James
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| posted on 2/2/21 at 08:54 PM |
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Greenhouse base and floor
Greetings all,
Hope you're well and successfully dodging the 'Rona.
Starting to look like this Summer is going to be as fun-filled as last. 
2020 was the first year since we moved in 2012 that we've found time to clear space, make beds and grow veg- very glad we did as with all the
extra time with all kickboxing cancelled we had time for watering etc. so we got a good crop.
This year, maybe the next step up the home growing ladder as next door have offered us their 8' x 6' greenhouse!
Was wondering if anyone else has one, is it worth it?
If so, what sort of base did you do? Ideally I don't want to dig out a concrete slab so I'm thinking a low brick wall for the greenhouse
walls to sit on, a weed membrane on the floor and concrete slabs for a walkway down the middle with gravel down the sides.
Any thoughts and tips/tricks? I should be able to run power to it too at some point.
Cheers!
James
[Edited on 3/2/21 by James]
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 2/2/21 at 10:02 PM |
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We mounted ours on a low brick wall and tied it down with metal straps. One rule is do the glass installation in one day, don't leave it
overnight to finish the next as its extremely vulnerable to the wind unless finished. Sand on the ground ontop of a weed control mat is a good floor
as there will be a lot of split water. Leave the windows open during the day to let bee's to pollenate the plant's. I like ours, it gets
very hot inside and is a nice place to have a snooze  . It's a huge amount of work though to get a crop you could buy at Asda for £10 but what
the hell it's still enjoyable.
[Edited on 2/2/21 by Mr Whippy]
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christim
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| posted on 2/2/21 at 10:37 PM |
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We got an irrigation system a couple of years ago and it's made such a difference! 1 minute watering the whole garden (veggies and flowers)
automatically without fail...bumper crops  They've not expensive either
My Build Thread
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James
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| posted on 3/2/21 at 01:16 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by christim
We got an irrigation system a couple of years ago and it's made such a difference! 1 minute watering the whole garden (veggies and flowers)
automatically without fail...bumper crops They've not expensive either
Sounds good. We were spending about an hour a night watering over the hottest bit of the summer. 
What system did you use?
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"The fight is won or lost far away from witnesses, behind the lines, in the gym and out there on the road, long before I dance under those lights."
- Muhammad Ali
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harmchar
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| posted on 3/2/21 at 11:02 AM |
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When I did my greenhouse I laid concrete pad 6" deep, then built 2 high breeze block wall round, wood batten screwed to top of wall, then
greenhouse on top of wooden battens. Bit of overkill as it will never be moved without a demolition squad. If I were to do it again now, I would
forget the concrete slab, but still use the 2 high breeze block wall, as it gives loads of head room and extra height if growing tomatoes. I used to
grow loads of tomatoes, strawberries, radish, peppers n herbs. My son has now taken over the gh and does his succulents and plants in it.
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Mr Whippy
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| posted on 3/2/21 at 02:12 PM |
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quote:
Originally posted by James
quote:
Originally posted by christim
We got an irrigation system a couple of years ago and it's made such a difference! 1 minute watering the whole garden (veggies and flowers)
automatically without fail...bumper crops They've not expensive either
Sounds good. We were spending about an hour a night watering over the hottest bit of the summer.
What system did you use?
I use a hose spraying through the door at the ceiling lol very crude but works well. Might look at something more advanced in the summer.
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coyoteboy
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| posted on 3/2/21 at 04:36 PM |
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Made 6" deep footings and laid 2 layers of low density concrete blocks onto it. Left the inside soil. Built up internal beds with weed barrier
liner, and filled them with good soil/compost.
Worked a treat. Stays quite moist.
Later fitted a pumped, timed, watering system and never go near it unless tending the plants now.
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christim
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| posted on 3/2/21 at 09:14 PM |
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There's a few systems out there, we use this:
Screwfix - electronic watering timer
And this:.
Screwfix - irrigation hose
Takes a while to set up getting the watering nozzles to drip the right amount, but then that's it for the rest of the year!
The timer doesn't like winter though I'm having to buy a new one for this year
My Build Thread
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Irony
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| posted on 4/2/21 at 07:33 AM |
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I just created concrete shuttering for a strip 100mm and 250mm deep all the way around the edge. Don't use weed barrier or any floor cover.
Just make yourself a raised path down the middle from slabs.
Can't understand people using weed barrier in a green house. Yes you might get s few weeds at first but after pulling them the weeds will stop
growing. Also you'll want to plant straight into the ground and a weed barrier will stop your plants roots from penetrating.
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Schrodinger
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| posted on 4/2/21 at 10:33 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Irony
I just created concrete shuttering for a strip 100mm and 250mm deep all the way around the edge. Don't use weed barrier or any floor cover.
Just make yourself a raised path down the middle from slabs.
Can't understand people using weed barrier in a green house. Yes you might get s few weeds at first but after pulling them the weeds will stop
growing. Also you'll want to plant straight into the ground and a weed barrier will stop your plants roots from penetrating.
You will probably need to change the soil every couple of years depending on what you are growing, as if you grow the same thing each year (tomatoes
and cucumbers for instance) it will deplete the nutrients in the soil.
Keith
Aviemore
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Irony
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| posted on 4/2/21 at 11:18 AM |
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quote:
Originally posted by Schrodinger
quote:
Originally posted by Irony
I just created concrete shuttering for a strip 100mm and 250mm deep all the way around the edge. Don't use weed barrier or any floor cover.
Just make yourself a raised path down the middle from slabs.
Can't understand people using weed barrier in a green house. Yes you might get s few weeds at first but after pulling them the weeds will stop
growing. Also you'll want to plant straight into the ground and a weed barrier will stop your plants roots from penetrating.
You will probably need to change the soil every couple of years depending on what you are growing, as if you grow the same thing each year (tomatoes
and cucumbers for instance) it will deplete the nutrients in the soil.
Not as often as you think. You don't remove the soil under the grass in your lawn and it still keeps growing! Simply spread compost or manure
on top every season about 1inch thick over the area, worms will do the rest. Admittedly the soil height grows and some will eventually need to be
removed after a few years. Crop rotation will do the rest. Just have a table on one side of the green house and grow tall plants one side (cucumbers
and tomartoes etc) and smaller plants under the table and on the table. The following year move the table to the opposite side or end and rotate the
crops.
I compost everything, nothing goes into the compost if it has not been through the shredder. All the kitchen waste, all the animal waste from our
ducks and chickens. In the winter I let the chickens and ducks use the greenhouse as a run and they 'fertilise' the soil for me. Then it
goes back into the raised beds and the green house.
Just watch this guys videos - they have been so valuable to me. I grew up with 3 allotments and 3 green houses. My Mum and Dad toiled digging and
digging all the time, most of it wasn't needed.
Charles Dowding Youtube Channel
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