New adventure

[Kris37]

Hi all,

I'm kris , 37 and live in Lincolnshire

I'm currently due in a few days to build my own greenhouse for the first time...long over due to get into the growing and planting but I've been holding off due to expecting to move also debating the idea of getting an allotment, however after some thought I dont have the time at the moment for an allotment nor the experience. So here I am...ears and eyes open for as much guidance and tips to starting a new hobby for both mental and financial benefits. My grandad was an avid gardener however I was too young to fully appreciate his knowledge and ability so I missed out on having the opportunity to ask and learn anything really.

Unfortunately in the property I'm currently in the garden is more of a yard with no soil or grass so for now im container bound or large raised planters once I get round to it. I would like to start growing the more easier of edibles to keep me interested and invested while I get that bug set in of the new hobby. My greenhouse will be cls framed with chicken wire surrounding it and then a polythene sheeting wrapping that. I will have a sloped roof instead of an apex. I plan on sitting the base on a bed of gravel perhaps to help with drainage as I'm concerned of the water pooling as it's just concrete? (Any suggestions here would be great).

1 side ofsihe greenhouse will be west facing with the north and east unfortunately needing to be against fences as I will need to place in the corner. The dimensions will be 12ft long, by 8ft wide approximately, I will have 2 vents...placement I'm not too sure on?, perhaps one on the west wall?, and the other in the roof.

i would appreciate any feed back with this build or ideas and also what's the best type of soil/compost to buy in bulk to start growing? Should I make up a mix with different kinds ? I know this will change perhaps for different produce but is there a site which simply lists these elements next to the fruit or veg?

I'm sorry for the long posts but in really looking to find that bible to start working with and let the rest come with experience. Once again sorry and thank you for your patience reading.

Kris

[Mr Bones]

Hi Kris and welcome to the Vine Sounds an interesting project you have there - all I could add at this stage is make sure you have plenty of ventilation. You can always keep a couple of vents closed if needed but can't open them if they're not there.
Good luck with it, keep us posted how you get on and look forward to great tasting home grown food.

[Nicos]

Hi there Kris - and welcome to the Vine from me too!

Looking forward to seeing how you get on. Are you able to share photos as your work progresses?
( yup , we’re a nosey lot!)

[Bren In Pots]

Hello and welcome to the vine Kris

I started out growing in buckets, pots and unwanted recycling boxes and any other containers I could find, its surprising how much you can grow in small spaces you just have to up with the watering and feeding.

Since then I've dug up part of the lawn and filled in a pond for my veg area but I still grow lettuce, courgettes and potatoes in containers, using a mix of my own compost, leaf mould, soil and store bought compost feeding with BFB (blood fish and bone) and comfrey.

all the best with your new venture.

[Kris37]

Thank you all, I shall most definitely take photos and upload them for you all to see ofcourse.

The vent idea is a good idea thank you...I can add them in easy enough. Will have to budget wisely as I'm not sure i will have enough free funds to but all at once. I was thinking along the lines of a good way to do the vents...I'm thinking perhaps if I add them along the eastern flat roof space and have an extending arm which I can use to open and close...then in the winter months I could always place a board on the inside to help keep heat leaving 1 or 2 exposed? Maybe have 1 above the entrance on the Southside?


Thank you for your responses, I hope your days are going well

Kris

[Martin H]

Hi Kris,
In my last house, the only place I could fit a greenhouse was against a north facing wall on a concrete standing. The sun would reach the ground at one end of the greenhouse in summer, no sun in winter, the other end was completely shaded, so it was a worse position than yours.

But I found I could grow tomatoes in buckets at the sunny end and cucumbers in buckets at the shady end. My bench got enough sun in spring and summer to start off seeds and then grow some pepper plants, so it worked out better than I had feared for such an unpromising spot.

I planted in multipurpose compost, re-using most of it the next year to grow potatoes in buckets.

I sealed the gap between the bottom of the greenhouse and the rough concrete with that expanding foam gap sealer, which stopped getting puddles inside when it rained.

Finally I suggest you fix those automatic opening cylinders to the vents. They save an awful lot of trouble and they aren't that expensive.

Welcome, hope this helps and good luck with your project!

[Jungle Jane]

Hello Kris welcome to the forum good luck with greenhouse building,I don’t have a GH I use the blowaway shelving in the garden. Potty who used to write on this forum grew everything in pots,tubs&dustbins,potatoes in dustbins as they were deeper for maincrop,runner beans in a line of pots. Loads can be grown in containers

[Kris37]

Hi all, so today I collected the timber and brackets I'll be using for the build, however the polythene sheeting was out of stock 508 gauge in toolstation, was £6.23 for 4mx3m , went across to screwfix...they had it in stock but it was just under £10 so I didn't bother.

I'm in abit of a conundrum about the floor...its sitting on a concrete floor which is on level sloping mostly to the same spot out of the area I'm building...but I think I'd be wise to lay a plastic membrane down and then build the frame and I can use stones/gravel inside my greenhouse to allow for drainage, entering water...and prevent any further weeds that may grow up in the cracks of the concrete floor...is this wise? Or am I just being daft?

Thank you for all your replies...I will be taking photos to show the start and finish to share my start with you all.

Hope your all having a good week

Kris

[Mr Bones]

I'd be inclined to have a go growing in containers placed directly on the concrete floor, you can always add gravel later if you think it needs it. Our greenhouse is built on an old concrete shed base and it works fine.
Compost bags with the top cut open and rolled down to form a lip make decent low-cost planters. Just be sure to stab a few holes near the base for drainage and if turned inside out first the black absorbs more heat to keep plant roots warm (looks neater too )

[Kris37]

[Kris37]

Sorry it jumps I totally got busy and forgot to take any more...left as last pic for today. Going to source some more bits tomorrow hopefully builders merchants will have some polythene for me.

[Nicos]

Very inspiring!…looking good!

[Nicos]

Are you going to put some guttering and container to collect the rainfall from the sloping roof?

[Kris37]

Hi there

Yes I will have guttering and then down pipe into a water container , sourced and purchased my polythene today...set me back just over £60 but its 1000gauge and should be great, UV treated aswell.

I have a few more pics of today. Will get finished off Monday now as I need some more lats to put the polythene on securely and the merchants isn't open on weekends.

Today we created the space for the window vent...built the window and then added the mesh wire around the bottom and then on the roof.

[Kris37]