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Greenhouse or cold frames or neither or both?

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  • #1

    Greenhouse or cold frames or neither or both?

    I've been half-heartedly growing vegetables for a few years. Time constraints have been my biggest roadblock. I have more time available now even though I'm still working full-time. ( i have the same job I've had for years but now I work from home so I don't have the commute times.)

    I still consider myself a noob.

    When it comes to greenhouses vs cold frames which do you use? Did you get a greenhouse right away or did you begin with cold frames and transition to a greenhouse or do you use neither or do you use a combination of both?
    Nutter's Club member.
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  • #2
    I started growing 3 Toms on the kitchen window sill, then a neighbour gave me a GH I've now got space for 9 toms plus cucumbers, I still grow one tom in the kitchen though. I've not got a coldframe just a couple of 4x2ft cloches that i use as a halfway house for hardening off before planting outdoors.
    Location....East Midlands.

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    • #3
      I keep wondering about getting a greenhouse yet I keep reading/hearing of people giving them away. Not sure if there's a particular reason as to why I hear this so often.

      Do people just get tired of having a greenhouse after a while? If not, does anyone know of a common reason for giving away a greenhouse?

      Update: I just checked on craigslist. A guy is selling a Harbor Freight greenhouse for $300. It's so old that the polycarbonate panes are no longer transparent. I looked up the greenhouse on the Harbor Freight website. New: $299.99. Figures.
      Last edited by DWSmith; 31-05-2017, 01:29 AM.
      Nutter's Club member.

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      • #4
        Common reasons for giving away are a death in the family and the surviving member wasn't the gardener or the other is too old. Or they have been left in the property when it has been sold and the new owner isn't interested or has kids and does not want a greenhouse in the garden.

        Keep an eye on Freecycle they come up on a semi regular basis in the UK and I'm guessing it will be the same else where

        Make a cold frame up out of windows saved when someone local has their windows changed and scaffold boards, decking boards or gravel boards.
        sigpic
        . .......Man Vs Slug
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        • #5
          I must admit, I love having a greenhouse. It's always a good place to be as well as a huge help in raising plants. A few years back I picked up two lovely 4ft x 2ft aluminium and glass coldframes. They were useful but the safety aspect of having glass at that height always gave me the creeps. The glass could probably have been changed for polycarb but in the end i gave the coldframes away.
          Location ... Nottingham

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          • #6
            I think it would be rather hard to sit in a cold frame with a cup of coffee sheltering from the rain.

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            • #7
              In my first house, I had a greenhouse, which I moved to my 2nd house (that already had a GH) so I had 2.
              In my present house, I have 5 You can never have too many GHs.
              Coldframes - No need for them.

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              • #8
                I have both, two greenhouses over the plot and one at home plus three cold frames (which I rarely use).

                I don't grow toms in my GH's only use them for starting things off and sheltering as Jay-ell mentioned, I do have a number of sheets of corrugated plastic roofing that I use for cloches

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                • #9
                  If I got a greenhouse my main concern would be winds. To the south I have about 1/4 mile of cleared ground and to the west about the same. So it would have a level concrete floor I'd put the GH on my patio behind the house with exposure to the south and west.

                  It's common to have 25 mph winds all day long and during storms it's not too uncommon to get winds at 60+ mph. I've had steel patio furniture moved around often during spring storms. Other than anchoring the GH to the concrete patio with bolts are there non-invasive ways to keep one from blowing around?
                  Nutter's Club member.

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                  • #10
                    It took a 90mph wind to blow my last one down! Look at the style of gh. Mine has large panes of glass that go from floor to the roof slope rather than to panes one on top of the other. It also has long strips to hold the glass in which are meant to be more wind resistant than clips. Screwed in all the way round to paving slabs with deep anchoring type screw thingies.

                    Could you plant a shelter belt of hedges to filter the wind?

                    I only have 2 x gh, no coldframes as don't have space. Major advantage to coldframes is when hardening off you can just put the lid up rather than doing the hokey cokey with all your pots each morning and evening.
                    Another happy Nutter...

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                    • #11
                      I started with a silly little blowaway which I treated like a coldframe. When I moved house I gained 2 gh and they are great. Each one acts very differently because of how they are sited and open up a whole new growing experience (love 'em). I don't fuss with coldframes I just tuck everything up in sheltered spots once kicked out of gh.

                      As for freebie ghs life tends to take over and people lose interest.

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                      • #12
                        I just have the one greenhouse and wouldnt be without it. I started with a small one and then bought a bigger one. I have been growing for the last 50 years and couldntimagine getting tired of it.

                        And when your back stops aching,
                        And your hands begin to harden.
                        You will find yourself a partner,
                        In the glory of the garden.

                        Rudyard Kipling.sigpic

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