The Greenhouse Thread
Discussion
Most of you are way ahead of me up here in Scotland.
Cut right back this year after last years hard work and failures.
Went looking at cucumber plants - £4.95 each. Last year it was about £4 for 3 so trying seed again. Last year cucumber seed was poor and then the snails and slugs got them once planted out.
Cut right back this year after last years hard work and failures.
Went looking at cucumber plants - £4.95 each. Last year it was about £4 for 3 so trying seed again. Last year cucumber seed was poor and then the snails and slugs got them once planted out.
Evoluzione said:
Comacchio said:
This thread has me now considering where I can squeeze a proper greenhouse into our garden once the landscaping is done. Making do with 2 mini poly tunnel numbers just now but already out of space.
Cucumbers went into the grow bag yesterday, toms nowhere near ready I'd say, says the man who's never grown anything before...
A shed is going in this corner here and I might see about putting a greenhouse next to it... need to get approval from the boss first though...
Don't make the mistake of siting a greenhouse where it can't get 8hrs of sun or it'll be less than optimal.Cucumbers went into the grow bag yesterday, toms nowhere near ready I'd say, says the man who's never grown anything before...
A shed is going in this corner here and I might see about putting a greenhouse next to it... need to get approval from the boss first though...
Why are your plants in pots and then in growbags?
The pots have had the bottoms cut off. Read that doing so can provide a bit extra rigidity to the plant.
Skyedriver said:
Most of you are way ahead of me up here in Scotland.
Cut right back this year after last years hard work and failures.
Went looking at cucumber plants - 4.95 each. Last year it was about 4 for 3 so trying seed again. Last year cucumber seed was poor and then the snails and slugs got them once planted out.
I’m Glasgow - slugs are killing anything I’ve planted out so far. Just pulled the radish in early and stuck some ramekins of beer out. They haven’t started attacking the 2 cucumber plants I’ve put out so far, but expect them to start soon.Cut right back this year after last years hard work and failures.
Went looking at cucumber plants - 4.95 each. Last year it was about 4 for 3 so trying seed again. Last year cucumber seed was poor and then the snails and slugs got them once planted out.
It's been so dry here in Kent the snails etc haven't had much chance yet. I've seen rooks and magpies coming for the bird food, presumably lacking worms.
4.95 for a plant! 2.99 in garden centre here. Or do people have plant stalls nearby, with excess plants, or local plant sales (see Friday Ad/local rag)? 1 or so usually. Seeds are expensive now too though.
ETA check supermarkets for cheaper plants too.
4.95 for a plant! 2.99 in garden centre here. Or do people have plant stalls nearby, with excess plants, or local plant sales (see Friday Ad/local rag)? 1 or so usually. Seeds are expensive now too though.
ETA check supermarkets for cheaper plants too.
Edited by Sticks. on Friday 20th May 22:29
Sticks. said:
Thanks. For years, my cucumbers would fade at the end of July, curling and drying leaves. I'd given up doing full size ones as the med size did better. I thought it might be red spider mite or verticillum wilt from the pictures in my book.
But a friend suggested it was magnesium deficiency, so at his suggestion I now add a teaspoon or so of Epsom Salts to a litre sprayer and spray the leaves, and the tomatoes. I know you don't water over cucumber leaves normally so you could add it to the soil but spraying seems to work well. Last year Google photos tells me I picked the last 5 on 12/9. All F1 hybrid all female, obviously, and even watering, don't let them get dry or over water.
They say you can't grow toms and cues in the same greenhouse as they like different humidities. But as was posted earlier, temp and humidity management is important and I seem to get away with it.
Medium size ones are so sweet compared to 'shop' and I also do a ridge medium in a sheltered spot, West facing wall for warmth. That did till Sept too. This year's
I'm no expert by any means, but hope it helps.
I'd quite to be able to do melons - anyone had any luck with them?
