Topic: 30ft greenhouse

[darkbrowneggs]

Hi All - a couple of years ago I spotted an ad for a lean to greenhouse/conservatory type building, which had to be dismantled and removed quickly for £99

Had to get some help but we got it down and it has been lingering in a shed since then, but I am now trying to get it put up.  It will be against a wall facing south, and fitted into a corner with another side brick wall to the west (prevailing wind - old name of property Wyund Hill!)

I do have a polytunnel which I am intending to keep and generally grow early potatoes in pots, early broad beans and strawberries, salads peas and mange tout, so what to grow in the new greenhouse.

I guess there is space for 2 fan fruit trees on the wall, and I was vaguely thinking maybe some other fruit trees in pots in the winter then taken outside for the summer and the space used for melons tomatoes cucumbers physalis

It wont be heated at all, but I was wondering if I could rig up something with water pipe / tubing along the back wall or roof and run into big containers to help with a type of solar heating

I am open to any and all idea.  I have already bought 2 peach trees from Aldi for £3.99 each, but they are Red Haven, and I still have some space outside for those which are apparently peach leaf curl resistant

Many thanks for any pointers
Sue

[chriscross1966]

Given how large it is, what about a stove with a back boiler (all you need is a second hand radiator BTW, doesn't need to be fancy) .... pipe that in so that it thermosyphons and it should keep the frost out on the worst nights...

I'd be thinking avocado's, figs and probably trying to grow a lychee if I had a south facniog conservatory that big.... how tall is it?... could it handle a proper banana or a date palm?

You've got a VIctorian scale glass-house, think Victorian scale kitchen garden techniques..... pineapples? Maybe you should change your nickname to KewSue ? :D :D

chrisc

[darkbrowneggs]

Given how large it is, what about a stove with a back boiler (all you need is a second hand radiator BTW, doesn't need to be fancy) .... pipe that in so that it thermosyphons and it should keep the frost out on the worst nights...

I'd be thinking avocado's, figs and probably trying to grow a lychee if I had a south facniog conservatory that big.... how tall is it?... could it handle a proper banana or a date palm?

You've got a VIctorian scale glass-house, think Victorian scale kitchen garden techniques..... pineapples? Maybe you should change your nickname to KewSue ? :D :D

chrisc

 :D :D  No - unfortunately it's not as nice as that.  In fact its not really that nice at all, but it is serviceable, and I managed to save pretty well all the glass intact and the sheets of double wall stuff on the roof.  So an excellent buy really, though it is now costing more than I imagined to get put up.

I think the back wall will be around 10ft high and at present I am definitely leaving it as unheated.  I was just thinking along the lines of capturing any daytime heat to recycle at night.

Its in the back of my mind that I saw a TV programme where they had rigged up some water pipes and then ran them through a heat sink in the ground, and I wondered if something using recycled liquid containers would do the same job

I had forgotten figs, so that would be a good one.

Does everyone think apricots do well enough outdoors to not justify indoor space

Many thanks for the reply - the "putting up" is on hold at present as I am waiting for more "ground works"

All the best
sue :)

[saddad]

A fig will be fine outside... I'd have to have a seedless dessert grape...
 :-X

[darkbrowneggs]

A fig will be fine outside... I'd have to have a seedless dessert grape...
 :-X

Hi there- KewSue - I like that  ;D ;D

Yes I had half thought of a grape  :) possibly in a pot, but I suppose it could go on the roof as shading .  I was forgetting that a south facing greenhouse is going to be HOT if the sun shines.

Would a roof trained on reduce the sunlight too much for a peach on the back wall to ripen.  I somehow fancy warm apricots/peaches to eat.  My imagination running away with my there probably.

Any recommended variety of grapevine

Years ago I knew (as was often inveigled into helping) an elderly gardening couple.  They had a huge grape vine in their greenhouse, and I spent many back/neck breaking hours thinning the bunches of grapes with nail scissors to shape them and improve the fruit size

Usually at the end of the season I would be ceremoniously presented with ONE bunch of grapes,  :)and I have to say they were never worth eating  ::) the skins were hard and slightly bitter and if you happened to bite into a pip - well I can still taste it now   ;D  - that particular grape was a Black Hamburg,

I am sure there must be some nice varieties out there now though

All the best, and many thanks
Sue

[goodlife]

I'm one of those lucky grape owners who have that BH grape ;D...they do need  decent autumn to get them taste wonderful..I never thin mine though..far too time consuming work and usually I end up perfectly nice grapes anyway. ::)..no fancy stuff here..
Ohh...there is such a quantity of different varieties on offer in various nurseries now...you'll be like kid in sweet shop ;D
Couple nurseries that I'm familiar with and stock good amount of varieties are Rv Roger and Deacon's...but you do have to be quick with shopping now if you are still going to get one before this season ends.
 

