Quote from Lee Garden Ninja on 19th October 2021, 12:28 pm

Hi,

Many thanks for your kind words about the Garden Ninja online Gardening Forum! We're a helpful community of Ninjas to pass on our knowledge to help other new or tentative gardeners get the most out of their green space.

You really should sign up for the forum - by creating an account it's free - and then you can interact with other members! There are over 1700 of us now here to help!

Green House options:

Greenhouses or glasshouses are an excellent way to boost your gardening and growing potential offering a safe haven to expand your gardening skills no matter what the weather! However, the market is flooded with options from £200-£50,000 depending on size and style! It can be quite confusing.

The good thing is greenhouses come in standard sizes in feet and inches. They all need a solid base, ideally paved or concrete. Think carefully about the position and site of your greenhouse. Choose somewhere sunny, accessible and where it can be easily cleaned after the growing season. ie don't squish it right up against a fence or wall!

Benefits of a Greenhouse:

Greenhouses have a few key benefits which are worth nothing before I provide advice on the type of greenhouse.

• Extend the growing season by offering a warmer environment in spring and autumn
• Allow you to overwinter tender plants
• Keeps you warm and dry whilst propagating plants
• Avoid pests and diseases for young seedlings compared to sowing in the ground
• Can grow plants that need protection such as tropics and tender edibles ie tomatoes

What's the best greenhouse?

I'm going to jump straight in and advise that the best greenhouse to choose is reinforced glass with an aluminium frame for most gardeners. It's long-lasting, easy to clean and gives you the most versatility for growing in the year. They are the most expensive but it's a worthwhile investment. Ler's have a little look at the alternatives to show why.

Most people use greenhouses to propagate or grow plants from seeds or cuttings.

https://youtu.be/DICGT44SMSs

Types of Greenhouse material:

When it comes to choosing a new greenhouse you do have a few choices such as the frame material, either metal or wood. Wood looks gorgeous but does require far more maintenance. Save this material for fancy summer houses or high-end glasshouses. 

Materials for the Greenhouse Frame:

• Wood - gorgeous yet high maintenance
• Steel - expensive and strong
• Aluminium - light but strong not and reasonably priced
• Plastic - cheap, low maintenance yet short life span

Materials fro greenhouse glazing:

• Glass - strong, more expensive but easy to clean
• Plastic - cheap but breaks down in the UV and can haze - easy to break
• Polycarbonate - great thermal insulation but goes brittle after a few years and can cloud

In terms of the best frame aluminium is the least fussy, inexpensive and lightweight greenhouse frame material. It can also be drilled into a concrete base to secure it. Whereas plastics and wood can splinter or crack when you try to anchor them in this way.

As for the windows I would always choose reinforced glass which can be easily cleaned and is not weathered by the sun.

Polycarbonate or plastic glazing on greenhouses is lightweight and cheap. However, it isn't as stable under UV light so often you'll find it clouds or a hazes appears as the sunlight damages it. This can't be fixed once it occurs. Also, plastics are really delicate to clean. With glass you can use a sponge and detergent, however, any grit with a polycarbonate greenhouse will scratch and fuzz up the windows.

Plastic polytunnels can be a cheap useful alternative for growing on a larger scale. They allow pretty much any space to be converted into a protected environment for plants. However, they are not good for exposed sites, may require heating in the winter if growing tender crops. They can be a pain to repair if they get damaged in high winds.

Hopefully, that helps you with your decision. it's best to spend a bit more on an aluminium and glass greenhouse and have it last than a cheaper plastic based on. Also, consider the lack of recycling when it comes to plastics in the garden, you can read more on Gardening Without Plastic here!

Happy Gardening!

Lee

Quote from FlowerAngel1 on 28th May 2023, 8:21 pm

Thank you for this informative post Lee,  You have answered my question on which greenhouse to choose as its my first one 🙂  Will go for glass with an aluminium frame., Many thanks 🙂  x