Oh NOW I really AM excited!

[organic]

I've just opened up the bag and what I thought was instructions is actually a parts list so it looks like I'll have to wing it for the most part.

I found a model name/number on the box and having done a quick search I see it's a 6' x 4' greenhouse. I wasn't expecting the Palm House at Kew Gardens, but 6'x4' is a lot smaller than I thought it was. I won't be able to fit in all (or anything like the amount,, for that matter) I was hoping to grow.

Does anyone have any suggestions for a way to extend it?

Anything from put it up, leave out the glass opposite the door and build a polytunnel extension to sell the one I've got on ebay and use the funds to get something a bit bigger may be considered.

[binley100]

Is that the voice of bad experience or just something you know?

Just what my OH said when he put up ours . We had to do some glazing from the inside as it's in the corner of the garden but managed it ok. The glass fits in with clips .

[Patchninja]

Do you know what make it is to get an instruction sheet from the makers?

I don't know about extending one. I think a GH that is not "complete" might be a bit fragile - read some of the posts about people's GHs blowing away! My poor son-in-las has had the glass blown out of his twice due to the fact that he left the door open during really strong winds.

I have to say that you will get more in it that you might think. So many toms don't need to live in the GH - think of it as your turbo charge to get everything ready nice and early for your lottie. You can get good shelving that makes all the difference. I'll take a pic of mine later to help you with ideas.

Whatever, you'll love it.

[elsie-scot]

Don't think you'll need to clean it other than slight wipe down if it looks dusty from being in the box.


On extending, have a think about if you will want to heat it over winter. If you do then making sure you have a part that can be totally enclosed might be a good idea, so you are only heating a small area. There was a great idea on Beechgrove last year using a beer cooler for cheaper heating, can't find the factsheet with how they did it, if memory serves me right, they burrowed pipes underground for heat, this is blurb from this seasons report on it The Beechgrove Garden - Produced by Tern Television

[Nicos]

How lovely to have been given a brand new greenhouse!
Yup it is quite small- but it'll be better than nothing!!!
I can't quite get my head around it's shape- is it the standard ridge type with a door at one end???

does it have guttering? Now is a good time to fix a downspout and waterbutt too.
We glazed ours from the outside if I recall correctly. We always made sure we had a few spare panes too as we'd lose a few in the high winds as our site was a bit exposed.

[Incy]

Lucky you organic.
Whereabouts in Manchester are you? If you're close enough I may be able to help if you want a couple of slabs in there. What's the make and model? You may find someone has the same type and has kept the destructions which I'm sure would help.

[organic]

The box just says "new popular 46 greenhouse"
Searching for that and variations on it always give me the Halls Popular 6x4... so I'd guess that's it.

Patch - I reckon I could get 6 toms and 8 peppers in there (figured out with the magic of AutoCad) giving 45cm spacing for the toms and 30cm for the peppers and only a 2' x 2' square to stand on right inside the door.
My worry with the tomatoes is that it seems LOADS of people who live quite a long way south of me have given up on outdoor toms. I got the impression that was to do with difficulty ripening before the days start to get short and cool.

I don't want to end up with half a ton of green tomatoes!

I'd appreciate a pic of your shelving. I'd planned on making a fair bit but have a feeling that with it being so small and wanting to put at least some tomatoes in there I'll struggle to do what I wanted.



Elsie - thanks for the link to the Beachgrove thing. I'm definitely interested in different ways of heating this thing - one option I'm going to try is the solar powered heat-sink that Dick Strawbridge made on one of his shows. It seemed really clever and I'm going to have a crack at it.



Nicos - gable end is 6 feet wide with a door in it... from the door to the opposite gable is 4 feet.
I believe it comes with guttering and I fully intend to have a waterbutt inside and out (one for the beds, one for the greenhouse - half a roof each - or is it not good to have greenhouse-heat water for the plants in there?)
I'm absolutely over the moon about getting it - and I don't want to sound unappreciative because it's smaller than I'd hoped - you're dead right that it's going to be better than nothing and I'm really excited to get it up so I can start using it.



Incy - the plot is in Blackley, so almost as far away from "south" as you could get without going outside the M60.
If by slabs you mean of the paving variety, I've already got a few of them littering my plot and a load of ones on edge about 6' long and 1.5' to 2' deep to dig out along the whole length of the plot. If you fancy helping me dig them out though...

[Nicos]

I was just thinking that most greenhouses have a label attached to them saying what make they are.
Have you looked inside the door/frame to see if there is one???

[organic]

Not as yet, no.
The frame is still firmly inside the box - there's enough mess here with my bike cluttering up the hall and seedlings growing all over the place (including the desk I work at!) without scattering the component parts of a greenhouse to look for a label!

That said, curiosity will probably get the better of me now and I'll end up pulling it all out to find a make and model.

[Nicos]

That said, curiosity will probably get the better of me now and I'll end up pulling it all out to find a make and model.

well- for goodness sake don't be tempted to put a few pieces together just to see how easy it's going to be to make!!
(I have visions of you not being able to get it through the door/window!!!)

[Bigmallly]

There is also a Windsor 46.

£239.99* ... 4'3 x 6'5 (1.30x1.95m) Windsor Greenhouse 46 < Windsor Greenhouse 46 | Shedstore UK

[Patchninja]

Here's a pic of the shelves. There are only a few melons and seed trays on them at the moment but I really find it useful extra space. Up until this week-end, they were crammed with plants that have now gone in the SFG.
Also, I do a sort of balancing job with a small table and trays - 2nd pic with some of the toms. The space you need for different things varies throughout the year so it helps to be adaptable

[organic]

Nicos - thanks for that.
It's almost as if you know me! I'm the sort who will put things together just to see... though I don't expect I'd go as far as completing a greenhouse indoors and not being able to get it back out!


Mally - that's the kind of shape I think it is, yea.


Patch - those shelves look pretty good. I imagine it might be possible to grow smaller things on those, between the glass and the tomatoes growing from ground level. It'd make them a bit harder to access, but when space is at a premium...

[Bigmallly]

If I was to have a guess, I would go for the Halls as it is the most popular, pardon the pun.

[organic]

My thoughts too, especially with the "popular" bit on the box. Did/does any other company make a "popular" greenhouse?