My plastic bottle greenhouse

First off I bought the "plastic fantastic" booklet from Earthship Fyfe (see link below).
I then set about collecting the parts together, namely :
Fenceposts, reasonably thick wire, and of course empty 2 litre plastic bottles.
For this I turned to Freegle, and after 6 months I had a garage full of bin liners of plastic bottles, some fence posts, and I bought some garden wire from ebay and Wilkos.
Whilst I was still collecting bottles I started to process what I had, which involved taking the labels off the bottles, cutting off the bottoms and stacking them together.
I stacked most them in 3's initially as they then fitted back into the bin liners nicely, but some went on bamboo canes in my garden to see how they would fare over the winter.
The actual construction started once the really cold weather stopped and I was happy to be working outside.
Firstly I sorted out what fence posts I had and from that drew up a rough plan of the shape of the greenhouse. Deciding on a sloping roof as then I'd only need one gutter.
Next was putting the frame together using the odd lengths of fence posts that I had salvaged,,,
Then I started stretching the supporting wires around the wooden frame. This was done in layers wrapping the wires around each post to give pairs of wires between which the bottles can be slotted (see photo's)
After that it was just a case of slotting in the stacks of bottles (tops downwards so that any water would drain out the bottom of the bottles) digging the bottom of each stack slightly into the soil, and using this to give a bit of leeway in the height of the stacks, and having an uncut bottle at the top of each stack.
Finally adding wire ties to tighten the supporting wires around the stacks at random intervals.
The last section to go on was the roof, then finally I made a frame for the door and hung and stacked that.

Its 3 years this April since I built the greenhouse, and despite huge scepticism from other allotment holders, and my none to skilled building of the framework, its very much still there. The gorgeous weather today meant that I pottered down to the allotment for the first time this year. The greenhouse looked fantastic, lit up by the January sunshine. Despite being in a fairly windy location it has stood up to the weather really well. I had to rejiggle the bottles in the door today, as a couple had blown out, but only because the door latch had broken and the door has been flapping in the wind, and will probably need to add a few bit and pieces of bottle all round, as the stacked bottles do slowly sink into each other and leave a slight gap at the top, but it hasn't blown away, and the bottles haven't degraded noticeably (someone told me they would only last 12 months outside).
Overall I am still really chuffed with it, and if the weather keeps up I will be adding the 'cloche' to the front and redoing the side extension windbreak over the next few weeks. I can't wait to start planting for this year, and do need to get some tomato and pepper seeds started off at home.
The lettuces are doing ok in there again, and it shouldn't be long before they spring back to life and we get to give the garden lettuces a rest. Temperstures continue to be about 4 degrees C higher inside than out (even though the door was open!)
:)

Well... not a lot going on now.
What I have done since Septembers post is clear out the tomato plants and plant out a load of lettuce and chinese cabbage to overwinter in the greenhouse and supply me with early salads next year. Although if the weather stays as mild as it has been I may well be picking them during the winter.
I may get round to the extension sometime... but whilst the weather is good my new obsession of disc golf is eating into my allotment time.

September has almost gone, but it's finishing with a heatwave. It was 27C in the greenhouse today, and 23C outside it. The tomatoes are ripening up nicely, easily the best year in the greenhouse, despite my early misgivings. As I haven't been nipping off sideshoots or any of those things you are meant to do with tomatoes its a bit crowded in there, and they are even growing out of the side and roof, between the bottles. The plastic sheeting has astarted to rip off, as it always does, but It has done its summer job of keeping the greenhouse from getting too damp inside.
Once the weather dies down to the seasonal norms I will take out the toms, and get the winter lettuce seedlings that are growing at home in. Its just such nice weather this week.

Well August is almost gone, and the weather is more like mid-September, but despite that the allotment generally, and the Greenhouse particularly are doing ok. The Tomatoes are curling over as they've hit the roof, and starting to ripen up - normally by this time they'd have blight and I'd be making green tomato chutney. Structurally its all still great. I still haven't got round to the side extension - maybe in the Autumn proper.
UPDATE 3rd September
Well we're just into September now, and I've realised I forgot to report on the temperatures.
The Greenhouse appears to be consistently about 3-5 degrees centigrade warmer than outside, depending on the wind (its a higher difference the more windy it is)
The Tomatoes are slowly ripening up, and its easily the best year for tomatoes in the greenhouse, despite the poor start. Helped enormously by the fact that I've had no blight. Where I would normally have had to pick a lot of green tomatoes when the blight struck, this year they can ripen up themselves, and are the largest tomatoes I have grown in there. The downside being I cant get my winter lettuce in until the tomatoes are out!

The weather has continued to be very changeable, with not enough rain to get the ground wet, and not enough sun for the plants to really take off.
In the greenhouse the tomatoes have continued to do badly, I really must use growbags again next year! but they are picking up a bit.
I now have a thermometer inside the greenhouse, and another outside, so I can compare the temperature.
On the 7th July - when I put the thermometers out, it was 17C outside, and 21.5C in the greenhouse, mainly I think due to the wind protection, as it was very windy outside. I will take note everytime i go down, and hopefully work out what sort of difference the greenhouse makes.
UPDATE: I've been monitoring the temperature for a couple of weeks now and can say that the greenhouse temperature is generally 3-5 degrees C higher than outside in the sun.

A funny month weather wise, sun and wind with a bit of rain that completely failed to get the soil wet.
The greenhouse isn't doing so well, the tomatoes are looking weedy and I'm wondering why I didn't use growbags as i have before. But never mind I have lots of tomatoes in my garden. I will try putting something else in at the extra space infront of the weedy tomatoes, and hope that the cucumbers take better....

