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Gert and I have a really odd shaped garden that makes siting a greenhouse virtually impossible. It's also in a wind tunnel so the plastic B&Q ones just end up 2 miles down the road. Our windowsills are cold and quite dark so my problem every year is getting things like sweetcorn and cucumbers to germinate.

Tonight I have rigged up a clothes airer in the bedroom with B&Q greenhouse shelving and an oil filled radiator underneath. Seeds (and Gert) are all gently steaming away. Do you think it will work? Any other tips on this problem for us poor cold people?

Thanks Mrs Gx

Not going to be able to help with your question. But I will add some extra cucumbers to mine, then I can hopefully give you some seedlings at the Wiltshire meet up. Then you have a plan B. Can't help with the sweetcorn though sorry.

That's a very kind offer. Thank you.

Might it be fun to all bring a homemade/grown/produced gift to the meet so that everybody goes home with something - like a secret santa-ish?

Mrs G

A heated propagator would solve the cold bit but not the light bit. Light could be helped by putting the seed trays in a cardboard box lined with silver foil to reflect light. Tony Odsox posted a photo of his foil box which helps prevent the leggy seedlings reaching for the light problem but I'm not sure where to find that photo! Maybe a combination of both, even if you have to put a table or something temporarily in front of your brightest window for a few weeks?

Hi mrs gert try crossing the first image with the second an you'll maybe be able to make something that fits on your lot

Homegrown, could I get more info on this image please? Specifically, is that pvc or metal tubing and how is it attached to the pallet? I assumed pipe straping, but I can't see on my pallet how to get them to attach firmly.

Hooray, hooray, it worked, it worked.

Last year, I ordered 2 of those metal framed, PVC covered polytunnels off fleabay (2mtrs x 4mtrs) - the guy sent me 2 piddly little plastic greenhouses to start with (5ft x 5ft) Although the frame & shelves were metal.

Anyway, I kept the greenhouses, because they were shelved both sides & I thought they would come in very handy.
First, I built the frames up, then popped on the covers. Then I moved the legs in a little bit & with the greenhouse, I dug a foot deep trench & buried those cover bottoms, but I popped some 9 x 1 boards around the outside of the legs & used those pipe 'U' clips & screwed the frame to the boards. A couple of deep 2 x 1 stakes were sunk in & the boards screwed to those. Then I popped some 2 x 1 lengths to the outside of the covers & screwed those to the 9 x 1's inside - so the covers are sandwiched AND buried! The frame isn't going anywhere, the covers are secure & the whole thing doesn't move & isn't going to end up across the fields!!

With the tunnels, I brought the covers inside the polytunnel under the 9 x 1's & sandwiched them with some featherboards, but again we used the 'U' clips to seure the frames, staked the boards down & made a raised bed either side, so it's all covered with soil now, and very very solid!

I think hubby took some pics of what I'd done, so I'll check his camera later.... I think he was quite impressed with my efforts!