GARDENING ON THE EDGE: Replacing the old greenhouse will be worth it in the end
Register for free to read more of the latest local news. It's easy and will only take a moment.
Our home-built, barn lean-to greenhouse is over six years old. It initially worked well, but time and the elements have taken their toll.
The clear corrugated plastic roof leaks at the joints. Sunlight has made it brittle and several holes have appeared in it. It also now sags a bit.
Worse, the location, which we had no choice about, as a conventional free standing greenhouse would have lasted five minutes, puddles in very prolonged wet weather, flooding the greenhouse.
It is no coincidence that the damp bed is next to the greenhouse!
Unfortunately there is a buried floor from a demolished building in that area, which we dare not try and dig up as our gas supply pipe runs somewhere underneath it!
For the last three years I have tried to overwinter tender or Mediterranean plants in there, either in the beds or in pots.
Losses have been high, as the time we get the wet is the worst time for them: autumn, when temperatures are already too low for them to dry out. Further, the last three autumns have been very wet indeed.
While in summer it gets plenty of sunshine, it gets none from November to February, which does not help.
This winter I have lost just about everything, even though they were in pots in free-draining compost.
The need to overwinter Lavender, Rosemary, Sage and Thyme will increase this year when the new herb garden is planted up.
I had already decided to fallow the greenhouse beds this season to try and eradicate some pests that had become persistent.
Now the change will be even more dramatic. We are taking them all out!
To try and stop the damp and flooding we are going to concrete and waterproof the floor. All of it, with the exception of the narrow raised bed along the barn wall, where grow several fruit trees including two vines.
That never really gets as damp and has been covered with weed fabric to create a standing area in between the permanent residents.
Once we have a solid, hard floor, three large raised beds will go back.
However, instead of connecting directly to the ground, they will be up on legs to keep them off the floor. Just in case. Excess water will drain onto said floor via drainage holes in the bottom.
Two other, smaller raised beds will be replaced with wooden slatted staging.
I also plan to section the bed with the nectarine, vines, fig and hop, so they are growing in their own raised beds, in between which will be more staging.
I can then try growing plants like sweet pepper and chillies in pots instead, with better control over watering and keeping them pest free.
The roof will be redone with polycarbonate sheeting in solid wooden frames.
This should do away with the constant autumn and winter dripping, which has added to the humidity in the greenhouse.
We also have acquired a number of second hand double-glazed windows, which will be used to make the long side and improve light levels, and which we can open for venting in hot weather. Up until now we only had one, plus two doors.
It is a big project involving lots of work. But we are both up for it, especially if it improves vegetable yields and keeps my Mediterranean plants alive throughout winter.
