"Compact grow house"?

[LittleSausage]

You know the ones I mean... A wee frame covered in polycarb plastic sheet that you roll up at the front and there are 4 shelves inside in which to put one's precious young plants. Wy*vale has one on offer at the moment and a couple of times a year at least one of the discount supermarket chains flogs them off for about 15 quid.

My question... Are they worth it?

Now, I live in a flat and am lucky to have any outside space at all, but my lovely terrace would not accommodate a proper greenhouse. One of these plastic things seems perfect, mainly because of the small footprint. Obviously it would need tethering.

Would I be able to, for example, sow some of my seeds and put them in here at the beginning of spring?
Would it be any good for hardening off precious squashes prior to planting out? Will I be able to grow things in here over the summer that I wouldn't otherwise be able to grow?

What do you guys reckon?

[Cadalot]

Wilko sell them off at around £4 - £6 at the end of the season if your lucky to hit them right. I have one held back to my shed on the allotment with a couple of elastic bungee straps with hooks as a temporary solution until my real greenhouse goes up. They are ideal if you have nothing else as long as you can stop them from blowing away.

For photo see Alans Allotment: Fathers Day & Foxes Den

I have another that has been at the end of the garden up against the fence for a few years now and I use that with the door open to harden off plants and for storage of trays etc after use, so I would say yes they are if you don't pay too much for them.

[LittleSausage]

Wilko sell tem off at around £4 - £6 at the end of the season if your lucky to hit them right. I have one held back to my shed on the allotment with a couple of elastic bungee straps with hooks as a temporary solution until my real greenhouse goes up. They are ideal if you have nothing else as long as you can stop tem from blowing away.

For photo see Alans Allotment: Fathers Day & Foxes Den

I have another that has been at the end of the garden up against the fence for a few years now and I use that with the door open to harden off plants and for storage of trays etc after use, so I would say yes they are if you don't pay too much for them.

Many thanks for your reply! I already feel as if it wouldn't be a waste of money. By the time spring comes round, my windowsills are heaving with pots full of seedlings, so if a little bit more space outside would make a difference.

[Hazel at the Hill]

Can't emphasis enough the need to attach it to something solid! It is for a very good reason that they are nicknamed 'blowaways' - and it is heartbreaking to see you seedtrays and seedlings tipped all over the place...

[LittleSausage]

Can't emphasis enough the need to attach it to something solid! It is for a very good reason that they are nicknamed 'blowaways' - and it is heartbreaking to see you seedtrays and seedlings tipped all over the place...

Thanks! If I get one I plan on cable tie-ing it to within an inch of its life!

[Jay22]

Yes the first time I had one I didn't anchor it to the ground and we had one of these Spring/Summer storms. I was out at the time and came back to all my lovely plants all over the garden and the blowaway cover torn and the supports bent! Now I still use them but weigh it down. Nothing worse than seeing your babies spread out all over the lawn.