I have been waiting for our pound shop to bring back the gardening products and today I wasn't disappointed. Have had some very good shrubs from them and today bought a rose bush to add to my collection.
Hello, newbie gardener here! I'd like to grow geraniums and a few other bedding plants from seed as they're costing me too much each year! I've looked at the plastic-covered mini-greenhouses but the comments here on them blowing away wouldn't be any good for my fairly windy site. The glass ones are expensive and I don't know if it's worth it for what I want to do - I have no vegetable aspirations! Also, I can't find any books on growing flowers from seed, only veggies... when would I plant them in the mini-greenhouse and when put them outside? Bit lost as you can see and grateful foramy help!
I had these in the past but concur with all the comments about weighting down/ covers deteriorating. I now have a proper greenhouse & would not be without it. That said if space is really limited I would go for one of the Patio ones with glass or hard perspex panels. These would last much much longer.
I'm heading into my third year with a Gardman extra wide plastic greenhouse. Bought it from a Wyevale GC when it was on offer for £25. My garden is fairly sheltered and I just use half a dozen bricks to weigh it down. I'd love a proper greenhouse, but sadly new builds don't always have big enough gardens!
Lots of mini greenhouse users here then - what have you got in yours right now (or planned next)?
At the moment some Salvia Amistad cuttings. A tray of Cyclamen coum seedlings. And some babies in pots A Lilac cutting, the little one, Palabin I think. Several trays and pots of Clematis seed/ seedlings. Campanula , name escapes me, forgot why it is in, except winter wet, and had not done well in "alpine" trough so saving it until bigger.
Newly ordered plants some of which might be borderline for wet. Too cold on clay to plant out yet. And (for shame) a slightly tender alpine type clematis I could not resist. Daphne hendersonii Kath Dryden . Too tiny, perfect and too cute to put out yet. Some young Clematis, controlled environment kinda, slug saver tactics.
Most of the above would be in a cold frame for bird / slug protection @Mr. Vine Eye idea/original post.
@jshoecraft I guess I have also had a little experiment with thermal mass, using the larger plastic 6 pint milk bottles. These have kept the chill off our blow-away enough to keep some slightly tender cuttings. Your 55 F is around 12 C. So you had lower when cold I guess.
Last year I used a couple of "nightlight" candles in jars. That also worked quite well with a burn time of 8 hours. Not expensive, and it was because of The Beast from the East. I try not to keep or buy tender stuff but was having a big love in with Salvia Amistad and some Chocolate cosmos I wished to keep, so thought it worth an experiment.
We have a little thermometer humidity gizmo that is remote and can be read from the house.
Same problem Nick74 not a very new build here, but same with a too small back garden. Blow- aways are a cheap and useful item in a suburban garden with shelter.
I've looked at the plastic-covered mini-greenhouses but the comments here on them blowing away wouldn't be any good for my fairly windy site.
I had the same worries, so I purchased an anchoring kit and literally lashed the thing to the ground. Has worked like a champ. Following is what I used, but I think you could easily (and inexpensively) acquire the necessary components from your local hardware store: https://www.amazon.com/Palram-Anchor-Nature-Greenhouses-Silver/dp/B00SQ169OQ
I bought two from Home Bargains and erected them in my little porch to move some annual seedlings to. I expected to dismantle them after planting out, but that has never happened. All the perennials have spent the Winter there and now I have accepted that they will never come down and I will have to squeeze in to get to the washing machine and get used to it.
I did have a few outside but despite heavy bricks at the base, the wind got them in the end. I still think that wherever you have them they are worth the small investment.
I agree @ Purplerain, for the amount spent, I think they are well worth it,and yes it depends a lot on where you put them. Mine is tucked up in a corner,out of the wind.
The whole truth is an instrument that can only be played by an expert.
It blew over yesterday in the high winds - surprised me as it is a very sheltered spot tucked into a corner. Anyway I screwed a vine eye in to the wall and tied it to that so its not going anywhere now.
Does the cover need some holes in to let air escape? I think I've seen that some of them already have ventilation holes in the material.
Posts
https://m.greenfingers.com/d325/mini_greenhouses
Aldi sold a wood/Perspex one for £54 last year which sold out very quickly.
You could also go aluminium which will likely be more durable.
Seeds may be better started off indoors if it’s warmer there then moved to the mini greenhouse to harden off before being planted outside.
https://www.google.co.uk/amp/s/m.wikihow.life/Grow-Plants-from-Seed%3famp=1
I don’t grow Vegs
A tray of Cyclamen coum seedlings. And some babies in pots
A Lilac cutting, the little one, Palabin I think.
Several trays and pots of Clematis seed/ seedlings.
Campanula , name escapes me, forgot why it is in, except winter wet, and had not done well in "alpine" trough so saving it until bigger.
Newly ordered plants some of which might be borderline for wet. Too cold on clay to plant out yet. And (for shame) a slightly tender alpine type clematis I could not resist.
Daphne hendersonii Kath Dryden . Too tiny, perfect and too cute to put out yet.
Some young Clematis, controlled environment kinda, slug saver tactics.
Most of the above would be in a cold frame for bird / slug protection
@Mr. Vine Eye idea/original post.
@jshoecraft I guess I have also had a little experiment with thermal mass, using the larger plastic 6 pint milk bottles. These have kept the chill off our blow-away enough to keep some slightly tender cuttings. Your 55 F is around 12 C. So you had lower when cold I guess.
Last year I used a couple of "nightlight" candles in jars. That also worked quite well with a burn time of 8 hours. Not expensive, and it was because of The Beast from the East. I try not to keep or buy tender stuff but was having a big love in with Salvia Amistad and some Chocolate cosmos I wished to keep, so thought it worth an experiment.
We have a little thermometer humidity gizmo that is remote and can be read from the house.
Welcome @gilliancrosby
Same problem Nick74 not a very new build here, but same with a too small back garden. Blow- aways are a cheap and useful item in a suburban garden with shelter.
https://www.gardenersworld.com/how-to/grow-plants/how-to-take-cuttings-from-bedding-geraniums/
You might consider this option - it was very easy!
I had the same worries, so I purchased an anchoring kit and literally lashed the thing to the ground. Has worked like a champ. Following is what I used, but I think you could easily (and inexpensively) acquire the necessary components from your local hardware store:
https://www.amazon.com/Palram-Anchor-Nature-Greenhouses-Silver/dp/B00SQ169OQ
I did have a few outside but despite heavy bricks at the base, the wind got them in the end. I still think that wherever you have them they are worth the small investment.
Does the cover need some holes in to let air escape? I think I've seen that some of them already have ventilation holes in the material.
mine doesn't.