I made a similar thing for my dear departed mum about 25 years ago from used bare double glazed units with a polycarbonate roof and she used to grow a couple of toms In it every year. Come the end of May all the doors would be opened in the morning only to be closed at night because if closed, the sun only had to come out for 20mins for the temp to get dangerously high for the plants.
Polycarbonate is a much better material for this setup not only because it provides a bit of insulation but it also provides shading. I’ve actually replaced the glass on the south facing slope and side of my 8x6 with 6mm polycarbonate and it’s performed very well for the last 6 years. It’s available pre-cut in 4’x2’ sheets (the exact size required) in uv resistant 6mm on eBay. You need 2 types of tape for the ends, aluminium at the top and a fabric one for the bottom that I can’t recall the name of. It would probably have been better to add a basic glazing bar on the end of each sheet to keep it all in place but you live and learn. It snaps into place using the same wire clips. I kept the glass just in case but I don’t think it’ll ever go back on, mainly because I don’t need to bother with greenhouse shading any more.
You'll be fine using teak oil on untreated wood, @Escapetothegarden . It's a mixture of linseed oil, varnish, mineral spirits and sometimes Tung oil. I like the smell of it but some people don't and it can linger for a few hours.
There are lots of other wood preservatives available but be sure that if you use couloured ones you don't get any on the polycarb or , if you do, wipe it off before it dries otherwise it'll look like you've overpainted.
When there's always biscuits in the tin, where's the fun in biscuits ?
@februarysgirl to be honest I’m taking time to get used to it - always wondering how much it needs to be opened and worrying about how much water I need to give and when.
I've got some little marigolds hardening off just now - they're outside but under cover at night. We've had frost level temps 2 nights ago, and it was down to 4 last night, and they were fine. If it was rough, wet windy weather, I'd make sure they had protection day and night. It's impossible to be accurate though - I don't know what yours look like. It's always better to be cautious and hang fire, rather than risk losing them. Wait until there's no risk of frost - so end of the month, assuming they're growing well.
Mine were split into clumps a while ago, rather than individually pricked out, so they're in 3 inch pots and about 2 or 3 inches tall. I just stuck a few clumps into a shallow clay pot today None of mine will be going in the borders in the ground. Too heavy and sluggy. I only plant out really tough annuals in the ground, although the soil in my raised beds is very good as it's been purposely created like that - a lot of mulching etc, and some might go in there, depending on what else I have room for
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Still inside the mini greenhouse at the moment. What do you think, too small to go outside during the day?
I have never grown these (were gifted but i pricked out and potted on) and I wasn’t sure where to put them! I was thinking a pot to be honest - thank you for the info! 💐
Mine are no bigger than that and have been going outside every day for the last couple of weeks, depending on weather. If it's too cold, or rough and wet - and therefore cold, they stall, so this is the time of year for just making a judgement on it. The tiniest ones will obviously need a little more protection than the bigger ones, but as the season progresses, they'll all even out/catch up. In mild areas, that process would be earlier than here, but it seems that many parts of England have been having weather more like ours this year. We're used to waiting until this time of year for getting many plants hardened off and outside permanently ,and that's why it can be difficult to advise people as it depends so much on location/altitude etc. Further north of me, and in a more exposed site, you'd have to wait again, while a sheltered town garden somewhere in the south would be earlier for most things. This is when it can be useful to have a notebook, or similar, to record weather/temps, when you sow, and how things progress. You can then refer to it each year until you get a feel for how it all works
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Posts
Polycarbonate is a much better material for this setup not only because it provides a bit of insulation but it also provides shading. I’ve actually replaced the glass on the south facing slope and side of my 8x6 with 6mm polycarbonate and it’s performed very well for the last 6 years. It’s available pre-cut in 4’x2’ sheets (the exact size required) in uv resistant 6mm on eBay. You need 2 types of tape for the ends, aluminium at the top and a fabric one for the bottom that I can’t recall the name of. It would probably have been better to add a basic glazing bar on the end of each sheet to keep it all in place but you live and learn. It snaps into place using the same wire clips. I kept the glass just in case but I don’t think it’ll ever go back on, mainly because I don’t need to bother with greenhouse shading any more.
Mine were split into clumps a while ago, rather than individually pricked out, so they're in 3 inch pots and about 2 or 3 inches tall. I just stuck a few clumps into a shallow clay pot today
None of mine will be going in the borders in the ground. Too heavy and sluggy. I only plant out really tough annuals in the ground, although the soil in my raised beds is very good as it's been purposely created like that - a lot of mulching etc, and some might go in there, depending on what else I have room for
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
My marigolds:
In mild areas, that process would be earlier than here, but it seems that many parts of England have been having weather more like ours this year. We're used to waiting until this time of year for getting many plants hardened off and outside permanently ,and that's why it can be difficult to advise people as it depends so much on location/altitude etc. Further north of me, and in a more exposed site, you'd have to wait again, while a sheltered town garden somewhere in the south would be earlier for most things.
This is when it can be useful to have a notebook, or similar, to record weather/temps, when you sow, and how things progress. You can then refer to it each year until you get a feel for how it all works
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...