Kitchen Garden Forum

This year is my first time in a garden and we're building a greenhouse in it. It's not an expensive glass greenhouse, rather a cheaper one made of artificial glass. Very light weight! I'm waiting for a huge storm to pass this sunday before I start building it. How do you anchor your greenhouse and protect it against storms? At the end of the year it might also storm again and I can't afford this greenhouse breaking into pieces...

It already has a foundation to anchor it but what else can I do to strengthen the frame itself?

Our greenhouse shed was very exposed to winds and we buried 2m poles on two opposing corners, 1m in the ground and 1m to screw the shed to them above ground. That certainly kept the shed upright and on the ground when others on the site were blown over. I realise fixing a greenhouse to poles would be more difficult but I am sure you could find a way, Elmigo.

Good morning Elmigo, diagonals is the word that will help you most....so whether it's plastic poles, wooden battens or even stout bamboos...and these can either be tied, screwed, glued, or even strongly taped into place...all depending on what the frame is made of!

I think OH has the answer, which is some bracing. Look at scaffolding construction, there are always plenty of angled braces in place.

I think you're very wise to delay building your greenhouse until this weekend,s storm has passed.

I dont think anchoring it to your fence is a possibility and X anchoring in some way would seem to be the best suggestion if you can get four thick poles in each corner and then somehow rope them in diagonally.

I have a mini plastic greenhouse which has a different type of anchoring. There are two bolts drilled into the house wall and a long nylon luggage strap is anchored through the wall bolts nd around the structure at two thirds of its height. I doubt this would work with yiur fence though unless there were two strong upright posts between the panels I to which bolts could be screwed, and then perhaps some kind of rope of thick strap could be wound around the entire structure and fastened to keep it stable.

This might work with a very small greenhouse but yours my be too big to be strapped around like this.

Alternatively if the foundation is already in place, could you anchor it with two strong ropes or my,on strengthened straps over the roof and hammer some some metal tent pegs Into the ground theiugh whixh the fastening rope is held.

Is it a traditional shape greenhouse with a V shaped roof? . Do you have a picture you can post Elmigo which might generate some other ideas?

I think it’s time to anchor everything down here, the wind has started to blow this last hour ,I think this storm is going to be worse than forecast maybe a time to say a prayer to Odin

I think OH's word "diagonals" is the key. Tonight the storm is slowly building up! After all this has passed I'll be in a rush to build it for the coming cucumber, pepper and tomato season.

Monika & OH have given good advice, look at the options when it is up. If you can drill holes & screw into the frame at some part of the structure without ruining the integrity of the structure you will be OK! Actually as it is not glass that will be easier & possibly stronger if you have to go through the 'glass' & frame! Proper bolts & washers holding it to fence posts or whatever should keep it standing for ages!

Primrose wrote: Is it a traditional shape greenhouse with a V shaped roof? . Do you have a picture you can post Elmigo which might generate some other ideas?

It's not exactly the same greenhouse but the one I bought looks very similar to this. Same construction too. I would be afraid of glass breaking if I had one with real glass in it.

Is it worth contacting the suppliers/manufacturers and asking if they have any wind or storm proof suggestions?
Some previous customers may have asked the same questions. I doubt they'll have a suitable kit but worth asking asking th question.

Yes, glass would be very dangerous if it broke as tiny slivers could remain scattered around the garden for years and make hand weeding very risky.