Which Way Do I Put It??????? (Greenhouse Q with pic)

[gardening_gal]

I need you all to cut me some slack here please, illustrations are not my forte.

This carefully crafted picture () is meant to illustrate my back garden.

It is not to scale at all, in fact it is sooooo off scale that it looks like my garden is 3 times the size it actually is in reality.

When I stand at my back door looking out, this is what the garden looks like (kinda). According to my phone apps (checked with several) the N/S/E/W directions are at each corner of the garden.

I have 3 possible ways to site a greenhouse.

The greenhouse with the pink splodge gets the sun in the morning but not much in the afternoon.

The blue splodge greenhouse - one end of it would get sun in the morning and the other end would get some in the afternoon.

The yellow splodge greenhouse gets no sun in the morning but would have sun for the rest of the day.

I have no idea how productive I will be with the greenhouse yet so I dont really know if I'll be doing much in the winter or not. It's mostly toms/cucs/peppers that kind of thing I'll have in it in the Summer.

Would be glad of your thoughts, I've already danced round the garden with the base several times already!!!!!


Not sure why that is so small. It wasn't a small picture. Think you can click on it to enlarge it though.

[veggiechicken]

How high are the fences/walls?
Any trees that cast shadows/overhang?

Is the ground level or does it slope?

My best positioned GH is away from the boundaries so it gets light from all sides.

[quanglewangle]

Ridge aligned North South gets lots of sun to both sides from late spring to early autumn - even cover for ripening summer crops.

Ridge aligned East West makes best use of low spring sun on its south side - good for getting early crops going.

[veggiechicken]

I like it, qw!

Its too obvious to align structures with the boundaries and not think about other options. Years ago I "built" a GH at an angle to the boundaries and it worked well (until the neighbour's ash tree crashed on top of it).

[quanglewangle]

I like it, qw!

Wow. I did something the chicken likes! My work here is done.

I must 'fess up though - not my wisdom. It's from internet but unfortunately can't remember where so can't credit.

[veggiechicken]

Its the step between having the knowledge and applying it the plot that was missing and needed the brain of a chicken.

[Snadger]

An open aspect is good but wind needs to be taken into consideration. I think the prevailing wind is a Westerly so make sure the door isn't on that end.

[Stan79]

On the pic, what is at the "top" of the pic and the "right" of the pic? Any chance of an actual photo from your back door?

[Jungle Jane]

My south facing fence gets the most sunlight hours,I just aligned the photo to the right directions where I am to compare,the yellow shaded area would be the area with the most hours of sun I think. The blue & pink corners could get sunblock from the fence on the west in the afternoon but the yellow areas further away from that fence having just the one fence that’s facing quite a lot southerly which gets the most sun.

[gardening_gal]

To answer a few questions -:

Garden has a 6 foot high wooden fence all round.

My house is at the end of a row, so to the right is next door's garden (over the 6' fence). Straight ahead (again over the 6' fence) is a narrow path then a row of bungalows, to the left is narrow path then a row of 2 storey houses. I'm in a housing scheme so I'm pretty surrounded.

The only options for siting the greenhouse are the ones in the pic. With hindsight, I think I should have made the picture dimensions more realistic as the pic gives the impression there is space, which there isn't. I've tried to update it a wee bit.

No trees casting shadows, just houses.

Garden is mostly slabbed. No slopes. Bog standard 'modern' type box garden. It's not ideal for a greenhouse at all tbh but it is what it is and I just need to try to make the best of it until I win the lottery.

New pic below in case it helps clarify.

[Mikey]

Out of curiosity how big is the greenhouse and how far are you planning on having the greenhouse away from the fence.

If you can put the closest point a minimum of 6ft from the fence it will work in any direction but, it will be more productive if you position it where it has the longest hours of sunshine.

Out of my two greenhouses, the one that retains more light at the end of the day is more prolific as that is warmest for longer. Both of my greenhouses have sections that are only 1-2 feet from a boundary wall and while they still grows things this close the plants are spindly and less prolific nearest the walls.

[Urban]

do the houses on the left cast a shadow on the blue and pink areas on your first picture? if so I think I would definitely put the greenhouse in the yellow area

[Stan79]

Yellow area

[gardening_gal]

Out of curiosity how big is the greenhouse and how far are you planning on having the greenhouse away from the fence.

It's 8' x 12' and wherever it goes it will have to be close to the fence, maybe 2' away.

do the houses on the left cast a shadow on the blue and pink areas on your first picture? if so I think I would definitely put the greenhouse in the yellow area

They do for part of the morning until the sun moves past them. The blue and pink areas get early morning sun, then it goes behind the houses then it comes out again later on.

The yellow area doesn't get early sun but it gets the sun for the longest I think.

[gardening_gal]

Thanks all for taking the time. Think it's sorted out now. Greenhouse will be going in the yellow area. I had read that early morning sun was important and that was what started all this indecision. At least it will get a few hours of decent afternoon sun. If we ever get any!