What, no greenhouse?

[Aaron T]

Hi,

I don't really want a greenhouse as I have 2 small children and would just smash it to pieces.

What would you recommend instead of a greenhouse, are the poly style frames houses ok? I thought about having a number of the smaller ones dotted around, one for toms, one for courgettes etc but I want to know if you would get the same results from these smaller units or just to get a greenhouse and a decent glazer.

[Two_Sheds]

If you have the money, buy a Rhino.
Someone threw a brick at ours, and it just bounced off the glass

[Bigmallly]

There are a lot of polycarb greenhouses on the market. I would assume they are more child friendly than glass. You'll have to educate them not to smash it up , instead involve them by growing their own seeds. Good luck.

[womble]

In all honesty you certainly don't want to mess about with std horticultural glass and children, it is ridiculously dangerous when it is broken.
Either a polycarb greenhouse, or strengthened glass which will shatter into a million pieces instead of long sharp shards when broken. It's also better at taking hits from footballs, but the man who delivered my glass told me that it's weaker on twisting stresses, so your greenhouse needs to be put on a decent base that won't move and you need to get it dead level and straight.

A large greenhouse is infinitely better than any other sort of small blowaway plastic rubbish, if that's what you are talking about using.

[runnerbean]

hi
I built my greenhouse out of recycled bus shelter glass there is only 4 panes of glass down one side and it measured over 17ft long and its 8ft wide the frames were made with 3x2'' wood.
As the glass is toughened its keeps the greenhouse warm and i got the glass for free

[Snadger]

hi
I built my greenhouse out of recycled bus shelter glass there is only 4 panes of glass down one side and it measured over 17ft long and its 8ft wide the frames were made with 3x2'' wood.
As the glass is toughened its keeps the greenhouse warm and i got the glass for free

Wondered where that bus shelter went!

[selfraising]

I have 3 of the plastic covered four tier greenhouses due to lack of space. I take the shelving out and grow melons in them in the summer and they seem to do really well. Also grew beef toms in them a couple of years ago and they were fine too.

[Aaron T]

Hi selfraising, those were the sort of things I was looking at. The results you have had has given me some belief. Are yours like the £20 jobbies from B&Q and the like?

[runnerbean]

ha
the only problem the got grafiti on some of them mate

[selfraising]

Hi selfraising, those were the sort of things I was looking at. The results you have had has given me some belief. Are yours like the £20 jobbies from B&Q and the like?

Yep, just the cheapie kind. May need weighing down a bit in winter and the zips sometimes go on the covers but for growing I've had no problems

[BoabG]

You could try a polytunnel, i bought mine from First Tunnels and it's great. They are very strong and also very child friendly.

[Premier Polytunnels]

Hi Aaron,

I would (of course!) recommend looking into getting a polytunnel.

Compared with the cost of a glasshouse, a polytunnel is excellent value for money. Instead of an 8ft x 10ft glasshouse you can have a 12ft x 20ft polytunnel and no there is no need for a costly base to stand it on - and there are no panes of glass to be broken!

Please bear in mind when shopping around that “you only get what you pay for”. The polytunnels available on the shelves of garden centres for around £50.00 are only suitable to be used as temporary covers for short periods of time on sheltered sites.

Let us know how you get on.

Deborah (Premier).