fresh boost to your salads. In fact, growing microgreens is my favorite way to use this little greenhouse.

However, despite its small size, favorites such as zinnias, cucumbers, basil, and much more can spend their first few weeks growing comfortably in this little space until they’re ready to be transplanted into larger pots or outdoors. For less than the cost of a single potted herb at the garden center, you could start dozens of new plants — making it an easy, budget-friendly way to jumpstart your garden, even if you're a beginner gardener.

Tiny Greenhouse, Big Possibilities

By “mini greenhouse,” I really do mean mini. The set includes one waterproof seed starter tray and one clear greenhouse dome that fits perfectly over the tray. It doesn’t snap on, but it sits securely as intended.

Measuring just 7” long, 5.5” wide, and 5” tall, this little greenhouse packs a punch in a small space. The seed tray itself is about 2.5” deep, which works out to roughly 1.5 US quarts of soil if filled to the top. Instead of buying a heavy bag of soil, I tried the compressed seed starter mix sold next to the mini greenhouse at my local Dollar Tree. Made from 100% coconut coir, it expanded nicely and was enough to fill two of these mini greenhouses.

If a trip to Dollar Tree isn’t convenient, a similar mini greenhouse setup can be found online at very reasonable prices. We especially like these 5-pack Seed Starter Tray Seedling Kits from Amazon.

What to Grow

The possibilities of this little greenhouse are almost endless, but here are a few of my favorite seeds to start using this method. I highly recommend picking up an affordable seed bundle so you have plenty of variety to experiment with. Timing is everything, so be sure you know when to start your seeds.

For Quick, Anytime Harvests: Microgreens can be started anytime, in any season. I love using this tray to grow radish, broccoli, sunflower, peas, and arugula microgreens for my kitchen. If you want to try this, I highly recommend picking up an affordable microgreen seed bundle, like this 10 pack variety of microgreen seeds from Amazon, to experiment with different flavors.

For the Vegetable Garden: You’ll normally want to start your vegetable seeds — like tomatoes, peppers, and lettuce — and household herbs indoors 4 to 5 weeks before your last frost date. Buying a jumbo-sized vegetable seed variety pack like this one is the most budget-friendly way to ensure you have a bumper crop of fresh produce all summer long.

For Spring and Summer Flowers: If you want a garden full of summer color, you should start flower seeds like zinnias, cosmos, and marigolds indoors about 8 to 10 weeks before your area's last frost. I recommend this zinnia seed mix from Organo Republic on Amazon for a nice variety, or check out some of my favorite flower seeds from Burpee:

How To Start Growing

To begin growing, you’ll want to fill the tray with a quality potting mix or seed-starting mix, such as coconut coir. My usual seed starter mix of choice is the Back to the Roots Organic Seed Starting Compressed Block, available on Amazon, which expands to a whopping 12 quarts from a compact, easy-to-store block.

Plant the seeds at the depth suggested on the seed packet and gently water them using a fine spray of lukewarm water. Place the tray, with the greenhouse dome on, in a warm location, and be sure to keep the seeds moist during germination.

Once the seeds have germinated, remove the greenhouse dome. Expose the tray to sunlight by placing it near a window, and rotate it every few days to ensure even light for all the seedlings. Be sure to provide plenty of fresh air to circulate over the tray.

It Can't Do Everything

I’ve definitely talked up this little piece of plastic, but unfortunately, it does have limitations. It is not sturdy enough for windy days or heavy storms if used outdoors. And, just like any greenhouse, it can overheat in direct, intense sunlight, so keep an eye on germinating seedlings for temperature. Based on the thickness of the plastic, I also believe it may only last a few seasons before cracking or losing stability.

It's also important to note that the greenhouse tray does not include any drainage holes. I highly recommend poking a few holes in the bottom of the tray before filling it with your growing mix to prevent excess water from building up and causing soggy soil and damping off.

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