What do you have for a floor base in your greenhouse?

Just up-sized my greenhouse to a 12'X8' and decided to build the new one onto a pressure treated wood frame anchored down at each corner. I have placed 2 layers of landscape fabric under the frame and ran the lengths crisscross to ensure a good cover. I was thinking of a smooth pea gravel for the floor base and also along the outside of the greenhouse. Or would flat stone be better. I have not intentions of planting anything directly in the ground inside the greenhouse, so I would like to keep it easy and have it with good drainage. Also, with our cold temps, I think the stone will hold the daytime heat a bit.

Anyways, looking for some ideas.

Joanna, I am putting landscape fabric down first and then covering with pea gravel. I did some research and most advised to use pea gravel. Concrete or anything that doesn't allow for drainage, encourages mold or mildew. Wood rots, and dirt makes for mud. The pea gravel will allow for drainage of water. The weed block will keep anything unwanted from growing up inside from the floor.

Great minds think a-like. Thanks

Your welcome :)

joanna - I have a center "path" of 12" x 12" concrete pavers (3' wide,) then a border of pea gravel - it's nice to have the path to push the wheelbarrow on - you just have to make sure it will fit through your door! Samantha

i have 6in of packed sand with upside down carpet on top for the floor!!!
when it gets bad -you pull it out and drive around and find some new carpet :)

I had a beautiful glass green house in the "80's and didn't know diddley about growing things. Did know about floors for GHs either. My oldest son was a life guard at the neighborhood pool and also helped out after the season maintaining the area. It was decided by the board that they needed a new diving board. DS decided to bring the old, useless board home. His Dad and I weren't the most thrilled people in the world. We finally found that the board was a perfect fit for the center of the GH for us to walk on. LOL

Ann

I put down landscape fabric and crushed granite. My DH thought pea gravel rolled when you walk on it and said it was to hard to walk on. I do find I have to wear shoes with the crushed granite though or it hurts my poor little tooties.
By the way I have had a gopher come up through the landscape fabric and granite in the greenhouse. I hate gophers!

I have two gh. One is 16x32 and I used concrete in it with a drain sump in the center. I love it easy to clean and sanitize.

The other is 20x 45 it also has concrete for the floor. I have 2 8x31 dirt grow areas. Pretty much no maintenance.

I have friends that used both pea gravel and crushed rock. They all suffered the same fate continual maintenance due to moles surfacing.

Thanks for all the great info. I like the idea of the stepping stone centre path. My kid, dog & cat like to check out the greenhouse, so perhaps the smooth stone will be better.

I find that my shoes, hikers, pick up the small gravel in the soles and track it out to the house where it marks the floors. I used larger broken rock with plastic tarp under it and made a walkway from old decorative cinder block. The added benefit of the block is the moisture retention necessary in the hot AZ climate.

Here is the pic if this works
http://www.picturetrail.com/sfx/album/view/20490384

that's a good idea too. I like the idea of a path for stability.

I was thinking of using the concrete blocks (the solid ones, half the width of a cinder block) for a nice path and a way of holding in some heat for night-time warmth dispersal.

I was thinking concrete blocks today also after pricing the gravel. The concrete plant has them cheaper than the store.

Looked at them again at Lowes today - about 2.20 apiece. Hmmmm...

they are $1.36 at the concrete plant here. I'm seriously thinking of going that route.

Nice!

Mine were leftover from a fence heightening project but
i see block or free here on craig's list frequently just for moving them.

Yeah ... I'm afraid we probably don't *have* Craig's list out here, lol.

But we do have others, so I'll look around - thanks!!!

I wish you luck. When I lived in Florida you could find stuff like that at construction sites. But not so here. My husband just happened upon the concrete plant. We didn'tknow they sold they sold pieces
to the public until he asked. They have been a blessing. Today I picked up 12 concrete blocks and 8 half blocks for $30. I made shelves for the greenhouse with them.

Thanks for the good wishes!