Topic: Full sun or shadey greenhouse

[shirl]

good afternoon everyone.

I have a greenhouse that is shaded by a neighbours enormous tree up until 2pmish.  Im wondering if I would be better to bring the plants out into the full sun until 2pm?  Things like lettuce, container garlic etc? 

I've brought my seedlings in and put them on the kitchen windowsill until mid afternoon when they go back in the gh.

Another thought, on a very sunny day like today, would it hurt to put my seedlings (toms, cukes, peppers) outside in the full sun during the day or is it still too cold for them.  They are still only three inches high.

Thank you for any help

[Marley Farley]

:) Morning Shirl, You do have a bit of a problem there. I always think that moving plants around allot tends to slow them up a bit. The other thing is seedlings can catch cold very easily or just frazzle in the sun if you are not careful, the wind also burns them so I would be very careful!! How bright is the greenhouse when not in sun? Mine is shaded for quite a bit of the day but has sun all afternoon & evening until 7 30ish. I have no problems with Toms, cues etc ripening. If it really is dark then can you move it ??? Stupid question I suppose. Well good luck hope this was of some help. ;D

[shirl]

Hi Marley Farley and thanks for your reply

Moving the greenhouse isnt an option, theres no where else for it to go!  I've done an experiment by bringing some plants indoors for the night and up until 2pm so they have the heat of the house overnight and the sun through the window at a time when the greenhouse is shaded.

Results after about four days of doing this is that the tom plants are slightly taller and the cukes have grown one extra leave than the ones left outside in the greenhouse.

Now I assume this could just be that its cold in the greenhouse at night, but im sure its more likely to do with the plants inside getting more sun during the hours of dawn and 2pm.

The greenhouse is in full sun between 2pm and 8pm-ish however so its not all bad news.  Im just thinking ahead to later though and hope this doesnt stop me getting a good crop :-(

[Marley Farley]

;D Hi shirl, Didn't think moving it would be an option. It is still very cold at night still & if you don't have any heat in green house then they will be slow, but we do seem to get the same amounts of sun, probably don't have as much shade as you perhaps. Sorry I don't have any more answers. Anybody else got any thoughts on the subject.  ???

[wardy]

Shirl   Do your plants struggle for light in the greenhouse?  Do they go thin and leggy?  If not then they're ok

I'd like to know as I planned to site a greenhouse but like you my neighbour's trees are massive and shade much of my garden

Ta

Wardy

[wattapain]

Hi Shirl, i also have a greenhouse shaded by a neighbour's tree but it's on the west side of us so it gets the shade in the afternoon. It's in full sun in the morning so it's not too bad at this time of year. also the tree is deciduous so it's OK in the winter  & early spring when light is in short supply, & as an added bonus , I never have to shade the greenhouse ;)

I also have a recently acquired second greenhouse which is south facing and gets HOT 8) - was great in March/April, but look out come August ::)
Terri

[shirl]

Shirl   Do your plants struggle for light in the greenhouse?  Do they go thin and leggy?  If not then they're ok

I'd like to know as I planned to site a greenhouse but like you my neighbour's trees are massive and shade much of my garden

Ta

Wardy

Well looking at it now its actually quite dark in there!  The sun would be on it first thing in the morning if it wasnt for the fact that its against the fence.  The tree in question is an enormous christmas tree!  The plants dont so much go leggy as they just grow incredibly slowly.  For instance my peppers are still only an inch high with two little leaves, whereas the ones I brought inside to the sunny windowsill has second set of leaves coming through.  My lettuce seeds are still only little dots and they've been in over a month, the ones planted on the same day that are in the sunny garden are twice the size!

I hope this gets better as the sun gets higher in the sky or im going to have real problems.  Come 2pm-ish though, the temp will soar as its bathed in sunshine until the end of the evening.

Ah well you cant have everything  :)

[tim]

My peppers are still minute. Terrible year. And that's even with bottom heat.

It's good that you don't get leggy plants. We have a lean-to on a south wall & things love to go that way. If they weren't 'on heat', they wouldn't be so bad - I don't think.

[Garden Manager]

I wouldnt worry too much shirl. Lets face it unless we have acres of garden it is impossible to get a greenhouse in the perfect condition. I had similar trouble positioning mine. It has ended up near some big pine trees but the house still gets plenty of sun.

I think a GH needs aome shade, as even at this time of year (let alone high summer), a house in full sun could easily get too hot.

I am sure with the light you have you will get good enough results, so dont start moving things around too much.

Heat is another matter, though nighttime temperatures at the moment are a concern for us all.  It might be a good investment to get a small parafin heater for the colder nights, just to keep the temperature up a degree or two.