Healthy Living Books Outdoor Living

Rating: - Compact & cheap solution
Good, cheap solution for bringing on seedlings and protecting tender cuttings from the winter weather.

My tests (using one max/min thermometer inside the mini-greenhouse and one outside) show the product gives an average of about 2°C extra temperature during the day and 1.5°C during the night. The Gardman 4 Tier Mini Greenhouse Fleece Cover only adds a further 0.5°C but an extra Gardman 3 Tier Mini Greenhouse Cover over that (double-glazing with a fleece interlining) gives a total of around 4°C of frost protection even with snow settling on the top. To get even more protection you can put a hot water bottle on the bottom shelf but you'll have to change this a few times per night so frost-tender specimens will have to be taken indoors on very cold nights.

If you allow direct sunlight to strike the greenhouse then make sure that you unzip and roll up the door or else your plants will cook. I made this mistake, thinking that the weak winter sun wouldn't be that hot, but the internal temperature rose to 28°C within a few minutes.

I haven't had any problems with the zips (as reported in other customer reviews) but I've been really careful with them because of these warnings.

Assembly is very simple and the product is very light. Be sure not to move it around by holding the upper parts otherwise the poles will detach from their holes and you'll be left with a mass of plants, pots and soil on the ground. Best to have two people lift it each holding onto the bottom.

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Rating: - Good but...
In theory this is a great pruduct and works well as an alternative to a glass greenhouse. It is very easy to put together but make sure that you put plenty heavy plants etc on the bottom row as it is quite flimsy and could blow over in the wind.

I would recommend that if you buy this greenhouse, you buy an extra plastic cover for it. I've had my greenhouse for about a month and the plastic has come away from the zip, leaving a hole in it. The plastic covers are cheap enough to replace so it isn't a problem, but as this seems to be a common problem, be prepared!

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Rating: - Watch them grow...
I borrowed one of these from my in-laws, and it worked very well for me.

I started my seedlings off in here and kept some peppers in. I also grew some lettuces out of season.

It's only small so you won't be able to keep a jungle in there. I have read that people have had problems with the plastic ripping. The plastic on mine is (so far) unscathed and the zips are still firmly attached. If you can't afford a glass greenhouse, or don't have room, then this is perfect.

The metal shelves and frame make this quite sturdy, the only problems I can find are:

*No ventilation cover to open. In summer when it's red hot, to keep the greenhouse from overheating you have to unzip the door, an zippable panel at the top would be better.

*It blows over easy if there's not much weight in it.

Overall though - this has been a great addition to my garden, easy to put up and put away. If my plastic rips then I'll update my 4 star rating on this review, but so far I'm very happy with it.

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Rating: - Don't bother
Within days the cover started to split around the frame. There must be better ones than this on the market.

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Rating: - A ripping time.....
I bought this after it had good reviews on the Beeb's gardening messageboards. For three weeks it was fine - then the plastic cover started to come away from the zip on both sides of the door. It was kept against a fence away from the elements so I don't think that it was wind damage. It's a shame because this product is a very real alternative if your garden isn't large enough for a greenhouse.