[Caretaker]

Hi, I have a 6x4 greenhouse in my garden and was wondering about the borders, first of I was going to have gravel with some paving slabs on the floor and grow in containers, then got to thinking, how about 2 borders on both sides filled with a good compost mix to grow some spring onions, lettice, and say 2 tom plants.
The stagging could be removed in spring, well the shelves.
What are your views on this?
Reg and Pat

[sunshineband]

Personally I would always go for soil beds, and changing some of the soil every year, to keep things healthy.

Easy to water evenly imho 

and I have a slab path down the middle of mine, with a raised bed built all around to stop the soil from washing down when I water.

Werks fer me 

[Plottered]

I've got both of the above...slabs with soil borders held back with timbers and one all slabs that i use just for pots...im going to change the latter to soil beds as i think i get better results with the soil beds.

[tlm1965]

Hi, i have got soil around the sides of my greenhouses. I sometimes grow lettuces or i grow pansy's to add colour and attract bees and butterflies, it all depends on how i feel at the time.

[Optimistic Gardener]

I have a 6 x4 greenhouse.  The door is on the 4ft side and this has been my first season with it.  I managed very well with slabs as a base and a gravel bit 4" wide down the middle for drainage etc.  I grew tomatoes, sweet peppers, chillies and a cucumber (as well as a couple of pots of basil and oregano) in florists buckets filled with mushroom compost and multi purp.  I had to empty it all yesterday  but estimate that we've had at least 15-20lb of tomatoes, over 20 long red chillies, countless cucumbers and half a dozen sweet peppers.  Needless to say, with all this in it, there wasn't a lot of room left for moving around with watering can!  I don't think I could have achieved all of this if I had to leave space to move around and dig borders etc.  Good luck.

[GrannieAnnie]

I also have both, one greenhouse with soil borders and the smaller one with weed suppressant and bark, but I prefer the soil bordered one.

Every year I remove some of the soil and replace in the autumn with a bit of new soil and loads of poultry manure

[mumofstig]

I prefer the soil border, just because it makes for more even watering 

[Caretaker]

Thank for all the reply's, I am going for borders, will use a good compost mixed with grit and chicken pellets.
So far i have put down a slab path and painted the stagging, just got to re assemble it all.
Can only do small bits at a time as am still recovering from my opperation and now have developed a frozen arm but am getting better slowly.
Reg...

[brown thumb]

even if you have soil right around the borders as i have (6x8) it gives you the opportunity to grow in pot at anytime but if it was slabed the choice to grow direct into soil would be gone that way it gives you the best of both choices

[stompy]

I have soil borders too.

If you can't get to the plot for any reason they will be ok for several days, where as if they're in pots the dry out very quickly.

Also you will need to feed more often due to the small amount of soil/compost in the pots.

You also have a larger surface to grow in if you have a border and can interplant between the plants like toms/cucumbers and mellons etc.

[compostqueen]

I've been in my greenhouse today taking off hundreds of ripe toms to roast for sauce etc.  It's great in there as it's raining, cold and windy out 

Heading back there now after having a cuppa 

[stompy]

I've been in my greenhouse today taking off hundreds of ripe toms to roast for sauce etc.  It's great in there as it's raining, cold and windy out

I know exactly what you mean, listenning to the rain hammering on the glass an your warm and dry and just pottering.

I have harvested pounds and pounds of toms this season, a lot have been given to neighbours but most have been made into sauce.

I have never roasted them first though, i put them through the juicer and then reduce until it begins to thicken a little, then into sterilsed jars whilst still hot or cooled and frozen in usable batches.

[donald.cape]

Hi, I have a 8 x 6 greenhouse with a central path made from building blocks laid on their sides, on one side of the path there is soil that's changed each season in spring. This is where the winter greens and tomatoes go. The other side has gravel and removable staging and I grow stuff in pots there, chillis mini cucumbers etc as well as starting stuff off prior to hardening off in the cold frame before planting out, I'll be sowing sweet peas in November in the greenhouse. 

I have a small potting bench made from an old trolly table we had in the kitchen and I agree with Stompy about being nice and warm when it's chucking it down outside.

[Caretaker]

Thank for all the replys.
Can you tell me about mini cucumbers, i have not cume across them?

[sunshineband]

Mini cucumbers are a variety that grows only to about 5-6 ins max. There are a few, but the one I grew this year was mini munch (Unwins I think) and they were great.

The recent warm spell has rocketed them back into flower too