Plastic covered greenhouses

Unfortunately we don't have room for a traditional construction greenhouse in our garden and I was looking the clear plastic covered greenhouses from people like Gardman. But I am unsure as to how durable these would be. Does anyone have any experience of these?

 

It depends on what you're hoping to use it for. It's worth remembering that if it comes with shelves, those shelves will be fixed as they form part of the structure, so you won't be able to move them which could be a problem if you're planning to grown something like tomatoes for example.

Alternatively, (if you are considering tomatoes or taller plants) something like a Wilkinson's mini tomato greenhouse might fit the bill. Although it doesn't have shelving, you could always make something to pop inside and thus have as many or few shelves as you wished and at the height you wanted.

Durability? Well - last year I bought two mini tomato 'greenhouses' from Wilkinsons (about £10, this year I see their website says they're £7.98), for a 'first time gardener' friend . As we put the first together, it developed a large tear in the back, which only got bigger as the thin plastic - not much thicker than a polythene bag - was drawn over the frame. I used sticky tape to repair it and wasn't impressed. The second was fine and, despite putting it on a windy corner (where I took the precaution of pegging it down), it stood up to all that the elements threw at it without tearing.

I wouldn't guarantee it would last more than one season, although the frame would be fine, being slot-together plastic, but if you wanted to use it a second year, I'm guessing you'd having to 'rig up' a new cover - something I'm planning to help friend do with the aid of some plastic sheeting and a few pegs!

If you just want to provide protection etc., then the ones with shelves would be more suited to your needs and having googled the type you mention they do look slightly more durable than those I bought, but without seeing them 'in the flesh' as it were, it's hard to tell.

Of course, much depends on how much you want/are prepared to spend - a plastic-bag greenhouse will probably only last one year whereas a mini greenhouse made from polycarbonate, although considerably more expensive, will last years and years. I guess it's just a case of 'you pays your money and ........'

 

Hi,

I bought a 6 x 4 pop up greenhouse, with the gazebo type poles making up the frame, and a plastic sheet over it. As has been said, with mine, I found it ripped, and was bad during rain, as it weighed down on the cover, and bowed it in. And when we had the snow, it finished it off, made a massive rip in the roof part. The Wilkinsons ones I've seen seem to have a thread running throughout the cover on their greenhouses, so maybe this is a little more durable? Hope this helps

 

This is just an example..look around and you will find it cheaper..

GARDMAN 5 TIER MINI GREENHOUSE WITH HEAVY DUTY COVER: Amazon.co.uk: Garden & Outdoors=

Buy the gardman mini greenhouse's with the "Heavy Duty" covers, I have two of these a four shelf and five shelf. The shelves themselves are just wire and can be taken out if you need to just by lifting. I use these for the overflow from my real greenhouse. The clear plastic covers you can get with them are next to useless and wont last five minutes. Tip: Place a flagstone on the very bottom shelf to help wiegh it down and it will stay upright even in gale force winds.

Steve...

 

I had a 6x4 one, with the 'heavy duty' cover, didn't even last six months. A slight bit of wind literally crumpled it and ripped the cover.

 

I think the shelved ones are a little more rigid, being that they are a bit slimmer, especially when weighted down with a flagstone..they also have eyelets on them to further secure them to the wall.

My two lasted through last season no problem untethered, and we get fierce winds in this part of Cumbria through winter.

I sympathise with you Gardener56, must be dissapointing to lose that so soon.

Steve...

 

That's what I did, only I used 4 250x250 flagstones to weigh it down, as it was quite blustery, and mine was up at the top of the garden, it was just a shame the cover on mine went, although it was probably partly my fault.