Topic: Ditch the veg plot and get a greenhouse?

[Magnolia]

My veg plot is small - approx 4 meters by 3 meters and half of it is in the shade from about 2pm onwards.  I intend to grow a lot of veg in containers (spuds, courgettes, carrots, radish, chard, beetroot).

I'm having difficulty finding places to put my seedlings that have been potted on. And it's made me think about getting a greenhouse which would take up most of my plot. I don't have an allotment at the moment but it is something I am considering (I have my name on a waiting list).

If I had a greenhouse I could move my tomatoes, peppers and chillis in there.  And free up a lot of space on my window sills.  I'm also hoping that this will extend the growing season and give me more hours in the garden.

It would obviously mean I would lose most of my plot and would have to rely on containers. 

Do you think it would be worth it?  At the moment I am working with a plastic greenhouse that is getting battered to bits in this wind and knocking everything off it's shelves.  Cheers for reading.

[kenkew]

With space being a premium you have 2 options;
If you go for a greenhouse you really have to make it work for you. That means not only using it to bring on seedlings, but to make as much use of it as you can for bringing crops on right up to harvest. Tom's and cucumber spring to mind for border planting. Above those, on shelving you could bring on later seedlings like corn before your tommy's start to fruit.
 The other option is a temp greenhouse. You have a plastic one ready for the tip it seems. Kick it out and invest in 2/3 collapsable ones. At the moment they are dirt cheap in the shops. Seedlings in seed trays with a lid should de pretty well inside them out of the wind.
 Not much good for sowing seed in if it's cold, but then neither is a cold greenhouse.
Ken.

[markfield rover]

I get alot use out of my gh(cold) it works hard for it's keep.There is nothing like the smell of toms on a hot day and the taste too.
I put one of those temp plastic ones inside in winter and does give extra protection (an a4a tip) and when you get your plot it will give a head start, I get most seeds going in there before planting out.Ours is at home we have a small garden but I want another one.

[caseylee]

What about getting a small greenhouse 6'4 my mother in law got one and her garden is really small, but at least it does not blow inthe wind, and its very compact, but she has put shelves in it to max space.

[Magnolia]

Thanks for your replies.  I'm soooo tempted.

I think I'll do a wee bit more research into what can be grown in a greenhouse and see whether I can reclaim any more of the garden for my veg plot.

Are most greenhouses self assembly?  I'd prefer to get someone to put it up for me as I had a real cob on just trying to put a coldframe together.

[caseylee]

my husband has no clue about diy but mangaed to put mine together with no instructions, they are very tricky

[Jeannine]

Personally I would go for it, there are many things you would grow in the ground that will happily grow in pots. however there are things that will grow in a greenhouse that won't grow outside, wether in pots or open ground ,therefore you would have a greater variety of harvest,plus you can grow salads year round in the greenhouse.

I have two lotties but my small home greenhouse works hard for me and this year we are doing a lot of  extra pot stuff as an experiment.

XX Jeannine

[djbrenton]

My first foray into veg growing (years ago) was with just a smallish greenhouse. Inside I grew tomatos, cukes, aubergine, peppers, chillies ( yes you can get away with them in the same space as sweet peppers ) basil, lettuce, radish courgettes and spring onions. I had a table on one side, underneath which grew aubergines, peppers and chillies with radishes in between and the basil, spring onions and cut and come again lettuce in trays on top. On the other side I had two tomato plants, one cuke and at the end a courgette. Running alongside the greenhouse I had a row of garlic and a row of onions and on the other side runner beans which I pinched out at around 4 ft so as not to shade the greenhouse. This all took up around 8ft x 8ft.