So Excited.... First Ever Greenhouse!

Thank you!
However can't take the credit, as my poor husband did the vast majority of the work, and he's not interested in the garden! He's hoping that he can finally get back to his own pursuits now!

 

Looks great. Takes me back a few years. So exciting to have an empty space to fill.

You're a lucky gal. My husband has no interest in these things so I had to assemble all three of mine all by my lonesome. Then take them part way apart to put in the louvres - but it IS rewarding

 

Kudos to you, Lori! My husband was the brains, but at times one person would have struggled even with holding and positioning. You are obviously smart AND capable!

 

When I needed an extra pair of hands to hold stuff in place, I used painter's tape.

I am also a pretty strong old broad. I think my middle names should be Tugboat Annie

 

Today was my first day properly spending some time in the greenhouse. I have used metal mesh and my old shoe rack to make low shelving, and have a set of shelves coming soon, courtesy of the last of my birthday money.

I have sown some lettuce to see if it will come up, and also cress because, well, at least I will definitely have a crop to harvest! I even have a Seat to Watch Things Grow From, and a willing helper who spent more time in the greenhouse that I did today. I don't think there will be particularly much more growing activity in the greenhouse this year, as I will not be heating it - not even sure it's safe to heat polycarbonate greenhouses. However, it is an ideal spot to drink coffee, plan future growing and while away some time reading when it rains!

 

@Irmemac
Looks good and I am sure you will have happy hours out there.
Just one caution lettuce seed can be reluctant to germinate in warm conditions >15°C

 

Thank you. Didn't know that so will monitor. Up here at the moment our days are reaching 18 degrees but our nights are as low as 11. Today is very sunny though, so I might have to move the lettuce out.
:fan: :exhausted:

 

Lovely.

You will find that the greenhouse will heat up quite fast and the temps in there on a sunny day are much higher than outside.

I heat my greenhouse in the fall and early spring with a gas heater - 10k BTU.

I have replaced the bubble wrap with clear window film. I only heat this 6x8 greenhouse and am able to extend my season appreciably come fall.

 

Thank you, Lori. That is useful advice. The greenhouse was slightly chilly today before the sun hit it, but is now like an oven so the lettuce seeds are outside enjoying more temperate weather. I don't think I will heat the greenhouse then this winter as I will be spending the first year SUSI going out how it is affected by the seasons. I'm very interested though by your heating methods for next year. I'm guessing winter temperatures must get pretty low over your way?

 

Our winter lows are extreme so I do not heat the greenhouse much beyond December 1st or before March 1st. It would cost far too much to do so. We fall well below freezing most days and nights in the winter. I extend my season in the fall so as to be able to keep harvesting my hot peppers as long as possible. I start heating the greenhouse in March because I have run out of space for seedlings indoors. The fans circulating the hot air and keeping it from accumulating in the peak help the heater cycle less often. So, that is my way of extending the growing year.

I also use a lot of cold frames to extend outside, unheated growing area times.

I had tried various other methods of heating the greenhouse including a solar hot water heater I made but found that this gas heater is faster and easier to start up and maintain.

I had used parrafin heater/lamps which would raise the temps above freezing at night however they produce smoke that causes a mess and the heater I have did not have a low enough setting for these small areas. The vents were opening and I was heating the great outdoors

You'll have lots of fun experimenting with various means of season extension and I think everyone has their own preferred method of doing so.

Just know that an unheated greenhouse usually stays in lock step with outside temperatures at night but is much hotter than outdoors when the sun shines.

 

Thanks, Lori. Useful information there.

 

It will cost you a fortune to heat the whole greenhouse, even if you insulate it with bubble wrap etc, possibly you could keep it and some tender plants frost free with an electric fan heater with a frost free setting.

Much better to use the small heated seed trays to start off your seeds/plug plants in the spring or make a larger bench sized propagator with a low wattage heating cable.

As already mentioned, lettuce do not germinate well in high temps, but if your grow them on in the greenhouse be very watchful of greenfly as they always infest mine as soon as you harvest them or you damage some leafs.

Still plenty of time to add some plants and colour , late flowerers like Fuchsias to name but one, pots of bulbs for indoors etc, overwinter salad crops ....

 

Thanks, Ricky, that's useful to know. I'm not sure that heating will be an option, but hadn't thought about heated propagating trays. The greenhouse is quite far from the outside electrical point, so that will be another consideration.

I'm not very sure whether the lettuce will come to anything, but if I am lucky enough to get any growth I will keep a close eye for greenfly. They tend to like my lupins too. Thanks for the info about what I can put in my greenhouse over winter too. I was pretty much planning to stop at lettuce and cress, but will investigate the other ideas you have suggested!

 

You can find those heated seed type trays from £20 on the usual sites, ideal for starting off seeds and cuttings or without the top on adding a bit of frost free protection for any special larger tender plants.

Forgot to mention, I noticed you have a 40ltr black tub in the greenhouse, I use two in my 8x6 full of water, the idea is they absorb the daytime heat and give it out during the colder nights, plus its always better to give your plants 'aired' warmer water rather than cold water straight from the tap.

These links might give you some more ideas for autumn stock, plenty of potted herbs in the garden centers, ideal for prolonging their season inside a greenhouse.

enjoy


Using your Greenhouse in Autumn | gardenersworld.com - gardenersworld.com

Top 10 vegetables to grow over winter | Thompson & Morgan

 

Thank you so much! Kettle on, and I am away to explore your links.....