Did you know that you can create a mini-greenhouse using clear plastic bins and regular led light strips? My plants have been absolutely thriving and loving life since I started using this setup. To put it bluntly, this is a game-changer.

In this post I will show you:
1. The key benefits of growing plants in bins

2. How I created this simple setup and the materials I used

3. My favorite soil recipes for use in this high humidity environment

Your plants will thank you!

This stephania nova has been living its best life inside a bin for several months.

What is a humidity bin?

A humidity bin is literally any container used to boost humidity and increase the growth of tropical or subtropical plants. I use large, clear bins now, but I started out by covering my plants with ziploc bags and tupperware!

Key Benefits

The bins naturally trap moisture and boost humidity to over 90%. They also help your plants stay warm. Tropical plants respond to this very quickly. Simply put, they love it.

This is an excellent environment for getting your plants to grow more quickly and it is also the perfect place to help your plant mail recover from shipping. Plus, it functions as a very effective propagation station!

One thing you will notice right away is that the aerial root growth is insane with this much humidity. For me, this is a positive thing, but I know that some people think aerial roots are ugly. Personally, I love seeing this much growth because I know the plant is truly happy.

Some important details about light and heat:

These bins are not suitable for use in direct indoor lighting conditions. The sun can cause excess heat buildup within the bin, which will literally bake your plants. That is why led lights are such a great option; they use little energy and put out very little heat. My lights are practically touching the bins and I have zero problems with heat buildup. In the summer months, I had some cheap thermometer/hygrometers inside some of the bins to make sure they always stayed below 90F. On the hottest days of the year I just needed to remove the lids for a few hours to keep temps favorable.

Now, IT IS POSSIBLE that some direct sun would be fine during the colder months, BUT the amount of light per day at that time of year is not conducive to optimal growth. Your plants will do much better with 12-16 hrs of artificial lighting than they would with a few hours of natural light. I run my lights for 16 hrs a day and the plants grow nonstop.

What about airflow?

When I first began experimenting with these bins, airflow was a major concern. I made sure to remove the lids at least once a day to air the bins out. I even used the lids to fan the plants and get any excess humidity to clear out and to bring in a fresh supply of air.

Then one day I got lazy.

I started opening the bins only a few times per week and everything was fine. Then I tried opening them only when it was time to check for watering. Still no issues.

Now I only open the bins for watering or when I see large beads of condensation forming on the inner walls. Everything is growing well and I haven’t had any issues with fungus, mold, or rot. Maybe some airflow would benefit the plants, but all I can say is, they certainly do well without it.

Lastly, I would say that this is the perfect place for your favorite plants to spend the winter season. Not only will they be growing all winter long, you’ll be getting some of the best growth of the entire year! Life is always a little bit brighter when your plants are growing, isn’t it?

My Actual Setup:

`These lucky plants don’t even know what winter is!`

Materials used with product links:

Note: I am not claiming that these are the best products to use, I just want to show you the EXACT items I am using to provide a reference.
- 4 x 28” hairpin legs
- 4 ft. led light strips 6500K
- dual outlet timer
- 70 qt clear plastic bins

I made a table out of a free 6 ft. piece of wood and some 28” hairpin legs that I purchased on Amazon. Honestly, I got SUPER lucky with these table legs. Originally, I made this table to help me fit more plants right by the window. I found out months later that they are the PERFECT height for me to fit the 70 qt. bins underneath. You can see in the photo that the bins come very close to touching the lights.

I installed an 8-pack of 20w 4 ft. led light strips directly to the underside of the table. I bought the Kihung brand and they have been excellent. I was missing one set of mounting clips and they sent me TONS of extra ones immediately. Their great customer service has earned them this unsolicited shoutout. After more than a year, the lights are still going at full strength with no issues. I chose the 6500K temperature because the blue end of the light spectrum is said to be better for leafy, compact growth. You do not need special grow lights, these work very well.

`Having the lights arranged in two tighter groups gives me brighter light than having them all evenly spaced`

The lights are plugged into an outlet timer which runs from 6am-10pm every day. The outlet timer is key if you ever plan to leave home. Make sure you get one with dual outlets. Depending on your light manufacturer, the on/off switches can only be connected to 4-6 lights at a time. Since I am running 8 light strips, the dual outlet is crucial: I have the lights running as two groups of 4 and all of them are controlled by a single timer.

