I am wondering about a mini-greenhouse to grow tomatoes in, but
most of them seem to be green plastic - why? Is it better than
clear, or stringer or what?


--
Roger T

700 ft up in Mid-Wales

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On 25/05/18 14:27, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I am wondering about a mini-greenhouse to grow tomatoes in, but
most of them seem to be green plastic - why? Is it better than
clear, or stringer or what?

No idea. IMHO and experience they will last a year, maybe two if you're
lucky, before starting to fall apart through UV or other damage (even if
supposedly UV stabilised).

The other problem is that they are so light they will get damaged by
high winds. By that I mean the supporting metal rods, which are usually
remarkably thin, will bend easily.

I have used a polycarbonate-clad greenhouse
(https://norfolk-greenhouses.co.uk/ultimate-greenhouses/) and found it
very good indeed. It was much cheaper than a glass one, and had lasted
over 5 years when we moved and I decided to leave it.

--

Jeff

On 25/05/2018 19:11, Jeff Layman wrote:


No idea. IMHO and experience they will last a year, maybe two if you're
lucky, before starting to fall apart through UV or other damage (even if
supposedly UV stabilised).

The other problem is that they are so light they will get damaged by
high winds. By that I mean the supporting metal rods, which are usually
remarkably thin, will bend easily.

+1
On the very subject - I'm current at friend's house and in the past hour
the "walk in" plastic covered green house has had to be lashed to the
fence as the ultra thin metal poles and the plastic joining tubes have
bent in a moderate wind. There were some tie down loops made of the
same plastic material and they just parted company with the rest of the
cover.

I've used the very small plastic covered frames in the past and can
confirm that the cover tends to only last a year. It not just UV that
destroys them. I purchased a spare cover and left in the shed with no
natural lighting and when opened approximately a year later it also
started to fall apart while fitting it over the frame.


I have used a polycarbonate-clad greenhouse
(https://norfolk-greenhouses.co.uk/ultimate-greenhouses/) and found it
very good indeed. It was much cheaper than a glass one, and had lasted
over 5 years when we moved and I decided to leave it.

My neihbour has something similar but in a high wind I find one or two
panels have blown into my garden. Once one panel has gone the wind gets
into the greenhouse. bends the polycarbonate sheets and they pop out.


--
mailto : news {at} admac {dot} myzen {dot} co {dot} uk

On 25/05/2018 14:27, Roger Tonkin wrote:
I am wondering about a mini-greenhouse to grow tomatoes in, but
most of them seem to be green plastic - why? Is it better than
clear, or stringer or what?


You get what you pay for.
Commercial poly tunnel covers now last anything from 5 years to well
over 10 years.
You might be better to build a wooden frame and cover with mini profile
plastic sheeting such as Wickes Mini Profile Corrugated Sheet this has a
10 year life.
If you build it against a wall you can fasten the frame to the wall so
it won't blow around.

On 26/05/18 18:21, alan_m wrote:
On 25/05/2018 19:11, Jeff Layman wrote:


No idea. IMHO and experience they will last a year, maybe two if you're
lucky, before starting to fall apart through UV or other damage (even if
supposedly UV stabilised).

The other problem is that they are so light they will get damaged by
high winds. By that I mean the supporting metal rods, which are usually
remarkably thin, will bend easily.

+1
On the very subject - I'm current at friend's house and in the past hour
the "walk in" plastic covered green house has had to be lashed to the
fence as the ultra thin metal poles and the plastic joining tubes have
bent in a moderate wind. There were some tie down loops made of the
same plastic material and they just parted company with the rest of the
cover.

I've used the very small plastic covered frames in the past and can
confirm that the cover tends to only last a year. It not just UV that
destroys them. I purchased a spare cover and left in the shed with no
natural lighting and when opened approximately a year later it also
started to fall apart while fitting it over the frame.


I have used a polycarbonate-clad greenhouse
(https://norfolk-greenhouses.co.uk/ultimate-greenhouses/) and found it
very good indeed. It was much cheaper than a glass one, and had lasted
over 5 years when we moved and I decided to leave it.

My neihbour has something similar but in a high wind I find one or two
panels have blown into my garden. Once one panel has gone the wind gets
into the greenhouse. bends the polycarbonate sheets and they pop out.

The transparent side panels, which are not particularly strong - but
much better than polythene - are slid in and held in by clips (I could
be mistaken about the clips). The roof translucent panels are held in by
screws. But it isn't only plastic greenhouses which suffer in strong
wind. Twice I have had the same 1500 x 600 mm glass roof end panel
sucked out by wind blowing over the greenhouse. Fortunately I was able
to retrieve it from the lawn undamaged both times as I specified
toughened glass for the greenhouse. It's now held in by 16 clips (not
just 8) and in any case the conifer hedge responsible for the wind eddy
suction was removed over a year ago.

--

Jeff