New greenhouse

[lozlg]

Hi, I wondered if anyone has any good tips for a new greenhouse owner. I will just be using it to grow my own food.
Is there anything important i need to know about setting it up?
Do you have any suggestions for absolute no-no things in the greenhouse?
Do I have to heat my greenhouse all year round? Will some things still grow without the heat?
Is there anything I need to do to keep unwanted pests out. Sorry, lots of questions! Thanks

[shylock73]

Taking your questions one at a time.
Don`t keep paint or cans of spray in it.
It depends on what you want to grow whether you heat it in winter
To keep unwanted pests out, tell the wife to stay in her kitchen,........ no seriously, you could hang a fine net over the door and louvres and roof vent. If you intend to grow tomatoes and cucumbers in it, you should keep them apart by making a separate compartment somehow as they like different conditions.
I`m sure you will get much more advice from others,

[lozlg]

as opposed to using it to grow flowers!

[shepherdess]

Hi

I think it depends where you live. As I live in Scotland where the weather is not as warm or favourable as the south I have grown tomaotes, courgettes, cucumbers, lettuce french beans and early carrots. (though not all at one time) It also depends on what you like and the size of your greenhouse as there is a limited amount of space avaliable. I think most vegetables could be grown if there is space but I would try anything you particularly like.

If you want to grow things out of season or start off any tender vegetables you will need heat in the spring. I start off tomatoes etc in the house and only heat my greenhouse from mid March till approx the end of April and then keep my fingers crossed that there are not too many fosty nights!

You will learn by trial and error but will get some great tasting vegetables as the end of the day. Good luck with your new venture.

[glenbar]

I wouldn't like to be without my propagator. Really good for bringing seeds on early but for that you will need electricity. Why cant someone invent a solar powered one?

[oldmancap]

Use your greenhouse to grow the most expensive veg, tomatoes. cucumber peppers ect. I grow peppers from the seed of shop bought peppers. When heating, section off part and heat that for seeds but watch they don't become too leggie. I live in scotland and usually don't heat my greenhouse. just make shure there are no drafts. If you use a propegater [unheated] you should do fine for seeds. I usually sow all my seeds in pots, water and slip the pot into a small freezer bag, put a band around it, pop it in the greenhouse [unheated] never fails. try a small grape vine.

[numptyjames]

as l dont no how big is your greenhouse
but this idea helps with heat and strong plants ,strong plantsare usely healthy plants
start with 1 straw bale rap bail in black polythene place it in the greenhouse stand it on edge where you want it, get a funnel and a watering can full of liquid fertilizer (tomato growmore fish blood and bone) put funnel in the top of the bale in about three places pour in the liquid a small amount at first a little more every couple of days for about
a fortnight you will notice the bale getting warm .
this needs doing a fortmight before you are ready to plant
(toms cues pepers )
when planting cut a cross in the polythene dig a hole the size of the pot that your plants came in
you will also find that canes stick straight into the bale and stay firm ,water and feed into top of bale as the rots it gets warmer this will keep a little warmth in your greenhouse
at the end of the growing season use the rotton bale around the garden it makes a good mulch with the added
bounus it still has fertilizer in it
.