Can you make a Green House?

wizzkid_3

When we replaced the shed roof, we put those corugated plastic sheets on, then all the plants go on the work bench.........if we can get to it.

Heth_2

My father in law got us a greenhouse from ebay, for 1 pence only!!! To be honest it isn't in great condition ( we need to get bolts and those clips, and also some of the glass is broken ) and they had to hire a van to go and collect it, but it will still work out lots cheaper than buying a new one.

jet77

Wow - thanks for all your help. I'm in Birmingham. I've never heard of freecycle before and ebay hadn't even occurred to me for a green house. Any tips for actually growing the veg once I've got one? I'm not v. green fingered and have only just got to grips with house plants.

Debt_Free_Chick

jpet77 wrote:

Wow - thanks for all your help. I'm in Birmingham. I've never heard of freecycle before and ebay hadn't even occurred to me for a green house. Any tips for actually growing the veg once I've got one? I'm not v. green fingered and have only just got to grips with house plants.

What do you want to grow? Most veg don't need a greenhouse in the summer

jet77

I've got a pack of seeds with broccoli, cabbage, beetroot, courgette, onion and carrots in. It says on the packet that they can all be sown outside apart from the courgette - but I've got 2 boisterous children who trample in the flower beds when my backs turned so I was thinking that some form of self-made greenhouse that's not made of glass wd b my best option.

We've also tried growing strawberry plants outside but they are infested with slugs and caterpillars and I don't want to use any pesticides or any thing on food we're going to eat.

Debt_Free_Chick

Could you fence off a little square patch with chicken wire and posts? Or even just posts and twine?

To control slugs, you can try beer traps, half an orange skin placed upside down, crushed egg shells. Best bet is to get out at there at dusk/dark and pick them off. Either squish them :eek: or chuck them far away from the veg and other plants. Don't put them in a compost bin!

Or you could try nematodes - not thrifty, though

Heth_2

We have sown the seeds for our broccoli, courgettes, leeks and some flowers in seed trays and at the moment they are on the windowsills in our house. I must say I hate them there (my husband is the gardener) but they do seem to germinate quickly. Hopefully they will be ready to go outside soon, and we'll have the windowsills back.

doddsy

You could also approach nearby double glazing companies and ask if they have any old frames that they have taken out of houses to replace. My local one was willing to give me these for free to make cloches/coldframes.

jet77

Thats a brill idea doddsy - I also think it's a good idea to start the seeds of inside but then to transfer them to the garden do you just make a hole in the ground, take them out of the tray and put them in?

I've heard of beer traps before and think that that's prob the best way to go if u r a slug - don't think I cd squish one though!! Wd the courgettes be OK outside if I made a frame from dbl glazing frame and bricks and covered it with corrugated plastic?

full-time-mum

jpet77 wrote:

Any tips for actually growing the veg once I've got one? I'm not v. green fingered and have only just got to grips with house plants.

I can recommend the expert series of gardening books, they retail around £6.99 but I'm sure you can get them cheaper if you shop around. Try ebay and The Book People often have cheap selections of gardening books at this time of year.

They are by Dr D G Hessayon.
Start with The Vegetable & Herb Expert and The Greenhouse Expert
There is also The Pocket Vegetable Expert but not seen this personally.

Start watching gardening programs on TV - if you record them, you can skip any bits that don't interest you - and consider subscribing to Gardeners World - use tesco tokens and it costs between £8-£9 a year - or see if someone will lend you theirs or are getting rid of last years. There are also plenty of other mags around. Again try charity shops/car boots etc, sometimes you can get whole buddles of mags for next to nothing.

Visit your local library and see what they have and what you like. I would suggest that you eventually treat yourself to some kind of reference book as you don't want to find yourself in need of an answer then have to wait until the library opens.

Try second-hand/charity shops, most gardening information doesn't really date, just the varieties of plants available!
We used to have a WI market and there was a very knowledgable gentleman who was happy to advise, try your local allotments too, you can usually find someone to chat to and most (particularly older) gardeners are often only to happy to share their knowledge. Keep an eye on the gardens around you and catch the attention of anyone tending a veg plot, you never know, you might make some new friends in the process too.

Good Luck and expect to have a few disasters - its all part of the learning process.

Don't forget to get a water butt and to start a compost heap - both are invaluable - councils often have cheap products or improvise.