Allotments 4 All
Produce => Under Glass => Topic started by: cambourne7 on October 03, 2015, 20:34:38
-
HI All,
I have finally got around to ordering my greenhouse (still chasing planning but 2nd application in).
Concrete pad has been poured (with blue pipe inside for power) and the concrete sealed and painted.
Ordered a 8x10 Silver Sage Rhino Premium with 12" integral staging the full lenth of the greenhouse, a Fitted slatted shelf. And a free standing staging which holds 10 trays, and some freestanding staging with matching potting pal. I have someone booked to fit it for me as its not something i think i can do and stay married :) hehe
I will be putting a row of slabs down the middle of the greenhouse and considering a layer of either pea gravel or water matting on either side not decided yet.
So the question i have is there anything i can do in the greenhouse (unheated) from now?
Cam
-
Excited with you and for you. That's some fab greenhouse you've got there. This is the time of year to scatter lettuce, rocket, endive, cress and even perhaps carrot seeds. I just chuck them in. Some will germinate and overwinter, others will germinate at the very earliest opportunity in spring. All this will add up to some lovely spring greens and early salading before you need the space again for tomatoes etc. Mustard is another one and perhaps a few orientals. Too late for radishes, too late for turnips (however the turnip tops that will still grow well are also delicious, a nice cooking green in early spring). :wave:
-
Thanks Galina :)
I have some siberian early tomato seeds which i might try in End Jan maybe they were from a swap so no real instructions will have to attack google :)
Was also wondering about sweetpeas?
-
Excited with you and for you. That's some fab greenhouse you've got there.
A chair/stool to sit on. I find it such a pleasure sitting in there. Summer in my "jungle", winter pottering around. It is so relaxing.
-
I have some siberian early tomato seeds which i might try in End Jan maybe they were from a swap so no real instructions will have to attack google :)
Was also wondering about sweetpeas?
Not sure about sweetpeas, but in an unheated greenhouse you won't be able to raise tomatoes from seed starting end of January. The slightest hint of frost and they are gone. In fact they do not do so well when it gets to below 10C.
Having said that - and I am fully aware that I am now going to contradict myself :happy7: - I do get greenhouse volunteer tomatoes from time to time, mainly from cherry tomatoes. So if you can afford to lose these seeds and have others to fall back on, then by all means, go for it. It might just work. But not in pots, it would need to be in greenhouse soil itself. Pots get colder. And if you *do* get plants from those 'wintersown' seeds, they are bound to be strong and sturdy. You just can't rely on this as a method. The idea about winter sowing is that the seed itself 'knows' when to germinate and the reason why the volunteers survive is that they don't germinate before April (could be a little earlier in a warmer area), so the plants then do not get clobbered by frost. As I said I had some strong plants which I planted out into the garden, but these volunteers were a month or so behind the tomatoes that I had sown in a propagator indoors in February. If we are pushed for quick maturity in a bad blight year, the greenhouse volunteers would not have made it. I hope this all makes sense. :wave:
-
I have a Rhino too, Cam. They are very sturdy and the toughened glass is a good safety feature to have with Harriet around.
I pick up polystyrene broccoli boxes that the market stallholders throw out for the refuse collection. The boxes have good insulation and can protect bedding plants as well as being used to grow lettuces or carrots. Once spring arrives, they give a bit more protection to seedlings.
-
Rhinos aren't simple to put up (though the instructions are better than my brother reckoned - he was trying to work in mirror image!), but they're not kidding about the strength, having hung from the ridge myself!
Adrian
-
Greenhouse will be delivered in the next 2 hours !! So excited !!
I have fitter coming monday to put the greenhouse up and will put some slabs down the middle of the greenhouse at some point i will look at what to do next :)
Outstanding questions
- Is it worth covering each side of the greenhouse with pea gravel and if so why?
- I need to find something to put soil into in the greenhouse was thinking a bin maybe? would be useful to have something in the greenhouse that can dry out over the winter i have ordered a planting bench but it will not store a lot of soil.
cam
-
Hi
I was thinking of using these grow bags in the greenhouse on 10 mm pea gravel anyone used them?
http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/greenhouse-gro-beds-x3-pid4289.html
Does it need the pea gravel?
Cam
-
I prefer this method: (You could use bottomless buckets)
(http://i222.photobucket.com/albums/dd27/tgalmanac/00-Allotment/10-Plantedout.jpg) (http://s222.photobucket.com/user/tgalmanac/media/00-Allotment/10-Plantedout.jpg.html)
That is horse manure beneath them, I find it holds the moisture well, then at the end of the season I lift it and dig it into my plot.
