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Discussion forum for the various methods and structures used for getting an early start on your growing season, extending it for several weeks or even year 'round.

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Old May 28, 2006   #1
Mantis
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Default Greenhouse revamp

Dug out all the old soil along with the pavers that used to run up the middle. Put in new soil from soil yard along with cow poop and a layer of compost on top. Instead of the pavers I have gone for two thick red gum planks that sit on concrete blocks to keep them off the soil - a boardwalk .

Now the plants will have more room for the roots to roam without hitting up against the solid quarry dust base that was under the pavers.

I plan to grow tomatoes around the edge but now I have soil right accross the floor I will put some peppers up the middle.



Heres the other side of the greenhouse with self watering tubs waiting

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Old May 28, 2006   #2
JBinKC
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Lots of Work done, I love those tubs I am going to try and make one of those this year and see how I like it.
Maybe Next year I'll try for a small green house and see how i like that too hehehe

Hope all goes well for you, looks like a great way to get started!
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Old June 7, 2006   #3
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Lots of work but sure it will all pay off.

I sure like your idea of the clear bottom container so you can see the water level.

Be sure and fill it exactly like Earthbox advises for fool-proof results. If you don't know about the dolomite and fertilizer "strip" just hollar.

Good luck!
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Old June 7, 2006   #4
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Thanks. I will be sure to do it by the earthbox intructions which I have downloaded. We dont have fertiliser here anything like 10.10.10 so I will have to improvise. Rose fertiliser is as close as I can find to having balanced NPK, everything else here is way to high in N.

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Old June 9, 2006   #5
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I agree w/Cowpea, very smart on the clear containers for the bottom to see capacity.

In your climate, do you have to vent the greenhouse during summer growing season?
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Old June 10, 2006   #6
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Hi Suze, love your avatar pic.
Yes I certainly vent it in summer and even late spring. All around three sides I have louver windows. The pic below shows them more clearly. These are fully opened in summer and shade cloth is pulled over the roof. This turns it from a greenhouse into a shadehouse. It works really well.


Notice the thermometer. It is showing 20 deg C or 68 F and it is winter.
I have seedlings on the way already. Here is one I took while playing with the macro funtion on my old camera.
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Old June 11, 2006   #7
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Mantis -- thanks muchly for the pictures. You've obviously put a quite a bit of thought and work into your greenhouse (and I may have some questions for you later ).
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Old June 26, 2006   #8
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Well the first plants have gone in today. 6 in bottomless pots and a Juanne Flammee in a self watering pot.
Pots in waiting

In they go. The timing was good as they had roots to the bottoms of their small pots.

Now the real waiting begins eh.
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Old August 15, 2006   #9
gardengalrn
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Mantis, could you point me to directions to make those self watering boxes? Also, how did you like them? I assume you've given them a good trial by now. Thanks!
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Old August 15, 2006   #10
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No I haven't given them a trial yet as this is my first season with them. I am about to load them up this weekend and plant some tommys in them.
As to how to make them, check out the Gardening in Containers forum and go down to Homemade selfwatering pots post by Timcunningham
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Old August 15, 2006   #11
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Great, thank you! I didn't notice that you were a SHer and just assumed you had the better part of the summer behind you. I'll check out the container forum.
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Old August 20, 2006   #12
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Spent a big weekend in the patch. Pots scrubbed and detoxed.

Then loaded with potting mix and tommys.
The big pots sitting on the boardwalks are to go outside when the weather warms.

Loading up the selfwatering tubs took more energy. I made a mix of coir peat and good potting mix. To this I added a handful of dolomite lime. Then i did this. The strip of fertiliser is an organic rose fert called Sudden Impact. I have gone with this as it is lowish in Nitrogen and gets good reports. Time will tell eh.

Final image

Then I went and bowled in the scratch league and bowled my lowest series score ever. Getting old sucks eh.
Oh. Nearly forgot. Heres Aunt Ginny now. The big flower is open
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Old August 21, 2006   #13
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Default Great Going

Nice pics and update Mantis.

Thanks.

I scored a Bunnings cattledog y'day andd they are selling a self-watering pot with a stake with hoops attacked to it as a tomato pot for $19.50 for some such thing

I have a lot of work ahead of me. You, on the other hand, are well underway.

Bet you bowl better next w'kend when those muscles aren't so sore.

I would like a greenhouse. One day.
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Old August 21, 2006   #14
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Hi Grub. Yeah, as you know I love my greenhouse. The plants that are in the bigger 35 litre pots are getting a good head start in there before they go outside.
The plants I sowed on May 7 and planted in there on June 26 all have flowers and a couple should open today.
Dug up another patch of the back lawn to make a new bed. I managed to get aout a third of it for tommys.The rest will be for the wifes woody weeds from out the front. She needs to move them to make way for some house extensions.
Its nearly time to relax and just wonder around with a beer or the Daconil
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Old August 21, 2006   #15
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Gee, they don't look like 35ltr pots. I've been doing wll with the 30ltr jobs myself. Not looking forward to sterilsiing them all with the mild bleach solution and sponge and hose. Nor the sowing of the seeds. Jobs that must be done now.

Then there are the eggplants and pepers... he he he.
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