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greenhouse

I have just purchased my first half size greenhouse that is attached to a wall.The problem I have is this wall is not in the sun all day will that be a long term problem for the greenhouse and the plants I try to grow in there next year.?

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  • FloBearFloBear Posts: 2,281

    In my opinion it would be a problem if it was in sun all day - unless you want pre-cooked veggies ;- )

    I expect a more experienced greenhouser than I will know what's a good amount of sun to have.

  • figratfigrat Posts: 1,619
    I've got 2greenhouses, one's a standard 8x6 and the other a small lean to. They don't get full sun, especially in the summer as there are 2 enormous beech trees next door. I haven't found it a problem - indeed it has advantages like not having to whitewash in the summer months! One thing you will probably notice is that as plants will grow towards the light, they may need turning as they will grow away from the wall side. And the wall will act as a giant storage heater, saving the heat during the time the sun does shine on it.
  • ObelixxObelixx Posts: 30,064

    I have a second hand greenhouse, also 8'x6', which we first built against the back wall of the house where I have water and electricity plumbed in for outside use.  Unfortunately, as it is north facing, the sun didn'tget there till 3pm and light levels were very poor so whilst it was good for storing dormant pots over winter it never produced decent tomatoes and I ended up having to move chillies into the kitchen to get them to ripen.

    We have now rebuilt it in an area where it is in full sun most of the day but sheltered from prevailing winds on its west side by a 6' hedge and, in summer, by tall miscanthus and helenium lemon Queen to the south which mean I haven't had to do shade painting.  Despite cool temps and low light levels this summer we've managed some decent cucumbers and tomatoes and the chillies are looking good. 

    Vendée - 20kms from Atlantic coast.
    "The price good men (and women) pay for indifference to public affairs is to be ruled by evil men (and women)."
    Plato
  • PalaisglidePalaisglide Posts: 3,414

    You do not say what aspect it will have or how much sun it will get?
    My own wall attached large greenhouse is positioned to get sun all day to the last rays, next door their wall mounted GH is East and North facing gets not very much sun yet grows things. Consider it a self enclosed growing medium which you may need to heat or have heated propagators in also may have to use bubble wrap in the coldest part of winter.
    With a south facing GH you need to watch overheating, scorching, so shading is needed plus extra ventilation which is closed down only on the coldest nights, most other GH positions just need ventilating whatever the position and shading would not be needed.
    Full sun you have to be there to make sure the fan is going and the shading up if we get a sudden hot day (I do say if ever). where as out of the hottest sun you can ventilate and leave it. Watering in a hot house is an essential a cool house can be left a couple of days.
    Working people would need a GH slightly cooler and more manageable than a hot house but it will still produce most of the stuff you want to grow, even in a hot house I have heated beds, so, nothing wrong with not being in full sun. The shelter from sudden changes in temperature outside is what you are looking for and any GH provides that with good management.
    Hope this helps.

    Frank.

  • We have an East facing garage wall with an oak tree to the south. I would love a 6x8 lean to green house there, but it will never get sun. Will anything grow?   gill

  • My lean-to faces west, with nearby trees on that side. It gets a fair amount of morning sun which warms it up nicely, but is shaded in the afternoon. It grows most things well, but  I struggle with things that need a lot of sun like tomatoes. That said I could probably do it if I grew them on the south facing end, but that would shade out everything else, so they have to manage with the back wall. The fact I am high up, with short summers doesn't help either! But I don't need to shade, though I do ventilate well in warm weather. I like lean-to greenhouses, as the wall is a useful storage radiator for cold nights and you can grow climbers on it too.

  • Very useful, my greenhouse gets sun almost from sun rise until about 11.45 ish when the sun is shaded by large trees in next door's garden!

    Thanks, hope my tomatoes will get a move on, the cue;s are doing very well

    Di Gordon

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