[Superhero]

hi there!

I am new to this forum and hope that you can help me.

Basically, I am toying with the idea of building a small leanto greenhouse. Nothing fancy, just a simple wooden structure over my current tiny veggie patch/strip, leaning on to the shed.

Now, I would like to keep the costs for this down for several reasons. A) I might be moving with in the next year or so, so unless I take it with me, it might only be used for one season.
B) As it is in our garden, the veggie patch location is probably the worst that you can imagine: It is covered by the neighbour's rooting, growing and messy tree, it doesn't get quite as much sunlight as I'd like it to, we have got a LOT of decking in the garden which means an abundance of slugs, which is actually the main reason I am thinking about building a greenhouse. I am hoping to keep the numbers of slugs down (i mean, they can't crawl into the greenhouse unless it is open, right?).

I absolutely LOVE gardening and I get so upset everytime the slugs eat my seedling. Last year they ate everything but the tomatoes and this year it's not that much better (beans and peas are still standing atm).

I've got a puppy, which means he'll eat anything, despite mini fence, so i can only use pet frienly slug pellets, which i find don't work (neither does copper tape).

So anyway, I have drawn up a plan and done the costs and the cheapest option would be UV polythene sheets. But these aren't clear, which I would prefer.

I am also a little worried that the coastal wind and gails might get to it in the end (they can be vicious).

What do you guys think? Any tips and tricks? I am worried that the tree means that despite my efforts of keeping slugs at bay, the veg won't grow well. The first year I grew veg here it was fabulous. I had nice carrots (although deformed which might be because i transferred seedlings or because of the tree), toms, peppers, courgettes etc. The the inlaws built the massive decking which brought the slugs. So since then I can barely grow anything.

Are most veg suitable for growing in a greenhouse? I am most interested in the basics: Toms, peppers, salads, courgettes, cucumbers, carrots maybe. The odd sprouting if I find the space, radishes.

Thank you!!!

[aelf]

Hi
Interesting idea. I'm not sure that it is possible to keep slugs out completely 'tho. It's important that there is at least some air-flow through a greenhouse to stop mildew, blight and other fungal growths getting hold. Also, a completely closed greenhouse would get extremely hot in the summer - probably too hot for many plants to thrive. This means that some air gaps are needed and slugs will find their way in. Unless you have some form of air conditioning?

I will watch this thread with interest 

[Superhero]

Sorry, I should probably have specified the plans a bit:

The roof would come open if required and could be "propped up" to stay open in summer and also I would like some sliding doors which could stay open all day (or conventional doors if the sliding doors are going to be too complicated for me to build lol).

So the idea is to have the house open in the day or partially open, depending on weather, etc. and to close it up for the night. As the slugs come out of their hideouts at night, this should keep them at bay at least to a certain degree.

[GrannieAnnie]

Will it have a dirt floor?  Only I still get slugs, not only inside my greenhouses, but they get up on the staging and sometimes into my pots and eat my seedlings.

There is a breed of slug that goes underground! 

[Superhero]

That's what I am worried about. That I build this thing and then just get disappointed again. Yes, it would have a dirt floor. I was thinking about putting some flooring down but wouldn't want to go to the trouble of concrete and not sure what else would do it? Maybe those weed control fabrics? How deep does the earth need to be for veg plants then?

I think if a weed control fabric would work, that would be great. I could also use pots instead of the earth, too. What do you think?

P.s. I tried that copper infused fabric last year it is was a total failure. I actually saw slugs crawl over it!

[GrannieAnnie]

Both my greenhouses have dirt floors and we are lucky in that we don't get too many slugs, but I do grow in pots as well as in the border.

In the past I've used weed suppresant or black plastic, and either peg it down, close around the edges, or I do have some spare slabs that I use in there.

I hope you can keep the little devils out!  I hate slugs!   

[Superhero]

Any tip on how much earth plants need? Sorry, I've only ever grown peppers and tomatoes in pots but everything else went in a veg patch so that questions was kind of irrelevant. I guess it would be quite hard to realise putting down some kind of fabric to cover with dirt, unless I add a proper border to the greenhouse that goes down into the earth - as it happens I have a somewhat raised veg patch but I'd have to dig the earth out, put fabric down, fill back up and somehow make sure that slugs won't be able to get through the edges!

Been a Very busy day at work and I just realised the problems of this idea lol!

[GrannieAnnie]

Must say I've never put any soil on top of weed fabric.  I only gorw in pots when I've done that.  But it depends on what you want to grow.  Salad stuff only needs 6 or so inches, but it would be a no no for any root crops unless you did say the little round dumpy carrots.

I also sometimes use the empty compost bags for different things like potatoes etc.  These and other containers, especially square ones would stack together quite closely.

You can also get things like this:

[Dantheman]

Hi superhero.

You could build a base the same as a shed but build the greenhouse/lean to off that it would raise it off the ground.

Plastic sheeting.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4m-x-6M-Extra-Thick-Clear-POLYTHENE-SHEETING-Roll-250mu-1000g-Plastic-Protect-/290778360538?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b3bdaada
you might be able to get it cheaper somewhere else like a garden centre.

This might be of some use to you? they are not that big but might work.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JOB-LOT-CLEAR-ACRYLIC-PERSPEX-PLASTIC-SHEET-/321140334830?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ac574a0ee

Some mesh to make ventilation holes or vents.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Modelling-Mesh-Fine-Medium-And-Coarse-Appox-25cm-By-20cm-Sheets-/140804803235?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&var=&hash=item20c89ecaa3

Hope this helps.   

[Superhero]

Hi superhero.

You could build a base the same as a shed but build the greenhouse/lean to off that it would raise it off the ground.

Plastic sheeting.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/4m-x-6M-Extra-Thick-Clear-POLYTHENE-SHEETING-Roll-250mu-1000g-PlasticProtect-/290778360538?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item43b3bdaada
you might be able to get it cheaper somewhere else like a garden centre.

This might be of some use to you? they are not that big but might work.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/JOB-LOT-CLEAR-ACRYLIC-PERSPEX-PLASTIC-SHEET-/321140334830?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_3&hash=item4ac574a0ee

Some mesh to make ventilation holes or vents.
http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Aluminium-Modelling-Mesh-Fine-Medium-And-Coarse-Appox-25cm-By-20cm-Sheets-/140804803235?pt=UK_Crafts_Other_Crafts_EH&var=&hash=item20c89ecaa3

Hope this helps.   

Thanks for your help and the links! Ideally I would like some Perspex sheets but I think those might be a bit small for the outside. I found some uv plastic sheeting I think 800 gauge, would that be strong enough?
http://www.firsttunnels.co.uk/subsubcategory.asp?catid=7
I am a bit worried if it will withstand the wind. The veg patch is kind of sheltered behind the fence but we still get really strong gusts that actually half uncovered the she'd roof last winter! Las soon as it can grip something it will.

As for the bottom/base, what exactly do you mean? Don't sheds have a concrete base/foundation?

Edit: I know which bases you mean. Those frames that sit on stilts, right? What would I use as bottom then? Wood planks? They would rot, I guess.