Side Shading Blinds

[Paulines7]

My new Rhino greenhouse is now completed and has several growbags with tomatoes, cues and early courgettes.  I have plenty of ventilation with ten roof vents and 5 louvres so have been able to control the heat.  However, the leaves are going dry at the top on three of my tomato plants which are on the southern side.  They were some of the first ones I put in and those I planted at the same time are situated on the opposite side of the greenhouse and although the top leaves are curled, the leaves do not feel dry. Could it be that the ones on the southern side are getting too much sun?

I am thinking of buying some Rhino side shades that roll up and fix under the guttering.  Has anyone used these please and what do you think of them?    I could put fleece up but the blinds would be so much easier to control and should last for many years.  The 12ft width ones are only £34 each and I probably would only need one.  I have ruled out roof blinds for this year as they would be far too expensive at £66 for each 2ft wide strip.

This is the finished greenhouse but before I planted the tomatoes.

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[Paulines7]

[davyw1]

Taking into consideration the wind we have been getting i think one of your neighbours may end up with them.
Thats a lot of money when Coolglass will do the job just as good and it wont blow off in the wind

http://www.greenfingers.com/superstore/product.asp?dept_id=200671&pf_id=LS2761D&co=fr&gclid=CJbB27DIz7cCFRMPtAodPy8AFA

[goodlife]

If my GH needs any shading..I just peg a fleece/curtain/insect mesh on outside of the GH for those days. Very cheap and quick job and not even needed most years. At the moment I have just small section shaded just a tad..but that section is where my seedtrays and young seedlings are.

[Squash64]

Your greenhouse looks lovely Pauline, but I am biased!

When we had our allotment greenhouse last year we had the blinds at the same time.  We had them fitted to all the roof along
one side.  They are very easy to pull down with the pole which we bought, and they stay in place
without a problem.  I would recommend them.

[Han]

OMG! That is a really, really nice greenhouse!

[Paulines7]

Thanks for your replies.

I don't want to paint the glass with anything, Davyw1, as I like to be able to look out at the wildlife.  There will also be days when it is overcast and I will want as much heat and light as possible.  Roof blinds should not be blown away as they are fed into the ridge bar the same way and in the same slots as the vents. 

Goodlife, if I don't go ahead and get the blinds this year then I will use fleece.  There is no way to attach it securely to the outside though but it can be attached to the inside. 

I definitely think pull down blinds are the way ahead in the long term.  However, the salesman I spoke to at Greenhouses Direct gave me the prices for shades that clip on as he misunderstood what I wanted.  I thought they were cheap! 

The roller blinds that you have Squash64 are expensive but, as you say, are so much easier to operate and control.  Thank you for your recommendation. 

Han, it is a lovely greenhouse and I am so pleased with it.  My OH has made the paths mobility scooter friendly so I can continue to use it in years to come when I am even less mobile than now. 

[grannyjanny]

Pauline could you stretch a net curtain wire across & fold the fleece over that perhaps?

[Ellen K]

I have seen those roll up straw beach mats chucked over GHs to provide shade - surprisingly effective, stays down in the wind better than you might think and a little less of of eyesore than a covering of debris netting (also popular on my allotment site).

Your GH is wonderful Pauline, hope it gives you many many hours of joy.

[chriscross1966]

Nice to see someone else believes in big greenhouses :D... I find my 20x10 Robinsons doesn't seem to need shading but..... I did replace the panels in the roof on the south faing side with a less than completely clear polycarbonate and the panels on that side with translucent twinwall... with two self-acting double-pane roof vents and some louvres I find it stays at a sensible temperature all day..... the big ones don't seem to suffer overheating as much as the smaller ones do...

[Paulines7]

Pauline could you stretch a net curtain wire across & fold the fleece over that perhaps?

I noticed yesterday that the sun was definitely coming in through the roof rather than the sides and if I put fleece over a net curtain wire (given that I could get one 18ft long), I would not be able to reach it easily if I had to take it up or down on a daily basis.  However, it is a good idea for shading the sides if need be.  I have some strong wire that I could use rather than curtain wire.   

I have seen those roll up straw beach mats chucked over GHs to provide shade - surprisingly effective, stays down in the wind better than you might think and a little less of of eyesore than a covering of debris netting (also popular on my allotment site).
Your GH is wonderful Pauline, hope it gives you many many hours of joy.

The greenhouse is situated in a very windy position and even if the straw beach mats stayed in place, I would have difficulty rolling them up as I can only reach the apex from the front and end and not from the sides.  The blinds are spring loaded and come with a long pole which means I could pull them up or down as required.

I am sure the GH will give me many hours of joy, Ellen, as it has done already.  I have an easy chair in there and a pair of binoculars!   

I rang Greenhouses Direct again this morning and have been offered a discount of 25% off the blinds.  I have chatted it over with my OH and we have decided to go ahead with the roof blinds, so I am about to ring up and order them.   

[grannyjanny]

Pauline, you should be able to get a net if need be. Our front windows are 12' long & before d/g we had nets up.

[davyw1]

Does these polycarb GHs have the slots up the middle of the uprights like the aliminium ones what you can twist the plastic clips into

[Paulines7]

Pauline, you should be able to get a net if need be. Our front windows are 12' long & before d/g we had nets up.

I won't be buying net curtains for the sides, grannyjanny, as I already have a large roll of fleece.  I am sure that the wire I have will be strong enough to hold the fleece.  Please excuse my ignorance but I don't know what you mean by "d/g"?

Does these polycarb GHs have the slots up the middle of the uprights like the aliminium ones what you can twist the plastic clips into

I don't know about polycarb GHs, Davyw, as mine has toughened glass.  It has the slots on the inside for twisting the plastic clips into.

I ordered the roof vents this afternoon so, hopefully, I won't be disappointed with them. 

[grannyjanny]

Sorry Pauline, d/g = double glazing. We live near Manchester airport, nuff said.

[pumkinlover]

That's a fantastic greenhouse P7.
I agree about the painted on shading it is such a pain to get off, with a ghouse like that it deserves the best!!
I string up old curtains and sheets in my alpine house it looks a b******r

[Paulines7]

That's a fantastic greenhouse P7.

Thankyou Pumpkinlover. 
It's thanks to Betty (Squash64) for inspiring me to get this greenhouse!  She put up a photo of a Rhino in April 2012 as they had just had one erected in Walsall Allotments.  It took me a year to finally go ahead and get one but I am so pleased with it.   

Grannyjanny, I should have realised d/g was double glazing as I used to be a rep for Anglian Windows!  I was confused as I was thinking greenhouse terms!  Silly me!

[Squash64]

Pauline, I thought you might like to see our greenhouse with the blinds so I
asked one of our plot holders if he would demonstrate them.



They are really easy to open and close, and work even over the automatic
windows.

(our greenhouse is very untidy compared to yours!)

[Paulines7]

Betty, thank you for taking and displaying the photos and thanks too to the other plot holder for demonstrating them. 

My new greenhouse is bound to be more tidier than the one on your allotment as there is only me using it! 

My old greenhouse was in a terrible state and had old, rotten, wooden staging.  Underneath, I had a multitude of pots which were thrown under there in great disorder.   Ivy had made its way in over the years and many of the panes of glass had cracked or had bits missing.  I haven't emptied it yet so my new one would not look so good if I was to move all the old stuff into it.  Fortunately, we have a large, disused poultry unit which the previous owner of our property cleared out and cleaned.  It is very useful for storing everything.