green mesh greenhouse?

[lola & tom]

hi all i am new to the forum so hi i have just got my first allotment so i learning from scratch and am looking for a cheap polytunnel / greenhouse as funds are tight and i have seen these:

3.5m x 2m Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Tunnel on eBay (end time 18-Feb-11 13:08:17 GMT)

Greenhouse Polytunnel Anti UV Poly tunnel 1.25m x 1.4m on eBay (end time 04-Mar-11 19:57:13 GMT)

i was just wondering if these would be OK to grow tomatoes, chillies and peppers in because the green meshing in the plastic looks like it may cut some sunlight out?

any advice greatly appreciated!

[Jeanied]

They should be fine for summer growing - built in shading!
They won't last outside all year round for very many years as the plastic tends to biodegrade and the clear windows fall out leaving square holey bits.

[King Carrot]

I've had a couple of these ones:

3.5m x 2m Polytunnel Greenhouse Pollytunnel Poly Tunnel on eBay (end time 18-Feb-11 13:08:17 GMT)


My own opinion is that they're good for a season or two at most until the little squares of plastic between the mesh start coming out - they're probably not UV light resistant and the plastic just decomposes. You might get 3 years out of it if you don't get lots of gales and pack it up and put it all away in winter. You do need to fix them down somehow as they're not called "blow aways" for nothing.

Last summer, while the 4.5m one was in it's second year, it suffered quite a major structural disintegration during a gale, the frame just snapped in a number of places - I ended up using lengths of round iron and cable ties to successfully rebuild and strengthen the whole frame.

I actually converted a 12 x 12 ft blowaway tunnel into a "properish" polytunnel last year, though the poles were 25mm and quite sturdy.

I keep meaning to, so tomorrow I'll try and put up some pictures of the damaged 4.5M one and the 12 x 12 ft one I rebuilt using wood and polytunnel plastic.

If you can put your money into a small polytunnel or check ebay for secondhand greenhouses or look at making a wooden framed polytunnel you would get years rather than a year or two.

[johnboyxxx]

new greenhouse

im pretty new to growing things nearly one hole side of my 12 ft by 8 glass in my green house got smashed in the bad wind we had 2 weeks ago dont no what to do now really gutted now

[lola & tom]

thank you for the replies i think ill go for it now. sorry to hear that johnboyxxx

[Aberdeenplotter]

im pretty new to growing things nearly one hole side of my 12 ft by 8 glass in my green house got smashed in the bad wind we had 2 weeks ago dont no what to do now really gutted now

The worst kind of think to happen with a greenhouse. You really need to get the side with the broken glass covered up till you can get it reglazed. If you get another blow, the wind wil simply blow the glass on the other side out. Wrap in some heavy duty polythene till you can get glass. the freebie advertising papers and freecycle are good sources of spare glass. Also if anyone else inyour area has has a similar experience, they may even be thinking of doing away with their greenhouse, so don't be shy knock on their doors.

When reglazing, be sure to use extra glazing clips. That really does help.