plastic mini greenhouse?

phizzimum

I've really enjoyed growing veg over the summer, and now I'm thinking about how to keep going despite the colder weather - and also get an earlier start in the spring.

So I'm thinking of getting one of those mini greenhouses - do you think they are worth it? They all seem to be much the same price on various websites (between £20 and £25) are they all much of a muchness, or would it be worth paying a bit more for a more sturdy frame, fleece cover etc?

envelopes

Ohhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooo - I had mine all full of this and that plant and had bricks bundled at the bottom to weigh it down BUT the wind got it, the green house cover was never to be seen again, the frame was found 5 houses up and I had a cabbage grow in the middle of my lawn.

I was gutted because i had loads growing in it - if you get one do make sure that it is really well held down.

mrscruffy

envelopes wrote: »

if you get one do make sure that it is really well held down.

Agree - Mine's blown over two years in a row. I've now got a concrete base and that seems to be holding - I wouldn't pay more that £10 for it though.

lizzyb1812

I agree with the other posters but I would still recommend them. Shop around - Amazon have lots on offer with some customer reviews as a starting point, and think about how you are going to secure it before you get it.

Don't pay too much - the cost is part of the cost of your home grown veg after all. Now is a good time to buy as stores want sales space for christmas stuff.

I have 2 which are set against a house wall (helps with warmth in winter) and are actually tied to the house by cords that tie on to vine eyes that were already in place and that go round the greenhouses near the top and the bottom. Sounds a bit drastic but it's really quite simple. DON'T attach one to something like drainpipes or you could lose a lot more than the greenhouse!

HTH

Lizzyb

Davesnave

You could always buy a kite!

I agree 100% with Lizzy. For £25 I could buy enough stuff to make a decent frame that would last ten years and, yes, I'd screw it to the house and trap the free warmth. Unfortunately mine is 30' long, so I had to screw it to a fence, but the principle's the same.

phizzimum

thanks for all the replies peeps.

loved the cabbage in the lawn - makes a change from mushrooms I guess.

I was thinking of putting the greenhouse by the shed (as that part of garden gets more sun) but I hadn't thought of the heat from the house, so thanks for that tip.

davesnave - what would you use to make one? I wouldn't know where to start but I am intrigued. DH used to be rubbish at DIY but he has taught himself to do quite a few things now.

jasmin10

I bought one of Ebay for £50, it's a 12 foot one that I have at the end of the garden also next to the shed. Believe me, I have really staked it down well with tie wraps to the framwork and then home made steel pegs that go about 2 foot into the ground, plus halved concrete slabs around the edges. I have made benches in it out of old pallet wood and also weighted these down against the framework - this mama aint going nowhere.

I have loads in there, sweetcorn, broccoli, cabbage, chillis, peppers sprouts and strawberries and they are all doing lovely.

hth

alimermaid

Hi,
I've read your post and wonder would you not be better off with a cold frame up against the house?

Have seen a few online and at the local garden centre and they look OK for what I think you want to do.

Maybe worth considering as I don't think they look too bad.

Cheers,
Ali

Davesnave

phizzimum wrote: »

thanks for all the replies peeps.

loved the cabbage in the lawn - makes a change from mushrooms I guess.

I was thinking of putting the greenhouse by the shed (as that part of garden gets more sun) but I hadn't thought of the heat from the house, so thanks for that tip.

davesnave - what would you use to make one? I wouldn't know where to start but I am intrigued. DH used to be rubbish at DIY but he has taught himself to do quite a few things now.

I made my cold frame from post & rail fencing (horse fencing) materials, roof battens and polytunnel polythene. The wood is all pressure treated, so the lifespan is 25 years or so. I am no carpenter, but steel 'L' brackets and right angled triangle shaped pieces of thin marine plywood solve many problems with joining at corners. The polythere is just nailed on with galvanised felt roofing nails. I buy my polythene from LBS Garden Warehouse, but you may find a better local supply with no carriage costs
.
Because my frame is in the garden, I concreted my uprights in at the front and fixed a rail along the fence at the back. A rail then runs along the uprights at the front, which are lower to create a sloping roof.. Altogether there are five 'bays,' each 6' wide, formed by rails that go from back to front. I have panels that slot into each bay as a roof and separate ones that go along the front in winter, but you could fix the roof on as one continuous length of polythene, held by battens along the top of the front-to-back rails. It pays to make the whole thing tall enough to go inside, even if you have to crouch!
My frame would be overkill for many people; in fact, one bay of it would probably protect most people's stuff. If I were building it by the house I'd just fix it with something like Rawlbolts to an edge base of concrete blocks and then dismantle it during the summer months as that wouldn't look very attractive!

I live in the south and most of the winter I leave plenty of ventilation going through the frame. Tenderish things die when they are cold, over-wet and in stagnant air. I've lost very little in the last 5 years or so using the frame.

Hope that helps.

phizzimum

thanks for all the replies!

I've always like gardening but don't consider myself very greenfingered - so I'm grateful for any advice I can get.

Peartree

envelopes wrote: »

Ohhhhhhhhhhh noooooooooo - I had mine all full of this and that plant and had bricks bundled at the bottom to weigh it down BUT the wind got it, the green house cover was never to be seen again, the frame was found 5 houses up and I had a cabbage grow in the middle of my lawn.

I was gutted because i had loads growing in it - if you get one do make sure that it is really well held down.

That is bad - I thought it couldn't get worse that where I live! I've got one well wedged against the garage with masses and masses of weighting down and it has been OK - ish! There has been a bit of leaning over and cover tearing but nothing too serious!

The main problem is that the covers tend to perish quickly in the wind, rain and sun - but you can buy replacements. At certain times of year the shelving units are mega cheap at the discounter supermarkets and in places like 'whatever it is Poundstretcher calls itself now' and at the end of the season they go for very little money. I find them great for overwintering plants in a sheltered, off the ground, way in my very, very wet location.

I think if you can find a really sheltered spot, they are worth it. Even if you lose the cover somewhere along the line, the shelves are useful come late spring when you have a lot of seed trays. I also think they are a good transition stage to see how you go on before you invest in a fully-fledged greenhouse.