Re a greenhouse watering system, yes it would be useful. But apart from toms, cues and peppers, there's quite a lot of oving about of plants, eg early bedding, later runner beans etc.
Thanks! I actually had my cucumbers on my irrigation system last year which includes a regular feed of tomato feed - which I’ve just confirmed has plenty of magnesium, so maybe this is why last year was a good year!But a friend suggested it was magnesium deficiency, so at his suggestion I now add a teaspoon or so of Epsom Salts to a litre sprayer and spray the leaves, and the tomatoes. I know you don't water over cucumber leaves normally so you could add it to the soil but spraying seems to work well. Last year Google photos tells me I picked the last 5 on 12/9. All F1 hybrid all female, obviously, and even watering, don't let them get dry or over water.
They say you can't grow toms and cues in the same greenhouse as they like different humidities. But as was posted earlier, temp and humidity management is important and I seem to get away with it.
Medium size ones are so sweet compared to 'shop' and I also do a ridge medium in a sheltered spot, West facing wall for warmth. That did till Sept too. This year's
I'm no expert by any means, but hope it helps.
I'd quite to be able to do melons - anyone had any luck with them?
Re a greenhouse watering system, yes it would be useful. But apart from toms, cues and peppers, there's quite a lot of oving about of plants, eg early bedding, later runner beans etc.
I have tried melons the last couple of years, total waste of space and compost this far north I have concluded. They need temperature constantly above 20 degC which requires a poly tunnel and a very good year up here, IMO.
Sticks. said:
It's been so dry here in Kent the snails etc haven't had much chance yet. I've seen rooks and magpies coming for the bird food, presumably lacking worms.
4.95 for a plant! 2.99 in garden centre here. Or do people have plant stalls nearby, with excess plants, or local plant sales (see Friday Ad/local rag)? 1 or so usually. Seeds are expensive now too though.
ETA check supermarkets for cheaper plants too.
I noted the cost in my local dobbies, expecting at least some sort of offer 3 for £10 kinda thing. No such luck. 4.95 for a plant! 2.99 in garden centre here. Or do people have plant stalls nearby, with excess plants, or local plant sales (see Friday Ad/local rag)? 1 or so usually. Seeds are expensive now too though.
ETA check supermarkets for cheaper plants too.
Edited by Sticks. on Friday 20th May 22:29
Local nursery came through though 99p a plant.
Failing that have you tried b&q?
Edited by PositronicRay on Saturday 21st May 07:06
PositronicRay said:
Incidentally has anyone tried a homemade irrigation system?
I've some old hose i could drill holes in, lay it around the plants and turn on the water whilst i have breakfast. As long as i remember to turn it off again what could go wrong?
I have done this in the past - it does work, sort of, but it's a pain trying to get a reasonably equal flow along its length. I relented and invested in an irrigation kit off Amazon consisting of some microbore pipework and drip nozzles for about £15, which is much easier to set upI've some old hose i could drill holes in, lay it around the plants and turn on the water whilst i have breakfast. As long as i remember to turn it off again what could go wrong?
I also subsequently got an irrigation timer for about £30, as I never have time to water in the morning which is the best time to do it. I'm going to have to eat a lot of tomatoes to make this worthwhile...
Sticks. said:
I'd quite to be able to do melons - anyone had any luck with them?
I've done them the last couple of years, way down here in Guernsey, in the greenhouse. They're extremely satisfying to do, but only get 3-4 relatively small fruits per plant (one fruit could easily be eaten by two people in one sitting), and they take up as much space as a tomato/cucumber plant. Taste fantastic though!
Slugs mainly operate at night so you need to find them somewhere to hide during the day when you're around. This something can be a plank of wood, some carpet, cardboard etc.
Take your piece and lay it by the plants, maybe damp the soil first if it needs it. Put a brick, stone or concrete slab in the corners of raised beds.
Lift them up every day and kill or remove the slugs. If you have a frequently visited bird table (mainly by blackbirds) try putting them on there.
