Greenhouse Base

[earthworm]

Ay up,

I've got a greenhouse off evilBay, and the previous owner at the house has put a grave base in one corner with a wooden 6-7 inch deep frame set into the ground around it.

Is this a suitable base for a green house? They had a shed on it before.

I'm not sure if it'd be better with the greenhouse base screwed onto the wood, or just resting on the gravel?

Also, the frame is about a foot short in each direction, so I'll need to move it and extend it. Is this worth the effort or is the base less than ideal anyway? I've read that some people think they're better on slabs or just on the mud!

[Green Aura]

Difficult to answer without knowing the conditions. I presume it's an aluminium greenhouse. Ours was fixed onto a base made from railway sleepers, that were half buried. It not only gave a solid base but also raised the eaves by about 4".

Instead of moving the existing base can you just extend it - or is space an issue where it is? If you can build round it on two sides, if that makes sense - then you could use the existing frame, which would be inside the greenhouse, to either support staging or to dig out and make beds - they're just as useful in there as outside.

I would only keep the gravel to a path, but my parents always grew their tomatoes etc in pots standing on gravel beds, so, depending on what's under the gravel I suppose it's just a matter of choice.

[oldjerry]

Ditto that.If your sleepers or similar are uneven or a bit ropey,fix 2''x1'' planed lathes to them then the GH to the lathes(obviously stagger the fixings). Best Wishes.

[earthworm]

I probably didn't explain very well.

There's a wooden frame that's set a few inches into the floor, the inside of that is filled with stones. The last owners had a shed on it.

My new greenhouse is a metal frame with proper glass. Its got a metal frame/base which it needs to be built in.

I can extend the frame, there's room and that. So, extend the frame and then set the greenhouse on (or in) that?

[Green Aura]

I think that's what I thought you meant

If your wooden frame is, for example 8' x 6' and your greenhouse is 10' x 12' then you can lay another bit of frame round two sides to make it the right size, yes?

That will give you 2' of new bed round two sides, nice size to grow tomatoes in (assuming you have the height under the eaves. - or you could transfer a load of the stones into it then stand some staging on the frame - getting staging to stay upright when it's laid on soil is a pain - it sinks! And you can make bigger beds down the other side and just have a gravel path up the middle of the greenhouse for access.

The metal base should be fixable to the wood - ours was.

[Millymollymandy]

I've always wondered what people do cos all the greenhouses sold in the DIY places here don't come with bases, whereas when I bought one mail order years back it came with a base which was concreted into the ground.

I would definitely make sure it is secured to something and not just sitting on the ground or it might move when it is windy!

[earthworm]

Well, I finally started on this yesterday.

I'm going to pull up the wooden frame that's too small. I skimmed off the stones that are in the frame, and there was rubble under it. I've piled the rubble up and away from the back edges.

I'm going to get a load of breeze blocks and sand, and lay them along the back edges, then set some more beyond the old wooden frame. That'll be the new base, then I can pull up the old wooden frame, and spread the rubble and stones out into the new bigger space.

Finally, I should be able to drill into the breeze blocks and screw the frame down.

One important thing! Can I put a greenhouse in the corner? You can glaze the greenhouse from the inside on the back corner right, then work round?