Allotments 4 All

We have recently seen plastic greenhouses for sale in the sales...(haven't been far from a DIY/Gardening centre all Christmas) and were wondering if anyone had any ideas on them.

Are they a neccesity or can you get by with out one? I was thinking about tomato growing, my Grandfather always grew them in his greenhouse, can they be grown outdoors at all?

Les

I've just bought a couple of those for half price, so hoping they are going to come in handy.
That said, a lot of tomatoes can be grown outside after being started off indoors on a window cill.

Thanks for that.

We cant really start anything off indoors cos anything different gets the attention of our 2 little girls and I dont fancy the tomato's chances against those 2.

So it looks like the plastic greenhouse wins.

Plenty of tomato varieties will grow quite well outside although some form of shelter will extend your range no end.

I am not a fan of plastic greenhouses(as opposed to polytunnels) unless you can put it up in a very sheltered spot-usually they are just not tough enough to stand much more then a modest wind.

Stephan.

I have a plastic greenhouse which was fairly helpful last season. (I don't have room for a greenhouse)

I grew toms outdoors and had enormous success from them. I found they produced far more crop when grown in teh ground rather than pots of growbags. (I still have some ripening in the kitchen!)

I started my toms indoors and put one out in the plastic greenhouse in April. But it was killed by frost. It did seem warm enough in the summer in there, but didn't offer much protection from frost.

My first greenhouse when I was a icckle girl was a plassy one, and it was fab!  My dad attached it to a wall in our garden, which was south facing and a real sun trap.  I successfully grew melons and toms and cucumbers, plus started all my seeds and cuttings off in there.  For a tiny thing it was dead productive.  The plastic however only lasted 2 years before it became brittle and cracked so dad replaced it for me.  I should imagine this has improved as we are talking some 20 years ago!  (20...oh my god...where did that time go???)

I agree that if you can place it somewhere sheltered and sunny, it should work a treat!  And you can always insulate it and use a tealight to just about keep the frost out in the winter.   :D

yes, I was planning on anchoring them to the house wall somehow and am expecting them to be blown over when I get home this evening, given the strong winds we had last night and this morning in these here southern parts.

I have a couple of 'mini' greenhouses, whicha re basicaly shelving units with a tough polythene cover on them and a built in flap for access. I find them quite usefull , not for really tender stuff but good for things which need more protection than a cold frame can offer.

I dont have a propper greenhouse 'just' a clear rofed extension in which i do my propagating and overwinter tender plants. This combined with the 'greenhouses' and a cold frame serve me quite well and i get good results from what i grow.  Not that i wouldn't lie a greenhouse, its just that it would be difficult on my sloping site positioning one.

You can certainly grow tomatoes inside or out, there are varieties now available that are more suited to outdoor growing.  As long as you dont put them out until after the last frost you'll be fine.

If you keep an eye open in your local newspaper, you will often see opportunities to pick up aluminium greenhouses for free. For one reason or another the current owner needs rid of it.
I picked one up after a lady wanted rid of hers, it was an unfinished project started by her late husband. She was pleased to see the back of it.
You just need to spend a couple of hours carefully dismantling and then reassembling. You will probably need to buy a few panes of glass and a few clips.
Well worth the effort.
At one time last season I had 500 plants growing in my scrounged greenhouse.

I have grown tomatoes outside in large black flower pots, the kind you see in supermarkets with cut flowers in, with good results in frount of my kitchen window faces north but the garden is shaded from wind with trees. Last year bumper crop of toms but year before got the blight for the first time. Find outside they dont get leggy as in a green house I plant up the top of the compost with plants as shading for the roots which will come to the surface.
Outside I find I dont have a problem with the white fly as in a greenhouse,
We have two greenhouses one free and hubby had to buy one we cannot share but they are for overwintering plants and growing seedlings on.

My Greenhouse is my sanctuary,its my escape to peace and solitudewhere i can potter to my hearts content and whoa betide anyone who dares to come and interrupt me without good cause..

Dad grew tomatoes and peppers in an 8 ft by 6 ft  plastic covered greenhouse for years with no trouble. The g/house is now here but with a shade netting covering and used for growing ferns and other shade lovers. It has never been fastened down and has never moved even in the storm which blew down 7 of our damson trees.. Mind the site is sheltered as it was at Dads.

I've a plastic greenhouse which works well for me, but I'm in SE London and its fairly mild here.


 When I grow up I would like a proper one and the time and space and energy to utilise it to its full potential.

I grew toms in large pots which I placed against the wall of our bungalow.  I was surprised to see how well they did, had good crops from  both varieties (Moneymaker and Gardeners Delight).