The Greenhouse Thread

[Antony Moxey]

Greenhouse and raised bed now up and running. Planted a load of stuff last week and more today including fruit, veg, herbs and flowers. Weather’s looking to brighten up from last week so hopefully we’re up and running.

[48k]

Love the raised bed was that a kit or DIY job?

[bazza white]

Yep everything is growing well in my greenhouse

[Antony Moxey]

48k said:

Love the raised bed was that a kit or DIY job?

DIY. 2.4x0.2x0.1m sleepers. Got six, cut two in half then screwed them together with 180mm screws from B&Q, so the bed’s 2.4m x 1.2m x 0.4m. Had to dig out a trench to sit it in as the ground was a lot less level than I thought, but it’s not going anywhere now, it weighs a ton!

[Skyedriver]

bazza white said:

Yep everything is growing well in my greenhouse

Letting nature take it's course,,it's a wildlife garden and VERY fashionable.

Me: I'm working my way around sowing stuff, potting on/out rooted hydrangea cuttings and watching everything slowly (or in the case of the cuttings, quickly) die. Wondering if I should stick to gravel!

[Bill]

Antony Moxey said:

DIY. 2.4x0.2x0.1m sleepers. Got six, cut two in half then screwed them together with 180mm screws from B&Q, so the bed’s 2.4m x 1.2m x 0.4m. Had to dig out a trench to sit it in as the ground was a lot less level than I thought, but it’s not going anywhere now, it weighs a ton!

Have you joined the top and bottom layers? Not that they'll move much.

[Antony Moxey]

Bill said:

Antony Moxey said:

DIY. 2.4x0.2x0.1m sleepers. Got six, cut two in half then screwed them together with 180mm screws from B&Q, so the bed’s 2.4m x 1.2m x 0.4m. Had to dig out a trench to sit it in as the ground was a lot less level than I thought, but it’s not going anywhere now, it weighs a ton!

Have you joined the top and bottom layers? Not that they'll move much.

Yep, just a single batten on each side (inside, obviously). You’re right about not moving much though, each individual sleeper’s very heavy.

[Bill]

They take some shifting, I've got some made of a single layer.

[48k]

I haven't really thought this through. Nobody told me you're not supposed to sow every seed in the packet.




I need to get some outside beds going and maybe a separate cucumber enclosure.

[NewChurch]

A picture of 48k in a couple of months time:

[Bill]

48k said:

I haven't really thought this through. Nobody told me you're not supposed to sow every seed in the packet.

My wife does that, and then struggles to thin them out as she sees each one as a little baby.

[ledger]

Hi,

does anyone use a raised bed in their greenhouse. I've just got a new greenhouse and was considering putting one in as I was thinking they would need less frequent watering than the pots I traditionally use. However now I'm thinking I would need to change the soil every few years and they may harbour diseases

I wold continue to grow tomatoes in pots / grow bags with bottomless pots, however I was thinking of using the raised bed for

Spring
- first earlies (normally I grow these in bags in the old greenhouse)

Summer
- cucumbers
- squashes
- peppers / chillies

Autumn
- salad leaves

any advise gratefully received.

[Bill]

We have bare soil in ours, just forking in manure seems to do the job.

[48k]

What is attacking my cucumbers?

[48k]

Anyone able to advise?

I *think* they've got too hot as the melons are showing signs of the same so I've left the door open on the greenhouse but Google has several suggestions everything from under watered over watered nitrogen deficiency, all sorts of bugs, fungal infection etc.

[227bhp]

48k said:

Anyone able to advise?

I *think* they've got too hot as the melons are showing signs of the same so I've left the door open on the greenhouse but Google has several suggestions everything from under watered over watered nitrogen deficiency, all sorts of bugs, fungal infection etc.

See that thread over there? https://www.pistonheads.com/gassing/topic.asp?h=0&...

That's you that is.

(Courtesy of Newman & Baddiel )

Buy yourself a gardening book or the RHS web pages are usually quite believable. We're all amateurs here so all you'll get is the blind leading the blind.

That aside what exactly are you talking about? The yellowing leaves? If it is and they are old it's common for them to be jettisoned and new ones take over.

Edited by 227bhp on Saturday 20th April 14:10

[227bhp]

ledger said:

Hi,

does anyone use a raised bed in their greenhouse. I've just got a new greenhouse and was considering putting one in as I was thinking they would need less frequent watering than the pots I traditionally use. However now I'm thinking I would need to change the soil every few years and they may harbour diseases

From a practical viewpoint raised beds are a waste of time and money. Ok, if you're disabled you can reach the plants better, but that aside it's purely for aesthetics. Personally I don't need my vegetables to look fashionable so I just dig a shape in the garden and stick them in. The higher you go away from the base soil the more chance you have of them drying out.

[PositronicRay]

227bhp said:

ledger said:

Hi,

does anyone use a raised bed in their greenhouse. I've just got a new greenhouse and was considering putting one in as I was thinking they would need less frequent watering than the pots I traditionally use. However now I'm thinking I would need to change the soil every few years and they may harbour diseases

From a practical viewpoint raised beds are a waste of time and money. Ok, if you're disabled you can reach the plants better, but that aside it's purely for aesthetics. Personally I don't need my vegetables to look fashionable so I just dig a shape in the garden and stick them in. The higher you go away from the base soil the more chance you have of them drying out.

Depends n your soil. My brothers place is built on chalk, no topsoil to speak of, ours is on limestone, again topsoil very poor. I've used gravel boards and farmyard manure.

My greenhouse sits on a concrete base, pots dry out quickly. Something I've not tried yet but might. My local bargain household place sells plastic 40l flexible trugs, like those builders bucket type things for 3.99. A few holes in the bottom, stand on some batterns, fill with compost and plant.

One thing I'm wary of the greenhouse will get too hot for most stuff except tomatoes. So plant in a tub or pot so you can take it out side July and August.

Edited by PositronicRay on Saturday 20th April 17:21

[Bill]

AIUI raised beds warm up quicker in spring. Plus it's a handy place to sit.

[Antony Moxey]

227bhp said:

ledger said:

Hi,

does anyone use a raised bed in their greenhouse. I've just got a new greenhouse and was considering putting one in as I was thinking they would need less frequent watering than the pots I traditionally use. However now I'm thinking I would need to change the soil every few years and they may harbour diseases

From a practical viewpoint raised beds are a waste of time and money. Ok, if you're disabled you can reach the plants better, but that aside it's purely for aesthetics. Personally I don't need my vegetables to look fashionable so I just dig a shape in the garden and stick them in. The higher you go away from the base soil the more chance you have of them drying out.

I’d rather my dog didn’t piss all over mine so that’s why I built a raised bed, plus having ‘soil’ you could barely slam a spade into helped with the decision to build one too. That and not having to bend down quite so far (through choice rather than any disability).