Now, my dear humans, I've told you all about cold frames and now it is time to clue you in on the whole greenhouse thing. These obviously are a bit more expensive than a cold frame, but then they will repay you with yummy crops for years to come and you can all say 'yah boo sucks!' to the awful British weather. (Personally, or gastropodly, I'm rather fond of rain.) The thing with greenhouses is that you can hope to grow a far wider variety of crops and you are more likely to be successful in bringing them to a ripe fruition. You will also be able to grow hardier crops even in the middle of winter if you get your sowing times right.
When it comes to choice you will be spoilt. Most practical minded gardeners opt for polycarbonate greenhouses as these tend to be more affordable and in many ways are more practical. Polycarbonate is tough, and I'm an expert on tough shells! This is especially good news if you are erecting a greenhouse on an allotment, a glasshouse is just an invitation to passing vandals. But a polycarbonate greenhouse has other advantages over glass such as improved light diffusion, preventing sun scorch on your plants and also it boasts much better insulating qualities.
You may choose to heat your greenhouse in winter, but beware this can be costly! Practical actions could be taken to decrease heating costs. A lean-to greenhouse will lose much less heat than a standalone greenhouse, as the brick within the lean-to will probably be much better insulated. Glass panes tend to lose much more heat than the new twin-wall polycarbonate glazing. Insulate your greenhouse with a bubble polythene wrap. This alone can alone can cut heating bills in half. Heat could be lost through gaps within the framework, before winter comes make certain gaps are sealed and any cracked panes are replaced.
Remember one of the most important issues in greenhouse maintenance is hygiene. Oh yes, if you don't have regular clear outs you run the risk of building up diseases and pests. (Not me, of course!) That means not leaving old pots lying around full of exhausted compost, regularly hosing the greenhouse down and wiping clean the glazing. You would be surprised also at how much light can be lost from dirty glazing.
