Mini greenhouse

cazziebo

I've been thinking of getting a "mini greenhouse" like this to start off my seedlings and cuttings. I live in Scotland and the advent of summer can be unpredictable!

Anything I should think about? I have a tiny garden so no room for a greenhouse. I mainly grow sweet peas and plants for containers and hanging baskets and also some bedding annuals.

JMFD

A lot of mini greenhouses are prone to flying away with the slightest wind - do you have something to solidly tie/screw/nail it to?

Yorkie1

I have one of those mini greenhouses. I agree with JMFD - it needs to be tied to something (mine has always been tied around the top to the drainpipe). Don't rely on something heavy in the bottom of it to keep it upright.

They don't give a lot of frost protection as you can't heat them and warmth isn't retained. But they do offer wind and rain protection.

I start early tender stuff off indoors on windowsills, then harden off in the mini gh, and do use it to start more hardy stuff off outdoors.

Don't assume that slugs can't climb, by the way ... I've learnt the hard way that they can indeed climb to the top tier :mad:

savemoney

Make sure you keep one in a sheltered place or against a wall not in a wide open space. They can and do blow down even in Summer. I have had mine with bricks placed on bottom or a large pot and still go over if not in a sheltered place

I_have_spoken

I'd look at a getting a coldframe before a mini-greenhouse

forgotmyname

The problem with them is the lightweight and need securing down. But the metal they use is so thin and flimsy your lucky to get a 2nd year out of them.

I bought some arches made from the same material and they are utter junk. Only paid £1 for them from Wilkinsons. But they will rust before your eyes.

Handy with a saw and hammer? Make a frame out of treated wood and get some clear plastic, Either sheet or twinwall and make one.

It will last longer with a bit of thought.

mandragora_2

If you do decide you want to go with a lightweight mini greenhouse (and I'd agree with other posters who are saying they're not really up to year-round weather conditions) then I don't know if you can still get the offer I posted a couple of months ago with Thompson and Morgan via Tesco clubcard, but if you can, and if the size of the greenhouse will fit your plot, it's a great deal - £15 of Tesco points gets a greenhouse & £50 worth of free seeds and also potting compost into the bargain:
https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/5035467=

ETA: Looks like it's still running:
http://www.tesco.com/clubcard/deals/product.aspx?R=2280

wellused

I have two mini greenhouses one I've had for four years and one for two years, the first one has the thin plastic cover which looks like it wouldn't last long so the second one I bought with the thicker reinforced cover. Strangely the first one with the thin plastic cover has worn better than the thicker reinforced one, the covers have both come to the ends of their life now and will need replacing next spring if wilkos get the replacement covers back in by then, these cost less than £5 each or if not I may need to replace the whole greenhouse. The one with the thicker cover seemed to suffer with sun damage and developed a hole where the plastic came away from the reinforcing. The metal frames of both of them are still in good condition with hardly any rust at all, they stand in the garden from March/April until October/November every year until all the plants are finished in fact I have just harvested the last of my sweet and chilli peppers this morning and apart from a couple of trays of winter onions which I am starting off they are now empty. I will now take them apart and store them in the dry until I can get the new covers next spring. I have had them in the garden in all weathers wind rain frost and they do have to be weighted down which I do with a concrete slab and a bag of sand on the bottom shelf, this is with the wheels removed and a piece of wood under the bottom shelf to support the weight, they have never blown over. I have raised loads of plants from seed which I start off indoors and once the temperature is warm enough they go out into the mini greeenhouses, at first if cold weather is forecast I bring the seedlings back in overnight and back out in the day but after a couple of weeks I leave them out in the greenhouse, if necessary I will cover the greenhouse over with fleece or even plastic tarpaulin which gets removed in the morning. In the summer the temperature and humidity can get too much so I have to open and close the plastic cover to suite the conditions. I wouldn't say that these mini greenhouses are perfect and they do need some forethought about weather conditions to get the best from them but for the money I have had some great service from mine and raised lots of plants in them.

wellused

Thanks mandragora for the heads up on Tesco club points I have just ordered three blueberry plants in 1.5 L pots which cost £10 in points and £4.95 for postage.

REEN

I got one of those hoping it will keep the hanging basket fuchsias alive through winter and then in spring it will be useful for hardening off tomatoes. It's in a very sheltered spot beside the shed so it might just work. I will take everyone's advice and weigh it down with bricks. Thanks!

I have got 4-5 years out of those cheapo arches and obelisks by painting them. Put plenty on around the joints.

Yorkie1

forgotmyname wrote: »

The problem with them is the lightweight and need securing down. But the metal they use is so thin and flimsy your lucky to get a 2nd year out of them.

Mine has lasted 10+ years now. I've gone through a number of covers, yes, as they get brittle in the sun and split. The coating on the metal has peeled off in a couple of places over the top, but I've put clingfilm around those bits and it's still OK.

Reen wrote: »

I got one of those hoping it will keep the hanging basket fuchsias alive through winter and then in spring it will be useful for hardening off tomatoes. It's in a very sheltered spot beside the shed so it might just work. I will take everyone's advice and weigh it down with bricks. Thanks!

I have got 4-5 years out of those cheapo arches and obelisks by painting them. Put plenty on around the joints.

Do not just weigh them down. This will not work. They need to be secured at the top. If it's against the shed, put one or two screws into the shed woodwork at the level of the top shelf or so, then tie nylon string onto one screw, across the front of the greenhouse, and onto the other screw (or back onto the original screw if that's all you've got) so that it's fastened better.

If your fuschias are not frost hardy then the mini greenhouse is unlikely to provide sufficient frost protection to enable them to survive in an average UK winter unless you're in a sheltered part of the SW.