Potting sheds

[Lavenderblue]

Well we are thinking about buying or constructing a potting shed. We don't think a green house would be safe on our allotment, it would be a target for vandals and we would hate to spend a whole heap of money only to have our lovely green house smashed to bits. We think though that by having a potting shed we can "hide" the glass end from the exposed area of our allotment so its not immediately obvious as a target. (one end of our allotment site is adjacent to a school playing field, the other faces other allotments, we reckon if we angle the glass end towards the other allotments, it will minimise the viability of the glass iyswim) does anyone here have a potting shed? Can you grow a few tomatoes in them, is there sufficient light? Anything we would need to bare in mind?

Thanks very much

[susieq100]

Which way will the glass bit face? There is someone who lives nearby who has a sort of 'summerhouse' with a glass front facing the canal and south (for obvious reasons) and they have tomatoes in there. But I don't know them, so am a bit leery of asking "Does this work?"

[SarzWix]

Yes, we know someone who does this in hers - she has a couple of tomato plants, a couple of pepper plants, a cuc and a chilli in hers. The main problem is the same as you get growing on a windowsill - all the light at one side, you have to either turn the plants regularly or put up with slightly one-sided plants Get one with an opening window too, and see if you can fit an automatic opener - it can get stiflingly hot in there.

I think it's a great idea to get some safe undercover growing, the alternative would be to put up a small polytunnel, and rig up a net all round it to catch any stones thrown at it before they reach the tunnel (have seen this done, but your fences have to be secure for it to work).

[Lavenderblue]

I take your point about not asking susieq100! i *think* it would be south-west but i might be wrong - my sense of direction isn't great. We can adjust it, there is only one fence that is at the exposed end so we can move it to optimise the light. We will get/make one with a window - top tip there, thanks. We are also thinking of using the wind and trying to rig up some sort of wind driven heater, so we can extend the growing season a tiny bit.

We are not allowed poly tunnels on site, we have managed to get sheds after a long struggle.

[SarzWix]

This is the sort of thing our friend has, but slightly bigger, and the middle window opens right from the bottom.

[Lavenderblue]

yes Sarah that is exactly the sort of thing we were thinking of. Just so much money. I keep hoping my FIL will stop making his lovely recycled wooden stools and decide he wants to move into potting shed manufacture!

[Snadger]

This is the sort of thing our friend has, but slightly bigger, and the middle window opens right from the bottom.

This was my version that I made at my last allotment,made from whatever I could scrounge at the time, as you can see it had all the mod cons inside! It's a bit prettier now as the present occupiers have painted it, but it was very functional at the time!

[nick the grief]

This was my version that I made at my last allotment,made from whatever I could scrounge at the time, as you can see it had all the mod cons inside! It's a bit prettier now as the present occupiers have painted it, but it was very functional at the time!

nice picture snadger ... was it signed

[rana]

If you construct your own (much cheaper) why not use acrylic (perspex) sheet rather than glass. Vandalism is then less of an issue. To improve light availability use a transparent roof such as Corulux. I have never understood why commercial sheds have heavy solid roofs rendering the inside dark and dingy - and often impossible to see what's in it. I have replaced the roofs of each shed I have acquired with a transparent one.

[Snadger]

nice picture snadger ... was it signed

Nice to see you back for a moment Nick, I have been meaning to PM you and ask where you've been?

No signature I'm afraid and I think it had been electronically doctored as her original dress was white I believe? Still a pretty piccie though............... that OH wanted to chuck out!

[nick the grief]

Nice to see you back for a moment Nick, I have been meaning to PM you and ask where you've been?............... (

I still pop on and have a read but I've been doing some DIY at home and a lot of travelling with work so that's cut down the time for things.