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Gardening

Has anyone bought a greenhouse recently?

(21 Posts)
JaneJudge Sun 24-Oct-21 18:03:08

We are going to buy one but it is a bit overwhelming.

We need glass I think rather than polycarbonate as it is very windy here.

Have a maximum budget of 1.5k

Maximum size 8ft x 6ft min 6ft x 6ft ish I imagine.

Many thanks smile

Esspee Sun 24-Oct-21 19:27:47

Polycarbonate gives far superior results. Cooler in summer and warmer in winter. Mine is on a windy site and we installed extra bars to support the panels. Not as attractive to look at I would agree but a glasshouse needs shading applied in summer to prevent the plants from burning.

Chewbacca Sun 24-Oct-21 19:49:48

I bought my first greenhouse 2 summers ago. The first one I bought was like a strong reinforced polythene plastic and cost about £35. The results I got in that inspired me to splash out on a second hand aluminium and glass one (cost £90 off local Facebook marketplace). It's 6' x 8' with shelving on all sides. I grew tomatoes, cucamelon, 2 varieties of cucumber, salad leaves and a Galia melon, plus sowing bedding plants from seeds. All did well apart from the Galia melon.

LadyGracie Sun 24-Oct-21 19:53:57

We bought one with reinforced glass earlier this year, we've had some delicious tomatoes, cucumbers, courgettes, strawberries etc.

vegansrock Sun 24-Oct-21 19:56:16

I found a guy on eBay who reconditions secondhand greenhouses and I bought an Elite 10x8 from him which he came and erected himself. We paid £450. It looked brand new has toughened glass.

Grammaretto Sun 24-Oct-21 20:03:08

I bought a 2nd hand one about 20 years ago. It's a good make and has been brilliant and has survived the worst weather here in Scotland.
It's a joy. It extends the time I can spend outdoors. I have seats and a table in it. I start most seeds in it and grow tender plants during the Summer. I have a vine too.
It is a Robinson
www.greenhousepeople.co.uk/
Just looked at the current prices and can see why you are overwhelmed!

Scones Sun 24-Oct-21 20:08:17

Did you see Prue's Great Garden Plot this week? They got hold of and fitted a second hand greenhouse and made such a hash of every aspect of the job that it was unusable. It might be worth watching just to see how not to do it.

Jaxjacky Sun 24-Oct-21 20:21:20

Yes, we bought one in January from the Greenhouse People, 8x6 glass, just over £1000 including delivery. They gave a list of people who assemble it, we had a local guy, £200 worth every penny. It’s called old cottage green! If you can wait, there was quite a discount at that time of year.

SpringyChicken Sun 24-Oct-21 22:28:58

It is harder to control temperature in small greenhouses so go for the bigger size if you can. I recommend an automatic opener for the roof vent and a louvre opening side window.

Laying the base accurately is extremely important and will contribute to a long lasting greenhouse.

Our glazing is glass and we use a green mesh for shading in summer, pulled taut and hooked over the end of the bolts on the frame. It's lasted years, takes minutes to put up/take down.

valdali Sun 24-Oct-21 22:43:12

Ours is glass, 8X6, it doesn't overheat because we have a forest-sized beech tree at the back that shades it at noon in summer, but it's very light in winter & spring before the trees are in leaf. It was £700 15 years ago( an Elite), have grown lots & lots of salads & seedlings in there & have a parsley bed so I can make parsley sauce & tabouleh even when there's snow on the ground. Suffered football damage occassionally in its early days otherwise no problems.

JaneJudge Tue 26-Oct-21 08:11:39

Thanks for all your advice smile they are a lot more expensive than I thought they were, that's for sure but gardening seems to keep my husband happy so I tend to think it is worth it smile

Nannytopsy Tue 26-Oct-21 08:30:06

Ours is the 6’x6’ version of Jax, also from the Greenhouse People. We used their fitter too and he was great. It has safety glass. Tomatoes, which are still doing well, aubergines, chillies, seedlings and DH’s collection of insectivorous plants.

JaneJudge Sat 30-Oct-21 16:15:39

We've bought a Hall's one, 8 x 6...I will let you know how we get on

MiniMoon Sat 30-Oct-21 19:22:59

My husband bought a glass greenhouse. He wishes he'd bought a polycarbonate one as the glass panes get blown out whenever there is a gale. He hates having to buy new glass for it.

Jaxjacky Sat 30-Oct-21 19:58:58

Oh good JaneJudge exciting! Yes please to updates, I’ve just had my last tomatoes, mini cucumbers and melon. Loads of chillis to crop before I clear it out.

Keeleklogger Sun 14-Nov-21 16:24:11

Quote MiniMoon Sat 30-Oct-21 19:22:59
My husband bought a glass greenhouse. He wishes he'd bought a polycarbonate one as the glass panes get blown out whenever there is a gale. He hates having to buy new glass for it.

Tell your husband to put some clear silicon on the clips holding the glass in. I had loads blow out in windy conditions, but since I did this I have had none blow out

Nanagee57 Fri 22-Apr-22 08:05:56

Good morning. I want to buy a temporary greenhouse that I can dissemble after the summer has passed. Does anyone have any recommendations please? There are so many on the market and I want the strongest one I can buy? Many thanks

Chewbacca Fri 22-Apr-22 09:02:14

I've had this one for 3 years Nanagee and it's still in perfect condition. I've put mine in the top corner of the garden so that it as a bit of protection from high winds and then tethered it to the fence with the straps provided. The frame has remained securely in place, no problems at all. The cover is very strong plastic with woven threads throughout to make it sturdy. It's very easy to slip the cover over the frame and you just use the ties provided to tether that to the frame so that everything is stable. I whip the cover off the frame at the end of the growing season so that frost doesn't make the plastic brittle and split.
Mine cost less than £60 and I got it from that large on line shop that sounds like a river! I've been very satisfied with it and have had excellent growing results.

nanna8 Fri 22-Apr-22 09:26:21

I’ve got one that I got at the start of lockdown and it has survived mega storms and wind. It is the same as chewbacca’s. It blew over across the garden once but I just picked it up and put it down and weighted it with bricks. No damage and it was as cheap as chips.

JaneJudge Fri 22-Apr-22 16:23:44

we really love the one we bought. We have been sitting in it but now tomatoes and everything has taken over smile best thing we have ever bought I think

Parsley3 Fri 22-Apr-22 18:07:28

I love my greenhouse. It was a gift for my birthday 12 years ago and I love going in every morning to see how many of my seeds have sprouted. It is glass and aluminium and I have a little heater for overwintering the pelargoniums.