Greenhouse question

phoilmc

Hi

I wondered if anyone can share any tips for the best and/or 'greenest' way of providing shade in a glass (standard-sized) greenhouse? My greenhouse is already roasting even though May is only just upon us and I don't want my new seedlings to fry. Damn you, Climate Change! Two suggestions I've been given are the bog-standard shade paint you can buy or old net curtains (who said they didn't have a use!).

Any tips that will 'Save the Seedlings' much appreciated. Thanks for your expertise.

BW
P

BaileyB

Bubble wrap i've been told and most of the time it's free from supermarkets. Or you can by massive rolls of it from vikingdirect, staples etc.

kethry

I've been covering my plants with a double layer of horticultural fleece, inside the greenhouse... not tucked in, just thrown lightly over.. i don't know if you're supposed to do this, i've been doing it at night to give some extra protection to the ultra tender plants (like aubergines, chillis, peppers, cucumbers) that are destined to "live" in the greenhouse permanently. You can buy it very cheaply from Wilkinsons - a pound or so.

HTH

keth
xx

phoilmc

Thanks for these quick replies. One question - wouldn't bubble wrap and fleece not act as insulators and hence heat up the greenhouse too much during the day? (Physics was never my strong point!)

kethry

phoilmc wrote: »

Thanks for these quick replies. One question - wouldn't bubble wrap and fleece not act as insulators and hence heat up the greenhouse too much during the day? (Physics was never my strong point!)

Physics isn't my strong point either.. LOL.. i think it would be insulators if you actually tucked it in, trapping the heat. What you could do is to try pinning the bubble wrap / fleece to the greenhouse frame - perhaps with clothes pegs, depending on what kind of frame you have? (this would work better with clothes pegs i think.)

keth
x

culpepper

I use newspaper over my newly sown seeds. You can wet it and it helps to keep the earth wet. When they show I take the paper off and just stand a piece of card in front so the plants are shaded. This year I have a big polystyrene box which I stand my pots in and then drape a bit of netting over the top. They can be quite well shaded like that but i do have to have the door open. Mine is a PVC greenhouse and has only the one opening door.
I've got a bit of net which I hang inside the roof when it gets hotter.

full-time-mum

I have just unravelled a cardboard box and currently just wedge it between the roof and some shelves. I think that I am going to secure it by using string tied between two of those funny little greenhouse fixing screw things.

Last year I stuck up newspaper but the sticky tape kept unsticking.

Haven't found a way of fixing things to the ridge bar though yet - anyone any ideas.

peter_the_piper

Try using some of those old net curtains you've got hanging about, we've all got them. The best way of cooling a greenhouse is to paint the glass with coolgass or similar. Keeps out the sun and heat and can be reomved for winter. Don't use emulsion or the like as you'll never get it off again.

phoilmc

Thanks to all - I have checked out Coolglass and it seems to be the real deal and at a few pounds is a steal. My only reservation is its environment-friendliness. If anyone has any experience of this, let me know. Otherwise, I'll give it a go and see what happens.


Roll on the rain - my butts need filling up

bizzylizzy

I have a metal framed greenhouse, one side is by a fence but the other gets the full force of the sun. I have never used shading in it (no funds) but I think I may have had a brilliant idea!
I have an old sheet that has ripped and thought I could cut it to fit sections of the greenhouse BUT I don't know how to attach it. Can you get clips or something for attaching things to metal frames? Or has anyone got a clever moneysaving ideas?

Jayar

How about drilling a hole at either end of the apex and another couple where the roof joins the side wall. Thread a piece of string or summat through, hang your sheet from the top one and tuck it behind the string at the top of the side wall.
My tame DIY expert tells me that aluminium is really easy to drill through.