My lights overlap in the center, which means that the two bins in the middle get twice as much light as the two on either end. Having two light levels to choose from has been very helpful, allowing me to find a suitable spot for a range of plants. I’ve also used stacks of saucers or empty pots to get certain plants closer to the light, as needed. That being said, if I had an 8 ft. piece of wood, I’d gladly sacrifice some brightness for a larger grow area!

I purchased the bins from my local Home Depot. The larger ones are 70 qt. and the smaller one is 30 qt. They had many clear bin options, but these were the only ones that also had clear lids. There are larger ones as well, for those of you that have the space for it. I can stack two of the smaller ones on top of each other and they still fit perfectly underneath my table. This is useful for smaller plants or cuttings that need brighter light.

What is the best soil for humidity bins?

`This classic gritty mix (bark, lava, turface) is a great performer and my personal favorite for humidity bins`

Let’s talk about soil:

Originally, I thought you HAD to use inorganic growing mediums in humidity bins. I was exclusively using inorganic gritty mixes or pure perlite at first. I was under the impression that anything organic (bark, peat, potting mix, etc.) would grow mold and start rotting right away. Turns out I was wrong!

I had a plant in a bark, soil, perlite mix that needed rehab. I wanted to put it in the bin but didn’t want to stress it out by repotting. I decided to risk it. I checked constantly for signs of mold or rot but they never came! Now I have plants in all kinds of mixes growing happily inside the bins.

This was a game-changer because it gave me the freedom to put any of my plants into the bins without having to repot them first. It also meant that I could use gritty mixes with bark, which holds more nutrients than fully inorganic mixes.

So here are my top recommendations in order of preference:

Gritty mix:

Any will do but my personal favorite is equal parts of bark, lava, turface. This will hold plenty of moisture and nutrients to get your plant through the week. Having the ability to add fresh water and nutrients EVERY WEEK will really get your plants growing quickly. Inorganic mixes work well but have a lower CEC, meaning that they don’t hold onto nutrients as easily as bark. ANY gritty mix you have will be an excellent choice.

`This nice, hairy root started showing after only 1 week in the bin!`

Pure perlite in jars:

This was my original go-to for humidity bins. Hold the plant in place, fill the jar with perlite, and then water until a small layer forms on the bottom. It’s an absolutely MAGICAL way to propagate plants but also works really well for growing plants out. I love potting my plant mail this way because I only need to change the water once a month and I can easily see when the roots have started growing.

`This syngonium chiapense has been going wild in a jar of perlite!`

Any chunky mix (aroid mixes):

Any standard, chunky mixes will work fine in the bins. Basically, if your plant needs water at least twice per month, that mix should work. Things will stay wet longer in the bins so if you normally water something only once per month then it will likely stay wet for too long. This definitely won’t be the highest performing option, but it does mean that you can safely put your favorite plants into the bins without repotting.

Some of my plants are staying wet for a full month inside the bins. They have been growing happily but they would definitely be growing faster if I was able to give them a fresh supply of water and nutrients more often.

`This philodendron is doing well in whatever mix it came in. You can see the hairy new root growth!`

My only caution here would be to air the bin out every day for the first few days after watering with these wetter soils. These standard mixes will release TONS of moisture into the air and you’ll see the walls of the bin looking wet. It’s okay for things to look misty, but when the bin is covered in large beads of moisture, you’ll want to air it out.

I do have algae forming inside some of the pots or jars but, as far as I can tell, it doesn’t create any issues whatsoever. I noticed more algae growth in the warmer months, but it has never caused any problems. Maybe it could get out of control under certain conditions but it really hasn’t given me any reason to be concerned.

Final Thoughts:

I love my grow bins! This is the perfect spot for propagation, a winter growth spurt, plant rehab, and recovery from plant mail. I am still propagating with pure perlite in jars and it works every time. For plant mail, I am potting into gritty mix (bark, lava, turface) and watering once a week. This helps get plants growing again quickly. For any plant that just needs a bit more TLC, I am putting them straight in - no need to repot first.

I hope this gives you lots of ideas and I strongly encourage you to give it a try!

Cheers and happy growing!

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