Euro-Maxi garden greenhouse

The six sizes come in two widths, 2.36 m and 3.09 m, each available in three lengths, from 7.29 to 18.66 m² covered. All six sizes have the standard gutter, at 1.71 m above the standard foundation profile, with a ridge at 2.36 m on the 2.36 m width and 2.50 m on the 3.09 m width. The same greenhouse is also made with a raised gutter at 1.91 m, and a reinforced foundation profile, designed for sandy soils, raises the whole structure by 10 cm. If you train tall plants or are yourself taller than 1.70 m, request one of these options through the contact page before ordering, as each one changes the price. The number of roof vents follows the length, from 2 on the short sizes to 4 on the 6.04 m greenhouse.

The Euro-Maxi is well suited to growing tomatoes in the ground, and the space is calculated by the row. One plant needs about 50 cm along the row and easily reaches 2 m in height once trained. In the 2.36 × 3.09 m size, two rows planted along the walls thus take 6 plants each, giving 12 plants on either side of the central path. In the 3.09 × 6.04 m size, the same rows take 12 plants each, and the width leaves a central bed for peppers or cucumbers. As the standard gutter stands at 1.71 m, guide the stems that rise above it towards the centre, on a wire stretched under the ridge. The guide Growing tomatoes in aquaponics covers the choice of varieties, pollination and pruning of the stems.

The walls and roof are glazed with 4 mm safety glass, that is, toughened glass, which lets through around 90% of the light. This high transmission matters in spring, when seedlings need as much light as possible on days that are still short. If a pane breaks, from a branch or a tool striking the glass, toughened glass breaks into small pieces with rounded edges rather than sharp shards, which makes clearing up less hazardous. Each panel is cut for its own position: if one of them does not fit into its slot during assembly, first check that the frames are square and level, then loosen the nuts slightly and engage the pane at the top before the bottom.

The greenhouse arrives as a kit, with assembly instructions specific to its width. Two people can put the basic models together in a day, and the structure is fully bolted, with no glue or welding, which leaves you free to dismantle it if you move house. Your ground preparation time comes on top of that day, and it decides what follows: a base profile laid on loose soil sinks on one side. So check the levelling before assembly, not after. Also plan something to hold the glass panels flat during assembly, and work in calm weather: a panel 73 cm wide catches the wind in a way that two people struggle to hold on a ladder.

The foundation profile is fixed to the ground with anchors driven in at the corners. A few days after assembly, once the greenhouse is square, quick-setting concrete poured around each anchor secures it permanently, at about 13 kg of concrete per hole. Across the width, the greenhouse must be perfectly level; along the length, a slope of about 1 cm per metre is acceptable and helps rainwater run off.

The roof has 2 to 4 roof vents depending on the size chosen, and it is through these that the hot air escapes. The 2.36 m wide sizes have 2 or 3, and the 3.09 m ones up to 4 on the longest length. You operate them by hand, and you can ask for extras, or sliding windows, through the contact page before ordering, if the temperature in your greenhouse rises quickly at times when you are not there. The sliding door completes this ventilation: it opens without projecting into a pathway, and you can adjust how far it opens to the centimetre.

You receive the greenhouse as a kit: the aluminium profiles, the stainless steel screws and bolts, the EPDM seals, the 4 mm toughened glass panels, the foundation profile, the sliding door, the roof vents (the number depends on your size), and the assembly instructions specific to your width. The aluminium structure is guaranteed for 10 years. The finish, RAL 6009 green or RAL 9005 black, is chosen when you order and is applied to the profiles before dispatch, which lengthens the manufacturing time slightly.