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Greenhouse advice
Hi
I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. My options a 1 Laying slabs to allow the house to sit in the middle of the slabs. (I will probably lay some slabs inside filling in the rest with gravel). 2 A concrete base (using containers, pots and raised beds inside the house) Is it essential (or preferable) to have a soil bed in the greenhouse or can I get away without one just using containers etc? Can anyone suggest the pros and cons of both options as I'm new to greenhouses and would like to get it right. Many thanks Terry |
Greenhouse advice
"Lordspudz" wrote in message ... Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. My options a 1 Laying slabs to allow the house to sit in the middle of the slabs. (I will probably lay some slabs inside filling in the rest with gravel). 2 A concrete base (using containers, pots and raised beds inside the house) Is it essential (or preferable) to have a soil bed in the greenhouse or can I get away without one just using containers etc? Can anyone suggest the pros and cons of both options as I'm new to greenhouses and would like to get it right. I mounted mine on a base made of bricks making a wall about 6 inches high to mount the sides on, as the door would have been a little dificult to get through as I am/was 6'3", the ground part I made a path with concrete down the middle, and kept soil on each side, but this was not wise, and so I covered the whole floor with concrete, on one side I put a long bench which has been very useful, and the other side I grow thing in pots or growbags. Alan Many thanks Terry -- Lordspudz |
Greenhouse advice
On 1 Sep, 17:50, Lordspudz
wrote: Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. My options a 1 Laying slabs to allow the house to sit in the middle of the slabs. (I will probably lay some slabs inside filling in the rest with gravel). 2 A concrete base (using containers, pots and raised beds inside the house) Is it essential (or preferable) to have a soil bed in the greenhouse or can I get away without one just using containers etc? Can anyone suggest the pros and cons of both options as I'm new to greenhouses and would like to get it right. Many thanks Terry -- Lordspudz Consider ring culture. Way to go in my view. |
Greenhouse advice
On 01/09/2010 17:50, Lordspudz wrote:
Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. We have slabs under ours and everything is in pots, we do however have a trough for the tomato plant-pots to sit in, this trough is filled with gravel. We decided on slabs rather than a full concrete base to allow any spilled water to drain away. Have no experience of soil or partial soil under the greenhouse. Would imagine that an entirely soil base wouldn't be stable enough . The gravel will act as a soakawy and the slabs will give you something sturdy to put, say, staging on. Only caveat I can see with that system is weeds growing in the gravel, and the usual gravel 'migration' as it is trailed about on boots etc. http://www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk/images/GH7.jpg Wee pic of what ours looks like. |
Greenhouse advice
On 2 Sep, 04:22, soup wrote:
On 01/09/2010 17:50, Lordspudz wrote: Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. We have slabs under ours and everything is in pots, we do however have a trough for the tomato plant-pots to sit in, this trough is filled with gravel. *We decided on slabs rather than a full concrete base to allow any spilled water to drain away. *Have no experience of soil or partial soil under the greenhouse. Would imagine that an entirely soil base wouldn't be stable enough . * The gravel will act as a soakawy and the slabs will give you something sturdy to put, say, staging on. *Only caveat I can see with that system is weeds growing in the gravel, and the usual gravel 'migration' as it is trailed about on boots etc. http://www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk/images/GH7.jpg Wee pic of what ours looks like. I set mine on slabs and don't regret it but made the mistake of only leaving myself half a slab's width around the outside of the greenhouse. This is too narrow for access, especially when competing with butternut squash. I am constantly nearly overbalancing into the glass. Destrier |
Greenhouse advice
On 02/09/2010 11:57, Destrier wrote:
I set mine on slabs and don't regret it but made the mistake of only leaving myself half a slab's width around the outside of the greenhouse. This is too narrow for access, especially when competing with butternut squash. I am constantly nearly overbalancing into the glass. Chap over the back has done even worse than that he has one side of the greenhouse two inches from a wire fence leaving him absolutely no access what so ever. When I sited the greenhouse I deliberately set it a couple of feet from the fence to give easy access to one of the long sides of the greenhouse. This pic shows how much access I have on the 'back' side. http://www.cheesesoup.myby.co.uk/images/GH9.jpg |
Greenhouse advice
On Thu, 02 Sep 2010 17:32:14 +0100, soup
