How best set up Greenhouse

[Argonaut]

Just had a good deal and bought on a 2nd hand 8' x 12'
EDEN glass glazed greenhouse.

I can site in in an area that gets sunlight all day ...

My intent is to grow tomatoes, chills, peppers, cucumbers ... and salad stock when garden is too cold, and probably start of veg plants for the garden.
No intent to grow flowers in it.

Soil is not suitable for growing, but I could dig out enough to put in top soil if needed - although are there better ways to do things ?

Poss options:-

#1 centre flagged area, with earth beds on both sides and end

# 2 centre flagged area with gravel bed down the side & container / pot grow.

#3 flag or concrete the whole floor, and container/grow bag grow everything



It comes with some staging ... I assume does not gain you any more growing area .. just raises it off the floor.

[SarzWix]

2 things to consider - if you grow in beds, they will need to be dug out and have the soil replaced periodically, or be sterilised in some way. Or, if you grow in big pots, will the cost of compost every year be prohibitive to your plans? All 3 of my greenhouses have weed control fabric down and I grow in pots - the 2 on the allotments because they're placed where greenhouses have been previously and the soil is chock-full of glass The one at home, because of tree roots. It costs me a small fortune in compost every year, but, it is then reused as a soil improver elsewhere on the plots.

[sewer rat]

I have a greenhouse in my garden that has solid floors and I use growbags in that. However, the gardens I work at provide me with another four greenhouses, two of which use staging with a gravel bed under the staging, and a raised bed down the other side (or down the other side and along one end). The soil does not need to be replaced but whay you can do is to give it a good (and I mean good) soaking during the winter - this washes away any salts and impurities - and then a final soak with a weak ***** solution.
On the whole I would opt for the raised bed down one side -much more economical and adaptable - and if you set it up right, could give you a beautiful growing medium for years to come (get that soil seive out and start shaking it about )

[Kristen]

#1

I have borders. I have grown in pots and growbags (and straw and ring culture over the years). I have lowered by borders so more cropping height to roof (a 12" tall pot ahs the opposite effect, although its not a big consideration.

I replace the "soil" every year using a mix of rotted manure and home made rough compost. By the end of the year its nice and fine and great to use on the rest of the plot. Its much lighter than soil, per se, so not exactly hard work, although digging the clay out the first time was - should have done that before the greenhouse was built, not after a year of baking sun!