[saddad]

That's why I would recommend a seedless one, Sue. In most vineries still run by the NT, such as Calke, Audley End still have Peaches/apricots on the back walls under the vines...
Most Seedless dessert grapes require to long a season but MontLake is recommended for outdoors by some... just check it's mildew resistance..  :)

[1066]

how about some limes and lemons

[darkbrowneggs]

how about some limes and lemons

What does everyone think about the likelyhood of citrus making through winter in an unheated greenhouse if it is like the last -  I think we had about minus 15 one night
It certainly finished off all the winter greens :'(  Apart from the leeks.

All the best
Sue

[cambourne7]

i think the program with the heat sink was something green with dick strawbridge in i think there are instructions on his site.

Presumably you will have staging at the front but have you considered getting some of those large tubs (type used for water butts bought from jam factorys for £5) filled with soil which would give you deep planters for carrots, parsnips, leeks etc.. These could even be used like hot beds to generate heat?

So 30ft wide

[goodlife]

I had several lemons that were established large bushes. They have been kept years in unheated GH over winter and did do well.
But this winter was too cold for they liking....all gone...

[darkbrowneggs]

i think the program with the heat sink was something green with dick strawbridge in i think there are instructions on his site.

Presumably you will have staging at the front but have you considered getting some of those large tubs (type used for water butts bought from jam factorys for £5) filled with soil which would give you deep planters for carrots, parsnips, leeks etc.. These could even be used like hot beds to generate heat?

So 30ft wide

No  ;D  30ft long and about 8ft wide ;D

I had thought of some of those recylced liquid containers and perhaps used to support staging/benches but filled with water with pipes along the back wall.  I will check out what you said about the tv prog.  I think he used smashed glass bottles as a heat sink.

Many thanks
Sue

[tai haku]

I'd defo go with some citrus; maybe a meyer lemon and an unusual lime of some kind; something you can't buy cheaply in shops basically.

My parents have a huge unheated conservatory made of steel, polycarb and glass and we've overwintered loads of citrus in there. If you think its going to get properly bad you can always briefly fleece them.

We also had a grapevine and in our experience we struggled to get the bunches to ripen uniformly; it also took up a lot of space for something you can purchase pretty easily (but then I don't like grapes).

I'd agree figs do well enough outside so my additional suggestions would be:

1) some of the more unusual peppers grown as perennials - you could probably overwinter plants like rocotos or ajis pretty easily in there (and if they die you can always start afresh). If they do overwinter though you'll end up with massive plants with masses of pods early in the season.

2) some of the more interesting passionflowers; maybe P. molissima or one of the other banana fruited species; again should do well in the temperatures you're talking about. Can climb up the wall and give you a delicious fruit (hopefully) that is not available in shops.

3) Consider using it in winter to grow salads.

If you haven't already come across this guy http://onestrawrob.com/ the I recommend you take a look; he's got some excellent passive heating/heat retention suggestions and really knows how to max out the use of his under glass (plastic) space.

[1066]

3) Consider using it in winter to grow salads.

That gets my vote, I've overwintered all sorts of salads, oriental leaf veg etc but you do need to select the right varieties

You will have to let us know how you get on, and what works etc  :)

[darkbrowneggs]

If you haven't already come across this guy http://onestrawrob.com/ the I recommend you take a look; he's got some excellent passive heating/heat retention suggestions and really knows how to max out the use of his under glass (plastic) space.  

Hi Tia Haku  -  (I love those cherries :))

Had a good mooch round the site you recommended - probably being rather dim, but couldn't get to anything about heat retention etc.  Do you have a direct link to the page??

Many thanks
Sue
 
 

[tai haku]

Hi Tia Haku  -  (I love those cherries :))

Had a good mooch round the site you recommended - probably being rather dim, but couldn't get to anything about heat retention etc.  Do you have a direct link to the page??

awesome to come across someone who recognises the source of the name :)

Having quickly remooched myself there aren't that many pages on the site on that particular topic but if you look at the polytunnel posts (he usually calls them hooptys) eg http://onestrawrob.com/2011/03/hoopty-progress/ he talks about heat sourcing by either composting in the polytunnel (which may be an unattractive option in your lovel greenhouse or using big vats of water as heat sinks which may be a better option. The same posts will cover growing salads under plastic in winter. He's in the north USA so if he can get good salads in a polytunnel in winter you should be absolutely sorted over here in a glasshouse.

[darkbrowneggs]

using big vats of water as heat sinks which may be a better option

Those were the lines I was currently thinking along.  Do you think there is any way to get water from pipes on the back wall to want to recirculate water from a tank or will I need a pump.

If I am allowed to post photos on this site I might try and get some piccies - not that there is anything to see as yet

I tried a Tia Haku, but I think I was not sold the correct variety, and after a few years of disapointment cut it down, but you have reminded me now, so if I can find somewhere suitable I might try again - I do have a lovely Prunus shirotae though it suffers if there is wet snow which seems to settle on the branches.

With this lovely sunny weather we have had the last few days it won't be too long before it flowers, my Magnolia stellata is just about to break bud.  -  dont you just LLLLLOOOVVVVE  the spring

All the best and thanks for the info
Sue