Plus I use the edge of the bed for some early cropping lettuce.
In Spring I lay some new stuff in the border.
-
Cam, I put my soil into a plastic dustbin and have that in the greenhouse. I also have gravel around the outside of my gh, the same as in Tee Gee's photo. Mine does get full of weeds though despite John putting down a heavy duty weed supressant membrane under the gravel. The weeds are reasonably easy to pull out.
Inside the gh I have a concrete path down the centre and gravel either side. I sometimes wish I had soil in there as I used to have it both sides of the concrete path in my small greenhouse and seemed to get better crops by planting directly into it. The results may also have been influenced by the fact that the weather has not been very good these past two summers. I have only had two seasons in my new gh and it was neglected a bit this year as we were concentrating our efforts in making a new flower garden with a pond and 3 tier fountain.
At the end of the greenhouse, we have four interconnecting large butts which collect water from the guttering. I think butts are essential as a lot of water is collected which would otherwise just be lost.
You can see the water butts at the end of the gh.
(http://i186.photobucket.com/albums/x311/7stephenson/Silverdale/DSC06388_zpsd556558a.jpg) (http://s186.photobucket.com/user/7stephenson/media/Silverdale/DSC06388_zpsd556558a.jpg.html)
-
well done you i now have greenhouse envy it looks fantastic
-
well done you i now have greenhouse envy it looks fantastic
Oh yes THAT is a greenhouse and nicely arranged too, Pauline. I have 3 little 6x8s, often think how much easier one larger GH would be. A bit of envy here too ;) :wave:
-
It doesn't look like that now though! It is an absolute mess inside and out. Once I have planted all my bulbs, I will have to start sorting out the gh. At least it will be warm inside there when the sun shines.
-
WOW Pauline7 Thats amazing.
Unfortunately i have hit a problem dispite the fact that my neighbours all knew i was putting the greenhouse and where one has decided to plead ignorance and looks like she might put in an objection to the planning application.
Fitting has now been delayed till end Nov at earliest :(
Really frustrated by the whole thing and all out of my hands. Greenhouse has been delivered and now in my garage waiting to be put together !
-
How annoying! At least it's not happening in spring when you're ready to get planting!
-
Yes thats true planning are coming monday to inspect the site and put up planning notices fingers crossed she changes her mind.
I am hoping it can go up before christmas as the greenhouse is currently in my garage and not only am i worried about something smashing the glass but its right in front of all the christmas decorations !!!
Fitter was due monday so did not consider long term storage :( thankfully its in the garage though and not outside on the site.
-
Sorry Cam that you are having difficulties with a neighbour. I did not think that you need planning permission for a greenhouse as it is a temporary structure? ( In law I mean!)
-
I too was surprised that you need planning.
Even after reading http://www.planningportal.gov.uk/permission/commonprojects/outbuildings/
I am still not sure if you need it.
-
i live in a area where we have had our permitted development rights removed and likely to be for the next 5 years.
Currently completing a second planning application for solar panels !!
-
I prefer this method: (You could use bottomless buckets)
I use a similar method with rings made by stitching together (with wire) the sides of 2 x green 2L bottles (fizzy water - I reserve the clear equivalent for cloches).
I use the open space between them to grow strawberries - they can't climb the 'towers' and they keep the weeds down too.
Cheers.
-
Planning permission granted despite my neighbours complaint and now its scheduled to be put up by fitter on friday 8th Jan :)
I have ordered these greenhouse grow beds from marshals http://www.marshalls-seeds.co.uk/greenhouse-gro-beds-x3-pid4289.html?gclid=CjwKEAiA2IO0BRDXmLndksSB0WgSJADNKqqoH-8ivUt1kMaX2tCbqYpwdHKp6ZXp19neHBvyWF56YhoC0ADw_wcB&gclsrc=aw.ds and once planted up i will cover them in weed membrane and plant through them. I have ordered 2 packs of 3 which i believe will still lave me space for other stuff :) And i can look at the bottomless bucket idea using 12" pipe cut to 1ft lengths :)
I think this will mean i don't need the pea gravel as i am going to hook them up to a drip feed system from a water butt.
-
Yippeeeee.
-
yep
Hubbie has bought me a portable speaker to take to the greenhouse with me (10 hours charge) hehe Just need to find a comfy chair for in there :)