Well its been a gloriously sunny month, now we just need some rain...
Everything is busy growing on the allotment, and at home where i have a lot of seedlings waiting to go to the allotment.
The greenhouse is still standing up to the recent wind. I have now added plastic to the roof,as I did last year to prevent it getting too humid in there (if it ever rains...), and the tomatoes are in, although all of my cucumber seedlings have been eaten, and the overwintered lettuces are slowly being picked. There are also 2 wooden boxes of potatoes in there as well (in the aisle) which i will soon be eating.
All is well, and my allotment neighbour of the last year asked is she could see inside, so people are still curious...
I haven't got round to the extension yet, but hope to over the summer.

All is still ok. I tried making one end a hotbed on the outside, but it hasnt worked. Things are growing in the hotbed, its just not hot. Did a few bottle replacements due to sinkage, and will do a side extension when I get round to it. Ticking along nicely - with lots of lettuce.... cant wait to get my cucumbers and tomatoes in there, but I will resist for now.

Well its survived another winter. Although its very windy today the walls are just moving about a bit, not falling down. I do need to do a bit of bottle replacing, as the columns have sunk a bit, so no longer quite reach the frame at the top, so I will redo the top layer of bottles when I remember. The lettuce I put in in the autumn is doing ok, and will get me some early salads once the spring arrives.

Well, Its still still there. The plastic sheeting on the roof has shredded and gone, but that doesn't matter for the winter as I want the rain to get in to water the lettuces. The tomatoes are all cleared out - and boy did those roots go a long way, straight through the bottom of the growbags and well into the soil beneath. Winter lettuce seedlings are planted, so the greenhouse is set for another winter.

June....
Lots of growing going on generally, and in the greenhouse there are tomatoes - I'm trying to keep on top of them a bit more this year, and have planted less so they don't get too crowded - cucumbers, peppers and aubergines, plus carrots in growbags and boxes. The new roof cover is still on, and the water butt has filled up enough for me to discover the tap doesn't work, but at least the roof and gutter are filling it up.
July and August....
Picking loads and not buying any fruit or veg at all as the allotment is providing crops of lettuce, raspberries, blackberries, courgettes, squashes, leaf beet, french beans, potatoes, onions, beetroot and chives.
Plus the greenhouse is now producing a healthy crop of tomatoes, and a few carrots.
Its still holding itself up, with the only glitch being the plastic sheet added to the roof which is starting to shred in the wind.

Stuff growing apace, with the couch grass springing up everywhere. All ok still. Carrots and potatoes coming along nicely in the greenhouse, as well as lots of seedlings and the lettuce that's been sitting there all winter. Its a nice warm spot to work in out of the wind and was soooo worth building last year. Structurally its all ok, with the roof no longer collecting water in the bottles. Once I put this years permanent crops in there (tomatoes, aubergines and cucumbers, I am going to put a plastic sheet over the roof so that the water doesn't pour in when it rains, as last year it was too humid in there, but for now its keeping the seedlings watered.

Well we're pretty much a year on from building the greenhouse and its still standing, and being used. The bottles are standing up well to the winter wind , rain and the couple of inches of snow we had in January. So I'm looking forward to filling it up and making the most of it over the spring and summer.

Well the greenhouse and i are still on the allotment. The roof is completely redone, the winter veg are in and all appears to be ok....

A couple of repairs have been made, the roof bottles reversed to stop the water collecting in them, and odd bits of frame and the door that were falling apart due to my bad carpentry repaired. Stuff is still growing in there though, several cucumbers on the go, a load of lettuce and cabbage seedlings that I will plant in there for the winter, and a couple of peppers and an aubergine. Meanwhile I've been on probation at the allotment due to it "not being a playground" and have had to remove the slide and do all the tidying up I've been meaning to do for months. Its looking good though despite the site secretary declaring the greenhouse to be an eyesore.... I've just got to wait another week to see if they throw me off!

Well, its filling up with tomato plants basically, they have reached the ceiling and dont look to be stopping.
Structurally my DIY skills are being shown up, as the doors falling apart, and the roof is still filling up with water - I am going to pierce the bottles to let the water out, but need to use a hot nail or equivalent to do it as I cant puncture them with a knife, but I keep forgetting to take the stuff with me to do it.
Temperature wise its doing nicely, it was nice and warm in there at 5.30 this morning, and too warm by about 11am.
See the pics below.

Well its still there, which is a good start.
My Tomatoes and Cucumbers are doing well, as you can see in the new pictures. The Aubergines have succumbed to slugs however. I'm busily trying to sort out the rest of the allotment and get a playhouse built so the greenhouse is being left to its own devices.The major niggle at the moment is the roof, as my idea of putting the bottles neck down is great in the walls, but is causing big puddles to form in the roof bottles. Therefore at some point I will have to take the roof out - probably one row at a time, and reverse the bottles. Hopefully this will sort out the problem as water will drip out between the bottles where at the moment its collecting in the necks.

Well its been up a few weeks now, and has tomatoes, aubergines and cucumber plants in growbags in it, plus a lot of seeds in pots, and they are looking good so far (it hasn't been that cold yet though)
The instant impression is how much warmer it is in there than outside, its in quite a windy spot so just getting rid of the wind makes a big difference, plus the fact that its self watering... by which I mean that the guttering is pointless as all of the rain drips through the roof - and waters the plants, so its not a problem, but it is not a good place to shelter....
Wind wise its holding up well, the walls and roof shift about and squeak a bit in the wind but so far nothing has blown out.
Overall I'm impressed, and a coldframe might well be the next step as I still have a lot of bottles in my garage.