Decision Made and Greenhouse now ordered

The Greenhouse has been ordered

It's now a frustrating wait of between 3-5 weeks for delivery but hubby has explained it's a birthday present, and they haven't made any promises but said they try to get it here for then...

But I think that we managed to get a good deal.

6'3 x 8'3
base included
full sheet toughened glass
1 roof vent with automatic opener
1 Louvre window

For £399

I've just doubled check that I've have enough room between the fencing/shed to sort out the glazing and any maintenance of all in the future, which I can just about fit and work in

We did visit a couple of garden centre to check out what they had, and noway could they get anywhere near matching the price... Oh, and again came out with an arm full of pots from one (all half price) and the other one, plants and compost hhehehe..

 

Great news Ellie even if it is a bit of a wait. At least it'll be up and running before next spring.

 

I'm so looking to getting it up and running, as I do have several container plants that I need to over winter, and I also like to attempt to over winter several of my other plants such as fuchsia's

I do intend to get electric up to the greenhouse but we're going to be moving the side boundary fence in spring so need to hold back on the electrics to make a final decision which is the best and safest route to take the cable.

I might look around for either a second hand or perhaps a cheap gas heater (I've got several propane bottles in the shed of various sizes from camping and an long gone gas bbq) as I rather have it heated this year but it may just have to wait

 

I got one off eBay, works fine. Gas generates condensation (less than paraffin though), and the thermostat is not good - so you wind up over-heating somewhat, which wastes fuel - so Electric would be better long term if you just want frost-free. With a well insulated (i.e. bubblewrap) greenhouse then in all but the coldest winters the electric should not be on much; I recommend spending money on a very accurate thermostat (that will cost you £50) as that will save electricity compared to the ones in the cheap heaters, which can over heat by 10 degrees!! (or, worse, underheat by 10 degrees and then all your plants are dead ). Fan heater also has more even heat - so it will get heat into the far corners, whereas heat from gas has to get there by convection. Gas heater will still be useful in case of power cut, or very cold winter periods when you might need both.

Its worth running an electric fan heater on "fan only" during mild winter periods (I have mine on a 15-minute segment timer, 15 minutes on and 45 off) as moving the air around dramatically reduces moulds etc. in the winter.

 

If possible, I would have 2 vents & 2 louvres. One on each side of the greenhouse. Will help to have a through wind. In summer, with the sun shining on it, a greenhouse can get very hot and stifling.

 

a new greenhouse

It will open a new world of what you can grow plus I have toughened glass and it keep it warmer

we require lots of photos as it goes up

Spruce

 

@Spruce

Glad you said 'photo's' and not video I've seen the instruction

Hubby and I normally make a good working team (we used to work together) but after reading the instructions I've got the feeling that this is going to push our team working efforts to the very limit

I'm still think about 'what to grow' side of things, Son wants some cucumbers (he'll eat these like fruit) I want to try some peppers/chillies, Tomatoes I normally have a very good crop growing them outside, so probably keep to this.... But need to work out how to split the greenhouse to start off flowers for the garden, and also perhaps starting veg off for the allotment.

Sadly won't be able to sort out heating this side of Christmas unless I can find a second hand propane heater going cheap.

 

Greenhouse Tomatoes will start cropping a lot earlier than outdoor ones ...

 

@Kristen

I know but the greenhouse is only 6' x 8' so space is going to be pretty tight, perhaps I go one or two tomatoes plants in the greenhouse and a couple outside.

This year I brought two supposedly cherry trailing tomatoes plants from B&Q in their sale section, paid something like 50p each for them... Hum they are cherry tomatoes but they are bush and haven't trailed which hasn't been a problem though. they started cropping I think back in July just and still going.... I'm pick and it seems more fruits start swelling....

Hopefully I shall come to some decisions before it's too late to plant some of the things.