Greenhouse revamp

Mantis · May 28, 2006

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

JBinKC · May 28, 2006

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!

MsCowpea · June 7, 2006

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!

Mantis · June 7, 2006

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.

Mantis

Suze · June 9, 2006

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?

Mantis · June 10, 2006

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.

Suze · June 11, 2006

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

).

Mantis · June 26, 2006

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.

gardengalrn · August 15, 2006

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!

Mantis · August 15, 2006

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

gardengalrn · August 15, 2006

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.

Mantis · August 20, 2006

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

Grub · August 21, 2006

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.

Mantis · August 21, 2006

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

Grub · August 21, 2006

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.

May 28, 2006	#1
Mantis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oz Posts: 1,241	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

June 7, 2006	#3
MsCowpea Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: S. FLorida / Zone 10 Posts: 369	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! __________________ "When we kill off the natural enemies of a pest we inherit their work." Carl Huffaker

August 15, 2006	#9
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	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! __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

August 15, 2006	#11
gardengalrn Tomatovillian™ Join Date: May 2006 Location: Kansas, zone 5 Posts: 524	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. __________________ ~Lori "Most folks are about as happy as they make up their minds to be." -Abraham Lincoln

August 21, 2006	#13
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	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.

May 28, 2006	#2
JBinKC Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Apr 2006 Location: Kansas City Posts: 174	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!

June 9, 2006	#5
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	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?

June 10, 2006	#6
Mantis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oz Posts: 1,241	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.

June 11, 2006	#7
Suze Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Texas Posts: 3,027	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 ).

June 26, 2006	#8
Mantis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oz Posts: 1,241	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.

August 20, 2006	#12
Mantis Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Oz Posts: 1,241	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

August 21, 2006	#15
Grub Tomatovillian™ Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Sydney, Australia Posts: 2,722	Gee 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.