Those plastic tent greenhouses - for or against?

[Marcher]

I need a cheap greenhouse for under £100 - should I buy one of these plastic tent affairs or just get some wood and knock one together myself?

I'm not sure if the plastic tent greenhouses are really up to much, I keep reading a lot of reviews about zips breaking, fabric tearing, frames collapsing and the whole thing being blown away.
If I bought one it'd go between the wall of the house and a 6 foot fence and be secured to the ground, but I'm not sure whether I'll be wasting my time.
I also wonder whether these sorts of greenhouses get significantly warmer than the outside. On cloudy days (most of the time) I don't think there'll be any noticeable difference whereas on sunny days they'll be baking.

Does anyone have any experience of them?





Alternatively I was thinking about getting some wood and clear plastic and making a lean to greenhouse against the wall of the house. Nothing major, something like this:



They're small but I only want something to overwinter more tender plants and raise a few flowers and trays of veg in.

Anyone have any advice?

[zazen999]

Mine ended up at the back of the plot. It had been attached to a raised bed. One of the 'stay's' had snapped in the wind, meaning the other was holding it down; this ended up dragging the bed 6ft across the plot.

All the bottoms were pegged down, the corners were pegged down and all the flaps under the frame were under slabs; and there were bricks holding the frame down.

And the door was zipped all the way to the bottom.

And when it wasn't blowing across the plot, each time there was a gust up, it would throw all the seedlings off any shelving onto the floor. Hence I now have leeks growing in between the potatoes we put in this March.

Sigh.

The temp was up inside though, but the results from last year's harvest inside were negligible; and the slugs loved it in there. In fact, the only slugs we had last year were in there.

But we are now using the metal and plastic corners for frames for out fine netting for pest control. So that's good. Well, the ones that weren't mangled when it collapsed.

[Capsid]

What about one of these? £119

Palram Silver Lean-To Plain aluminium 2ft3 x 4ft2 - The Greenhouse People

[Potstubsdustbins]

Before the GH I had a blow away for a couple of years, then it blew away. I bought another that blew away too. With each event I had pots scattered eveywhere.

Went to Wickes got some stud work timber 38mm x 63mm £2-05p for 2400mm long. Pack of 10 polycarbonate sheets from Screwfix 1200mm x 610mm x 4mm £55-31p. and built myself a leanto that did not blow away.

Then my lovely SWMBO bought me a GH the leanto went to my sons and is still in use.

Colin

[veggiechicken]

I'm wary of anything with zips! I have one of the small blowaways and the zip went after a few uses. I keep it inside a real GH now. I'd go for the real thing if you can

[Two_Sheds]

You can get a real glass greenhouse for next to nothing on freecycle (freegle) or eBay. Also look around your neighbourhood, in gardens: if you spot a disused greenhouse, knock on the door and ask if you can buy it.

My lotty neighbour acquired four this way.

[chris]

I've not had one blow away, but I have had the cover ripped off. They only last a couple of seasons anyway.

that said I do have a walk in blowaway, that will be used in a very sheltered part of my garden, as an overflow - and for things that won't be such a loss if they do get damaged

[hamsterhead]

I have two larger and one mini plastic greenhouse in the back garden. Not blown away yet but they are tied down. What you need to remember is that they will only last two to three years as the plastic can get brittle and crack but for the money they are OK. At least I think so. Having said that I would not use one on the allotment.

[alldigging]

Someone on our allotment is getting one of these
New Budget Greenhouse

Someone else has one of these
Polytunnel Greenhouse Garden Polytunnels Grow Your Own Veg Polly Tunnels For Sale - Feel Good UK
This looks much better than the blowaways and is only about the same price

[Graham K]

Freecycle? I've got two 8x6 aluminium and glass greenhouses total cost £0.00! You can subscribe to multiple groups in your area to increase your chances.

[Glutton4...]

I have two back at my Folks' place. They are protected from the prevailing wind by hedges and a 'proper' Greenhouse. Yes, the covers go brittle after a few years, but if the frame is anchored well (Mine are screwed to the fence behind) they are definitely better than nothing. If (when) the plastic fails, you could always lay it down and bung a net over the frame and use it as a mini cage to keep the birds off!

[rustynuts]

I already have a aluminum / polycarb 6x4 and purchased a "Aldi" 6x4 plastic to take my ever increasing plant population. On reading the threads about the flyaway properties of these ultralight green kites i set about making a couple of modifications during assembly:
First i purchased a small roll of 3" gaffer tape , a packet of 12" tie wraps (fit for external use) , a roll of nylon string or baler twine or maybe tough electic cable( 16mm earthwire). If on soil approx 15 strong tent pegs (long) . If on a solid base 6 small angle brackets .
Assemble the frame . Go around every joint connection with the gaffer tape , top and bottom. This will keep the joints together with a little bit of flexing . Now get assistance to fit the plastic cover over the frame and leave the plastic to settle for a couple of hours(creases) ! Stick the squares of gaffer tape on the outside of the plastic cover but over the frame struts , using a small flat screwdriver pierce through the gaffer tape and sheet, a small hole either side of the strut. Push through one end of the tiewrap from the inside then go outside and push it back through the other hole that you made . go back inside the greenhouse and tighten the tiewrap around the strut. The gaffer tape supplying the additional strength to the poly sheet to help to keep it from tearing. Do this all around the sides and base struts every 2 to 3 feet. This will keep the cover sheet rippling down to a minimum and supply extra frame strength. The next part is most important if you do not want your plastic greenhouse to become a part of the local kite flying championships ! Use your tent pegs or stakes generously around the base structure of your kite (sorry greenhouse)staking them internally adjacent to the strut joints in the corners especially . Tie a small piece of cord to the pegs and try to pull them out of the ground, if they come out without too much resistance then put them in more solidly so you cannot pull them out easily or put longer stakes in. Once you have put your stakes into the ground attach the baler twine or cord to the stake in one corner , run the cord up and over the struts using tie wraps to attach the twine to the struts and down attaching to the other corner stake . So the twine forms a inverted "u" running across the frame. Using the tie wraps complete things by tiewrapping the remaining tent peg stakes to the frame struts. All parts can be sourced off Ebay . You may feel its a bit over the top with the tape , twine and tiewraps but for a few quid it helps put your mind at rest . If the cover is still rippling badly use double sided sticky pads between the struts and the greenhouse cover push well together , job done..

[Thelma Sanders]

If it's one of the ones with a greencover with little panes of clear poly then beware - cos the little panes of plastic began falling out in the second summer.
By the end of that autumn the plants inside were being watered without any help from me

[Poolcue]

As it is for the house a plastic greenhouse is OK but do purchase a spare cover since they are prone to breakages

[Cue the Toms]

Keep looking on Freecycle for a proper jobby. Them plastic ones are next to useless IMO.

Before I got my plot there were GH's every other day via Freecycle... Since I have been on my plot I have signed up on loads of Freecycle areas and how many have been advertised since???













Yep, you guessed it, zero... But I'll get one sooner or later.