A greenhouse newbie - break it down for me?!

[CatMattress]

I might be getting a greenhouse for the first time ever! Asked around on fb and there's an 8x4 one with a couple of smashed panes that DP reckons he can reconfigure into a lean-to style to fit down the south-facing side return of our house, against the house. (Im even happier to be re-cycling/re-using)

If we get it I can build some shelves/benches out of the pallets we have and I'm looking at a smart/Bluetooth thermometer and humidity sensor to monitor it. What else might I need? A heater?

This summer I'd like to grow tomatoes and cucumbers, DP wants to have a go at chillies. What else would work well? We're SE/home counties so relatively mild and I want this for food. Maybe bell peppers? What else?

Over winter we'll try and drag out the carrot season, maybe winter potatoes and greens...?

What do I need to know/have forgotten?!

Ooh, and thanks for the link to the fixings. We'll need a few new clips and ao on. Plus the glass needs power washing and the aluminium needs cleaning, wire brushing and possibly painting (dark blue?) before we can put it back up. It was very neglected.

@CatMattress I grew two Sugar Baby watermelons in my greenhouse last year. They need watering every day and some space as they climbed everywhere, even tried to get through the frame. They did taste good and I was so pleased I grew them. I will try again this year.
For tomatoes I grow a small cherry type and a large heritage one like Marmande as it has a great flavour. They can grow in interesting shapes though.
I plan to grown my toms outside this year and grow some cornichons or gherkins in the greenhouse this year. I really want to pickle some.

I shall go and look up the solar powered watering systems that use the water butt now, thank you to the pp who mentioned it.

Here's a great tip btw - if you pop along to your local morrisons then they get rid of the plastic liner pots they use for their cut flowers. They've let me take them for free so o now have more than 20 (I need to count them) large, sturdy plastic pots. Some are tall and narrower, perfect for carrots, the others will be perfect for tomatoes and cucumbers. It absolutely made my day. Just need to drill some holes in the bottom for drainage. I reckon DS will enjoy that!

I grow sungold cherry tomatoes. Orange, sweet and good croppers. Last year I successfully grew mini aubergines and sweet peppers. I had tomato halos for Christmas so looking forward to trying them out.

Our council offers a discount scheme on water butts. Two turned up yesterday. It was the most exciting thing that halterneck all day 😆

Winter is the wrong time of year for carrots and potatoes. You grow them during the season and store them over winter.

I have a question please. I'm planning tomatoes initially, my seeds have germinated which is ridiculously exciting. The greenhouse will be fitted in 6 weeks. For tomatoes would you recommend raised beds in greenhouse or grow bags?

I also want shelves to grow chilli coriander etc...

The greenhouse will be on a hard standing 8 x 10.

I really like the previous poster's pan tile look pictured up thread.

With the melons - we’ve grown watermelons a few years now - DS14 does it. You need to put the melons in hammocks once they start growing - save the bags lemons come in and tie them to whatever frame you have for the melons (or string if you’ve strung them up)

tomatoes - you need to feed them once they start flowering. I support them on strings tied to a bar above. For the max harvest you should pinch out the side shoots, and also pinch out the top growing tip once it reaches head height as those tomatoes won’t ripen. Fruits ripen from the bottom up, but tomatoes need ventilation to avoid mildew- so I always cut off leaves right up to the next fruits to ripen- this allows light to ripen the fruit as well as abounding mildew.

greenhouses are ace!!

We grow tomatoes @shggg245 in the greenhouse pictured above. The soil/raised beds are through to ground just the centre section is paved. I top up each year with fresh soil/ compost.

My fil has great tomato results using gro bogs, he's ruthless pinching out side shoots and probably feeds them with something illegal bought in the 1970s. He does get an amazing crop.

How's it going @CatMattress ?

Got some great seedlings that need potting out. Might post a photo later. Tomatoes and cucumbers mostly.

Greenhouse is still in pieces. I've been ill for weeks now so not much is happening.

Sorry to hear that @CatMattress, do you know what would aid recovery?
Having a lovely greenhouse to sit in.
Pick a sunny weekend, plan easy food and go for it.

Sorry to hear you’ve been ill @CatMattress Hope you pick up soon. Everything is late to be done by me this year after a two month hiatus with Covid 😒 This is my greenhouse’s first full year, so it’s frustrating that I’m behind. Thanks for the heads-up on the Real Seed Company. I think I’ve been buying hybrids to date. I wish they sold them in smaller, cheaper amounts. I don’t really need e.g. 300 Sweetcorn seeds. There are only two of us, but I bought them anyway!

Thanks for the well wishes. The GP called today to make an appt to discuss blood test results tomorrow as something 'non urgent' has been flagged. Am hoping this means a solution is on the horizon.

In the meantime DP has found a gadget to clean up the manky metal struts of the greenhouse and I've improvised by filling our glass lobby with baby tomatoes and cucumbers- and even a camping chair. It makes a very nice tea spot in the morning especially as, it being Easter, the kids are around and they never think to look out there!

Photo below.
Am pleased with the toms and cucs- I wish I could get the melons to germinate. Still need to clear a bed for lettuces, too.

It's been a long cold winter anyway, I bet you're not as far behind as you think.

The seeds do keep for a couple of years, I managed to sprout a courgette from 2017!!

Perhaps we need to do a collective seed swap on here next year. Each of us order a couple of things, then divvy up the seeds!

Good idea @CatMattress

@shggg245 tomatoes are hungry, like consistent watering and want as much light as you can give them. Gro bags work as long as you recognise they run out of food and dry out quickly; if you can run to something bigger and deeper things will be easier. You can give them half a growbag per tomato, split the bag round the middle and stand it on the end, or really big pots or growbags with those grow pots in them. An automatic watering system really helps too. Which? Best tomato food is tomorite, or Westland big Tom.

I use these with grow bags for my tomatoes. I have done for several years now and find them excellent. Until the fruit comes, the water only needs topping-up every few week. I add feed to the water in the trays and the take-up of water is always just what the plants need.
https://www.hozelock.com/product/growbag-waterer/

Is this a baby cucumber?!

Yes. The flower on the end will open and be pollinated or not, and then the embryo cucumber behind the flower will develop.

So, greenhouse still isn't up. I've been too ill and tired and DP is working all hours and taking up the slack from me so, greenhouse still in bits in the garage. In the meantime the porch is doing sterling work and the two types of tomatoes, the cucumbers. The carrots and the 3 types of basil are all very happy.

I'm wondering about growing food stuffs in our front garden as it's big, gets morning sun and seems a waste not to. I'm definitely not leaving it covered in gravel like it is currently - it looks rubbish.

Anyone got any ideas? I was thinking of wrapping the hedge (in front of the car) round so it runs along the front, too, just to increase privacy, then plant behind it... this is it at 1.30ish today