Читать книгу The Allotment Book - Andi Clevely - Страница 39

▸ Check if a base is included with your chosen model, and whether this creates a step or barrier in the doorway.

▸ The door should fit tightly and include a kick panel at the bottom for safety; sliding doors make it easier to adjust the ventilation.

▸ Make sure the height at the ridge provides adequate headroom.

▸ Most greenhouses come with a single ventilator, which provides insufficient ventilation: add another on the opposite side of the roof, and at least one (possibly a louvred type) in the side for a free flow of air.

Plastic is lighter and cheaper than glass, but has a limited life according to its type. Flat and corrugated polyester rigid panels are the most expensive. They are almost as clear as glass, but difficult to keep clean. Polycarbonate, especially if double or triple-walled, is more serviceable and affordable. Cheapest of all is flexible plastic sheeting, with a useful life of five years or more, after which it turns yellow and brittle.

FITTING & EQUIPPING Careful organization of a greenhouse is vital, especially in spring and autumn when the house can be full of plants waiting to go out or plants just brought in for frost protection.

Plan the floor space first. You might prefer a solid floor with fixed staging round the sides, or ground-level growing space, perhaps in raised beds and with removable staging that can be moved outside in summer or collapsed for storing. Growing bags can be arranged on the soil or solid floors and on staging to house plants temporarily. Shelves on the sides and in the roof can extend the growing and display space, while brackets will support hanging baskets and strings or wires for training climbing plants.