Grow Your Own Magazine

Don't know if it should go here, still. Are your greenhouses as untidy as mine at this time of year?

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

NTG. I'm sorry to say your greenhouse looks empty. I have mine stacked from floor to ceiling. It's only 6' 8' and I have two mini greenhouse 4 tier stands, and a potting station on one side and on the other side a 6' two tier staging. Round the top of the greenhouse like you I have shelving running round. Having said that I am also storing a number of tools in the greenhouse as well.
I do have the advantage that my greenhouse is secure in my back garden. If it wasn't then I would not have so many things in it or be over wintering so many pot plants such as oranges. I also have two electric propagators and one non-electric working in there at this time to grow all my annual bedding plants.
Jax

NTG
Whaddya mean untidy
This is absolutely immaculate in comparison to mine - and I thought mine was quite tidy just now. Other difference is I have very few green things in my 'house just now - still too early for up here. Have overwintered hostas, seedling aquilegias and some hebe cuttings but that's it at the mo. Mine's full of those things I've been gathering in preparation for the coming season - seed packets, compost, 40 or so coke bottle cloches, pots, trays and buckets, 2 lengths of guttering for my peas, fleece,chainsaw & associated items, waterproof jacket and wellies, plastic trugs etc etc - not too much green stuff there !
Rat

Jaxom -do you have much trouble with condensation?

I have an electric thermostatically controlled convector heater in there to keep the frost away so have none of the problems with paraffin heaters.
When we built the green house we also put three courses of bricks down fist so the whole green house is taller than most. I have four automatic openers on my windows so as soon as it gets too hot they open and release excess hot air. The Electric heater will also have turned off a long time before this too so again none of the problems that normally come with paraffin heaters on 24hrs a day.
I check my propagators every day and remove any condensation as and when it builds up.
So far this year I have been very lucky.

Wish I had a greenhouse!

ho hum...

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Me too....

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Best wishes
Andrewo
Harbinger of Rhubarb tales

well at least I'm not the only one without a greenhouse. I've got space for a 6'x6' greenhouse, but got to flatten the area and pave it and then get the greenhouse which all costs money - something I have very little of...

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Hi Guys,

The big one first, this is about 2/3's of it and you cant see the 3 shelves that are crammed with seed trays & the pots of trailing Fuchsias hanging from the roof, the 3 pots of Lillies, 5 pots of Gladiola Primulina & 2 pots of Alliums- oh and the carrots somn direct in the bed

The little one - Although there is a parafin heater in there, it's empty and there was nowhere else to put it!! Also you can't see the Shahllots in 5" pots sprouting merrily and the rest of the Crimson flowered broad beans also in 5" pots - I'd got 3 seeds and rather than chance it I put them in pots in the hope I could grow them for seed for next year as the are colorful as opposed to the normal white flowered ones.

As to Condensation, none in the big house - electric & the little one is cold.... very cold yesterday but has 2 roof vents & the Lovre thats always open a touch.

I've got to prick out the Brussells & cabage as well as start the tomatoes & bedding off but the Chrysanths are the 1st priority then the Dahlias (big white boxes - ex fishmongers made of Polystyrene with holes already in , V.usefull) then the Veg And last ly the bedding by which time I'l have 2 greenhouses & 2 coldframes full!

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

For info Jax the big house is on two rows of breeze blocks and then I fastened some 4"x2" tanalised timber to this so that house is 20" off the ground & was modified by the makers to fit this (sides are 6') this was done for two reasons,
1 - plenty of head room for the chrysanths to flower in november as some go to 6' tall
2 -I kept banging my head on the roof vent in the old house !!!

The little on is on 1 row of blocks + the 4 x 2 and is about 5' at the eaves reason see above No 2

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

untidy?????? you should listen to my wife!!!!!!!!!!!!1
jimbo.

We going to get an audio thread soon eh?????

To those of who don't have greenhouses (I have one but it doesn't have any glass in it at the momment!) I bought mine a couple of months ago on Ebay. It is well recommended. Especially if you have a space for a big one. The larger the greenhouse the cheaper it tends to be. As less people have the space. I bought a big 12ft by 16ft, that came with heaters, electric boards, a tap connection, irrigation system, autovents, benches and shading. Along with pots compost and hanging baskets all for £500!. Still a lot of money but if you consider the basic model should have been nearly £3K without the extra's it was a bargin. I would also look in local papers or put an ad in yourself to see if anyone has any to give away. After buying mine I had numerous offers of free ones. You wouldn't beleive how many greenhouses are sitting out there unloved and unused just waiting for a vegetable growing nut to own them and care for them.

A greenhouse is for life - not just for spring!

Since we bought our greenhouse the only offers we have had is.... You are welcome to work in our garden.... or If you have too much in the way of spring greens give them to us.
Some how or other I can't see me doing someone elses garden, no mater how nice their greenhouse.
Jax

Yes it's amazing how many friends you aquire isn't it Jax! The only person I used to share stuff with was a lady who was vegetarian and I used to take her some bits in, then we would fight over payments, I didn't want anything she wanted to pay me, but as here Husband worked where there was a counicil Nursary, he used to bring me the pots that they used to bin & we would use them for our Plant sales so it saved us a fortune!

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I in herrited my green house with our new (to us!) house. I didn't think it was that great compared to the lovley one in the glossy mags, however, I have since seen how some people are very creative and get by and realise mine is actually very nice. The floor is stoned a good depth with a natural colour stone which makes it really light. I have got a heater in the focus closing down sale (proper electric green house one - £25!) but need to obtain some bubble wrap to insulate. However, doing quite well at the moment so hopefully can get by this year.

(a very lucky) Clare

They dont stay glossy for long Clare, Well done on the heater - good buy that. Bubble wrap , I bought a roll from NA Kays, it's the big cell one (abount1" dia bubbles) as this gives better insulation than the small cell, also as there are fewer bubbles per sq ft it is slightly better on light transmission. I leave it up summer & winter, It provides a bit of shade in the summer & hels reduce heating in the winter. The one pain is the fixings, the little green jobs are absolutley useless. The go brittle & snap off after a year or two so I am looking to fix some softwood battens to the frame & pin to this. I think you could get it neater & the wrap tighter using this method.

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ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

I bought bubble wrap this year but didn't get round to putting it up. next year will be different.
Jax

How do you keep the bubblewrap from going green? Is it anything to do with the ventilation and/or heating? We only have the peach tree in ours and so don't use insulation (the next door allotmenter has a magnificant peach tree in his huge leanto (part of an old pigsty!) and he told us to leave the peach to the frosts as they always vastly overproduce flowers! I recall my fathers greenhouse having bugs nesting between the bubbles-can this be prevented? Also -does it matter which side faces inwards?

Hi Nicos.

You need Horticultural grade bubble wrap which is 3 ply (the bubles are between 2 layers of plastin) not the stuff that is use for packing . Hort grade is UV treated so will last longer, it doesn't matter which wa round it goes & i don't have trouble with green algae on mine again probably because it isn't the packing type.

Hope this helps.

As to peaches, when my dad bought his 30' G/house tha only had 3 peaches, 2 nectarines & 2 grapevines in. ot was un heated & when we took the greenhouse down they were just flowering! we want back for some other stuff about a month later & they had all survived!

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/

Nick I am so jealous. It looks beautiful!

Looks better about November AB. It's full of these

__________________
ntg

Never be afraid to try something new.
Remember that a lone amateur built the Ark.
A large group of professionals built the Titanic

http://grief-encounters.blogspot.com/