wrote: On 02/09/2010 11:57, Destrier wrote: I set mine on slabs and don't regret it but made the mistake of only leaving myself half a slab's width around the outside of the greenhouse. This is too narrow for access, especially when competing with butternut squash. I am constantly nearly overbalancing into the glass. Chap over the back has done even worse than that he has one side of the greenhouse two inches from a wire fence leaving him absolutely no access what so ever. When I sited the greenhouse I deliberately set it a couple of feet from the fence to give easy access to one of the long sides of the greenhouse. I've got that too. A neighbour built his green house 9" from our fence and has no access to one long side. I do keep his glass clean with a pressure washer during early spring but the 9" is full of weeds and ferns. I can always spray the b**gers I suppose. Also one narrow end of his greenhouse is being taken over by a rampant clematis rooted in his next door neighbours' garden -- (¯`·. ®óñ© © ²°¹° .·´¯) |
Greenhouse advice
In message , Lordspudz
writes Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. My options a 1 Laying slabs to allow the house to sit in the middle of the slabs. (I will probably lay some slabs inside filling in the rest with gravel). 2 A concrete base (using containers, pots and raised beds inside the house) Do you need any extra height in the greenhouse? - often a little bit of extra height is useful. Both my last greenhouses were on a course of concrete blocks. I then fixed treated timbers on top of that and the greenhouse was fixed to the timbers. One because it was going onto an existing concrete slab anyway. The other because it was on sloping ground. Though I would probably go the same way again. Otherwise of your two options I'd go foe the slabs. It's a lot less effort than laying a concrete slab. Is it essential (or preferable) to have a soil bed in the greenhouse or can I get away without one just using containers etc? We've had both. For general use, I'd suggest that an all over base of concrete or slabs is best, as it's most flexible - staging etc. can easily be moved around and easily cleaned (as long as there is a drain hole through the wall or whatever supporting the greenhouse) Though a central path with gravel each side works ok, and will be cheaper and easier. Soil beds have their advantages - less watering and good for sowing some early/late saladings in, but overall in less useful in an intensivley used space. -- Chris French |
Greenhouse advice
"Lordspudz" wrote in message ... Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. My options a 1 Laying slabs to allow the house to sit in the middle of the slabs. (I will probably lay some slabs inside filling in the rest with gravel). 2 A concrete base (using containers, pots and raised beds inside the house) Is it essential (or preferable) to have a soil bed in the greenhouse or can I get away without one just using containers etc? Can anyone suggest the pros and cons of both options as I'm new to greenhouses and would like to get it right. Many thanks Terry -- Lordspudz Just a couple of points 1. is it wood or metal, This governs the contact with soil 2. Is the ground level? Mine isn't so I used the greenhouse manufacturers base to get the house level so I didn't have to worry too much about the inside . I have slabs on a slope3. I gave consideration to the resale of property. I wouldn't choose to buy a house with a 10 by 8 greenhouse if I would have to set about demolition work if I didn't want it. A stepladder, spanner and just something to lift slabs with and it could be removed in a day. 4. In my view it is more important to have level staging than a level floor especially as I used capillary watering over periods of absence. 5 . Water. I have laid water on feeding a tank to warm the water up and also have a waterbutt to collect water from the roof but I should have engineered a slight slope on the house so that water cleared the gutters although the birds use it as a bird bath from time to time. I strongly recommend leaving a bit more space than you think you need between the house and the boundary as others have suggested. Alan |
Greenhouse advice
On 01/09/2010 17:50, Lordspudz wrote:
Hi I'll be taking delivery of a 10 x 6 greenhouse soon and was wondering what would be the best base to set it on. My options a 1 Laying slabs to allow the house to sit in the middle of the slabs. (I will probably lay some slabs inside filling in the rest with gravel). 2 A concrete base (using containers, pots and raised beds inside the house) Is it essential (or preferable) to have a soil bed in the greenhouse or can I get away without one just using containers etc? Can anyone suggest the pros and cons of both options as I'm new to greenhouses and would like to get it right. Many thanks Terry I did a concrete foundation around the outside and central path. I have had two years growth of tomatoes etc from the soil beds. Containers IMO are more demanding in terms of watering. One thing that I did get wrong was a slight (2mm)slope on the foudation the wrong way for the gutter to drain to where I wanted a water butt. -- CTC Right to Ride Rep. for Richmond upon Thames |
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