6ft x 4ft Greenhouses

[Veggi_Kid]

Hello there troops.............

Thinking of getting a 6 x 4 ft greenhouse but i am a little worried about it being a little too small. Will be used for veg and bedding / baskets etc

Anyone got one and how do you get on with it? i.e. how do you utalise it?

Pictures will certainly receive a invisable gold star !!!!!!!!!!!!

Thank you all,

D

[Alison]

It is quite small and I think you struggle getting vents / openings for one that size as they normally work on middle sections where as both if you get one 4' long then both sections are end ones. However, if that's all you have room for then it's still better than nothing, you just have to be more organised with what you put in there and be good at opening and closing the door. Mine at home is only 6 x 6 which is a lot smaller than I'd like (I'm really looking forward to getting a polytunnel on the plot later in the year / next year) and I often end up falling into the trap of squeezing too much in at the expense of the plants (reduces air flow / light to what you're growing).

[FionaH]

Mine is 6x5 it is currently home to 3 tomato plants. Down one side 5 aubergine plants, 4 chillis and 2 peppers.

Toms are down ons side, 2 tier staging on the left holds most of the chillis and a 4 tier placcy greenhouse staging at the end. Its the biggest I could fit and afford but its not big enough! Then again I dont think any ever are

[SarzWix]

I have a 6ftx4ft at home, and a 6x12 on the lottie. The one at home is mainly utilised late winter/early spring as it is cheaper to heat, and more convenient for looking after seedlings. It's a bit less convenient in the summer - as Alison says, keeping it cool is a bit more difficult, despite it's small size. It absolutely must have shading, and some louvre vents would probably be very helpful in keeping the air flowing, as well as having the door open.
You can fit about 6 full sized (cordon/vine not bushy ones) tomato plants in, any more and you'll have poor airflow problems such as botrytis which can quickly ruin whole plants with a horrid type of mould We'll be using ours for chillis and peppers this year, not sure how many we'll fit in though.

[johninblackpool]

HI
I bought mine last week 6X4 from B&Q its all i could fit in the space i have
Its great Got 5 Toms in on two sides and shelves in on the other side with seeds just planted and seedling just growing
Also it has a roof vent and opens wide enough to do its job
Also i built a raised wall for it to sit on so it stands slightly higher and it also acts as a raised bed inside
Check out the attached pics

[sweetiepea]

A lot depends on how much you want to grow. If you have room, I would recommend buying as big as you can reasonably afford. I have a 6 x 8 and wish it was at least twice the size!

[johninblackpool]

A lot depends on how much you want to grow. If you have room, I would recommend buying as big as you can reasonably afford. I have a 6 x 8 and wish it was at least twice the size!

Totally agree with sweetiepea that you should get as big as you can afford or can as big as you can fit in the space you have
As you can see i can only fit a 6X4 but then again as i am a newby to all this growing its fine for now
Maybe in a couple of years i will wish it was 2 or 3 times the size but i can still only fit in a 6X4

Hope this helps

[Davdandy]

Everyone has to start somewhere John,as you know i took the plunge a couple of weeks ago and went for the 6x8,thought it might have been a bit big but its surprising how soon it can get stocked up.

I cant keep out of the garden centers at the moment looking for something else to add to the every growing crops.

[Storming Norman]

Hi D,

6X4 will really tempt you to put too much in and risk botrytis.

The bigger greenhouses are easier to use, but obviously more expensive.

I have a 6X6 due to space limitations and I have overflow issues every year.

I'm lucky that I have a covered outdoor space that can take the less fragile plants after they have been potted on, I would be very frustrated otherwise.

Ann

[taff]

I'm afriad i agree, get the biggest one you can get, because you'll always want more space. Mine's 6x6, but I could do with something 3 times the size and fill it twice over...but that's because I'm greedy

[bustertom]

Hi Veggie Kid,
Mine is 6 x 8, I got it off ebay. Its surprising how quickly it fills up. Until I started to move stuff outside it felt like I had to tidy up and move things round every other day. I looked at 6 x 4 and I think you will find its just too small. Don't forget the sloping roof -I'm always banging my head and I'm 5' 6". I bought freestanding shelving from Ikea which has worked well and was a lot cheaper than normal staging. The shelving can move outside and so is currently home to various items hardening off making room for my toms.
Buy as big as you can.
Clare

[Hazel at the Hill]

Thinking of getting a 6 x 4 ft greenhouse but i am a little worried about it being a little too small.

It will be too small.

If you took a straw poll after 6 months of every single person on the vine who has a greenhouse, I would guess that every one of them would say 'I wish it was bigger'.*

Myself, I have a polythene covered 4 tier mini greenhouse.

I wish it was bigger.

*possible exception Sewer Rat who has a commercial size polytunnel. Although I bet than even he has moments of regret regarding size occasionally

[Two_Sheds]

Small greenhouses heat up more quickly than large models so good ventilation is vital.

Adequate ventilation is absolutely crucial.

I've been looking at (wishful thinking, really) the Rhino range:

" we aimed for the ventilation to equal 1/3 of the floor area of the greenhouse. This is a very tall order and one that we believe no other greenhouse comes close to achieving. We had to design special roof vents, two and three times the normal size in order to reach this goal.
We also increased the size of the louvre vents by 40% for the same reason. All the roof vents in a Rhino are controlled automatically and without the need for electricity.

Ventilation is expensive, so it will not surprise you that most greenhouses are sold with inadequate ventilation in order to keep the price down."
http://www.greenhousesdirect.co.uk/6...in%20page.html

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all I can afford for the foreseeable future are my flappy plastic blowaway greenhouses, but they do the job.

[bobleponge]

I believe it is the 11th commandmant

"Your greenhouse will not be big enough"

However, a greenhouse of any size is better than no greenhouse at all, and will without doubt extend your growing season.
I have an 8 x 6 and its nowhere near big enough. I do, however, have glass and the idea to build something reasonably substantial in the garden. BUT, I know it wont be big enough once its built.