Greenhouses and Cold frames

[sandersj89]

Bit of an update from me.

I think this year I am more glad than ever that I have my two back up plastic greenhouses. They have been supporting the main heated glass house very well this year. I am also a firm cold frame convert as well. I find these an excellent addition to the garden and easy to manage.

The heated greenhouse is mainly used for germination and holding things such as Toms, Chillies, Peppers, aubergine. It has also over wintered some germaniums and tender fuchias.

I have been sowing in succession from Jan this year so have some toms that I am about to plant in their final spot and have been pinching out side shoots and have others that are just about showing their first true leaves. Not all of the plants sown  in these pictures will be for me, I am also supplying  a plant stall at my sons school spring fete. They will get a selection of veg and ornamental plants, hopefully around 50 plants in all.







In addition to the two Haxnick cold frames I bought in the spring I have also recently built a large coldframe for myself, this will be used for a melon in the summer. At the moment it is full of things such as sunflowers, chrysanthemum cuttings, statice, brasicas, dahlias, etc.

Over all it is roughly 6’*4’ give or take a bit. I also used it as a great maths lesson for my seven year old who did all the measuring and most of the drilling of holes!





And then last but by no means least I have 2 plastic greenhouses. The frames are now a few years old and I managed to buy new covers this year as the old ones were looking very tatty.

Later in the year they will house toms, cucumber, aubergines and chillies. At the moment I have pot grown new potatoes, carrots in pots, sweet peas, various trays of salads and bedding plants. I also sow salad in one of the beds, a cut and come again mix which will be finished by the time I need the bed for toms. I have been sowing trays of salad every 2 weeks since Jan and that keeps us in fresh lettuce.

Note the piles of fleece, I put these on most nights at the moment just in case. The spuds did get nipped one night when I forgot and I lost a dozen or so dahlias but these have been re sown.





So far the season has gone OK, plenty more to get started yet though and it is still early. The weather in Sussex has been pretty kind really. Light levels have been good on the whole and frosts have been easy enough to predict, other than one night when I got it wrong! Doh!

Jerry

[sandersj89]

[Moggle]

Wow  :o :o

Looking good Jerry  :)

Note to self - envy is a sin, must not sin :P Thou shalt not covet thy internet neighbours greenhouses  :)

[tim]

Too clever by half. I'm phasing out!!

I would be interested to hear how the 'succession' works - & what gap you allowed - probably the most difficult thing to plan?

[aquilegia]

Jerry - one question - do you have a job?

I need more time. Remind me why I have to work?

[kitty]

gggggrrr!
kitty looks at bare plot sans greenhouse(hopefully remedying that today.....)
leggy toms...melons akimbo......
juggling seedlings and despairing oh(when will i be able to get to the sink he asks.....)
looks lovely tho jerry!
tim-someone said you have a lovely greenhouse..post some pics?
kitty ;D

[wattapain]

gggggrrr!

tim-someone said you have a lovely greenhouse..post some pics?
kitty ;D

Yes Tim, do show us your greenhouse again. When I first joined this board last summer I remember seeing one but I can't find it now.
Am I right in thinking it's something like 20' X 10'.

Ooooh greeeeeen.            ;D ;D ;D ;D
Terri

[Garden Manager]

Oh am i envyous - so much growing space. I am currently in my first spring with a greenouse and already i wish i either had a larger one or a second one - if there was room in the garden for it!

I see you are a man after my own heart - using the frames from those mini greenhouses as staging in a proper one. I started off using those mini ones before getting my proper one. I have now started using one of thm again as a greenhouse just to make more space!

Good luck and happy growing

[Kerry]

extremely inspiring, Jerry. thanks for the pictures.

[Marianne]

Jerry - What a dream !  It must have taken you ages to plant all those !  Well done !
I need more space !!!!!!!
;D