Keeping a greenhouse on the ground

[WillyNelson]

I finally went ahead & ordered a new greenhouse (Simplicity Stramshall) for the allotment and now I'm thinking about how to actually put it up. I plan to have a raised border along one side and the end with gravel & staging up the other side.

First order if the day is to get the ground cleared but I need a way of securing it to the ground. I can't have any permanent concrete footing and I'd rather not fag about with sleepers...

Can I just stick the base on the ground and bury it a little bit? Should I use ground anchors and if so what kind? What do people do when they can't just screw it to a solid base??

Thanks

[chris]

Did you order the base/does it come with one? The base has pegs at each corner. Depending on your ground you may be able to put it straight in like that, but in heavy gales it probably won't suffice.. it's your call really. I'd dig a hole where the pegs are and stick in a 1/3 of a bag of postcrete. That way it won't be a lot of concrete and if need be could could just unbolt the pegs if you need to move it. .. could be argued they are not permenant then?

Otherwise, you'll need some heavy wood, to weight it down... but you don't seem keen on that (although it'll give you extra growing height in there).

[taff]

mines just sitting on slabs the ground, it's in a corner of the garden
the weight of the glass has kept it where it is for 3 years, the base isn't fixed to anything, just resting on the slabs.

[WillyNelson]

Yea, it comes with a base. Glad to hear it comes with pins.

I've got some 115mm concrete blocks left over from another projects so I could set these in at strategic points and bolt into them. Would be easy(er) to get it level then.

I was thinking of some cable fixed earth anchors as well but can't find anywhere selling them. I saw some where you hammer a peg in and then yank on the cable to fix it in the ground. Can't find them again though...

[Potstubsdustbins]

That range comes with two different types of glazing, glass or polycarbonate. I have no knowledge of glass green houses but if you have gone for the polycarbonate option you are go to have to do some serious fixing down.

Mine came with 4 corner pegs as described above but they were only 5" long from my experiance these set in concrete would not be enough to hold everything together. Fortunatly mines on a concrete base (not an option for you) so bolting it down was no problem.

Colin

[bishop]

mine stands on grennhouse staging that is bolted to the greenhouse, the staging stands on paving stones, drilled and fixed with 6 rawl bolts,

[Aberdeenplotter]

Invest in sufficent breeze blocks to make a base and then fix to each breeze block. Two benefits. Greenhouse is anchored and you give yourself some more headroom.

[chris]

Mines held in firm via that method colin (well, 6 pegs) - they're 6" long, each in a plant pot buried in the ground, then concreted in. It is glass mind so that helps with the weight. Frame then clipped + bolted to the base.. I live in a wind tunnel too - you should see the trees tonight, flippin' eck!

Good point about the glazing though, didn't think of that!

Taff - mad, I thought they needed anchoring!

[VirginVegGrower]

Mines held in firm via that method colin (well, 6 pegs) - they're 6" long, each in a plant pot buried in the ground, then concreted in. It is glass mind so that helps with the weight. Frame then clipped + bolted to the base.. I live in a wind tunnel too - you should see the trees tonight, flippin' eck!
Good point about the glazing though, didn't think of that!

Taff - mad, I thought they needed anchoring!

We are in a windy location too on top of a ridge. Today has been a right howler. OH and I laid a concrete base for our timber greenhouse to which it is screwed down. It has a herringbone brick path down the middle and a sink hole for water to drain out. I use growbag trays rather than replacing soil.

[Potstubsdustbins]

Chris I agree glass would make all the difference.

When I built my polycarbonate house I screwed down the seperate base and just lifted a fully glazed 8 x 6 green house on to the base and screwed that down.

They are so light the word `sail` comes to mind.

Colin

[taff]

Taff - mad, I thought they needed anchoring!

Just shows what you can do when you haven't got a clue to start with

[chris]

lol, suprised my g/h isn't upside down then

[Mr Salty]

I got four pressure treated fence posts (100x100) from wickes, cut to size and pegged to the ground, then topped it with a bit of damp course I had lying around and fixed the bottom of the greenhouse to that, seems solid... so far...

[Gwyndy]

An allotment neighbour lost a 12 x 8 greenhouse a couple of years ago during high winds. He thought that the weight of the glass would stop it moving. It didn't! I helped him put it back together and I drove posts in to the ground in each corner of the greenhouse and then screwed through the base in to the posts. It certainly didn't move during the recent gales.

[Armleywhite]

I got four pressure treated fence posts (100x100) from wickes, cut to size and pegged to the ground, then topped it with a bit of damp course I had lying around and fixed the bottom of the greenhouse to that, seems solid... so far...

Hi, Im thinking of a poly GH and was going to go down the sleeper / fence poat route to secure. How did you secure the posts to the ground?