'Gardening' on the greenhouse floor under a raised plunge

[mark smyth]

I spent today clearing the rubbish, pots, labels, spilt potting mix etc, that has accumulated under the raised plunges in the greenhouse. This got me thinking about it being wasted space.

Does anyone 'garden' under the greenhouse benches? There isn't a shelf under mine. I was thinking if I got scaffolding planks or similar, tied them to the plunge frame legs with cable ties and filled the space with sand I could grow more plants in clay pots.

My greenhouse gets full sun when it shines from late Feb until about October. All other times its full shade.

What could I grow under there?

[Martinr]

I use it for Hepaticas, Pleiones after they've flowered, Petrocosmias and newly potted on seedling for a few days.

[ian mcdonald]

Hello Mark, I don,t know what the surface is under the bench. Is it concrete or stone chippings. If the latter you may be able to grow small ferns there?

[annew]

I use it for small trilliums, cyclamen, anemonellas, even a snowdrop! I have started sowing my cyclamen seeds straight into the sand as well, since that's what they seem to want to do anyway.

[mark smyth]

Thanks for the replies

The space I have is 8 feet x 30 inches

[mark smyth]

make it a sand plunge with plants in clay pots?

[Maggi Young]

Before Ian refitted our glasshouses with the natty new staging we had sand below the staging that was very useful for accommodating any number of plants in pots, either ones which wanted a shadier spot or those out of flower.... so I would say it doesn't even need to be a "plunge", Mark .

[mark smyth]

I'm thinking I could move my miniature Hostas under there and or Galanthus chips if I ever get round to chipping them. I have marked all I want to do with bright yellow labels

[fredg]

If I didn't I'd have to get rid of half of my plants.

[ruweiss]

The space under my greenhouse staging is very useful for keeping new potted plants until new growth starts
and for many other ones which need more shadier conditons like Asarums, Petrocosmeas and other Gesneriads.