Obviously the sooner in the season you start this the better. If you're sowing seed straight into the ground then use the plank/whatever to cover the rows of seeds. Not only does this keep the ground damp for the seeds, protect from frost, but also draws the slugs in before the seedlings have poked through. Obviously check every day for seedlings poking through and remove when they are.
Take your piece and lay it by the plants, maybe damp the soil first if it needs it. Put a brick, stone or concrete slab in the corners of raised beds.
Lift them up every day and kill or remove the slugs. If you have a frequently visited bird table (mainly by blackbirds) try putting them on there.
Obviously the sooner in the season you start this the better. If you're sowing seed straight into the ground then use the plank/whatever to cover the rows of seeds. Not only does this keep the ground damp for the seeds, protect from frost, but also draws the slugs in before the seedlings have poked through. Obviously check every day for seedlings poking through and remove when they are.
Evoluzione said:
I was watching a YT clip recently where some guy was saying that when he transplanted his toms he didn't water them much, if at all. He said this led to the roots going down and out looking for water, in turn it produced more roots, a healthier plant with more and better toms. Whether actually true or not I have no idea...
Not quite the same, but dad advised me to place the automatic watering system outlets 6-8" away from the plants, two per plant or between the plants, rather than right near them. The logic being you get a large wet area and encourage better root development. I don't think he has back to back scientific grade evidence, but suggested he has found the works better for him.
Evoluzione said:
Slugs mainly operate at night so you need to find them somewhere to hide during the day when you're around. This something can be a plank of wood, some carpet, cardboard etc.
Take your piece and lay it by the plants, maybe damp the soil first if it needs it. Put a brick, stone or concrete slab in the corners of raised beds.
Lift them up every day and kill or remove the slugs. If you have a frequently visited bird table (mainly by blackbirds) try putting them on there.
Obviously the sooner in the season you start this the better. If you're sowing seed straight into the ground then use the plank/whatever to cover the rows of seeds. Not only does this keep the ground damp for the seeds, protect from frost, but also draws the slugs in before the seedlings have poked through. Obviously check every day for seedlings poking through and remove when they are.
last year and IIRC the year before I was spending an hour or more each night with a torch picking up slugs and snails from inside the polytunnel. The record was IIRC about 48 one night. This year I'm just picking them off while I'm in there, so fed up of the whole shebang TBH.Take your piece and lay it by the plants, maybe damp the soil first if it needs it. Put a brick, stone or concrete slab in the corners of raised beds.
Lift them up every day and kill or remove the slugs. If you have a frequently visited bird table (mainly by blackbirds) try putting them on there.
Obviously the sooner in the season you start this the better. If you're sowing seed straight into the ground then use the plank/whatever to cover the rows of seeds. Not only does this keep the ground damp for the seeds, protect from frost, but also draws the slugs in before the seedlings have poked through. Obviously check every day for seedlings poking through and remove when they are.
Oh and find the slugs in the "lawn" after heavy rain. Try to pick them up and dispose of them while with the dog in the mornings - one stupid dog tries to pick them up and take them in the house in it's mouth!
Skyedriver said:
last year and IIRC the year before I was spending an hour or more each night with a torch picking up slugs and snails from inside the polytunnel. The record was IIRC about 48 one night. This year I'm just picking them off while I'm in there, so fed up of the whole shebang TBH.
Oh and find the slugs in the "lawn" after heavy rain. Try to pick them up and dispose of them while with the dog in the mornings - one stupid dog tries to pick them up and take them in the house in it's mouth!
You are Britains most miserable gardener Oh and find the slugs in the "lawn" after heavy rain. Try to pick them up and dispose of them while with the dog in the mornings - one stupid dog tries to pick them up and take them in the house in it's mouth!
If I had a problem that bad i'd be getting some of those Nemotode things.
Evoluzione said:
You are Britains most miserable gardener
If I had a problem that bad i'd be getting some of those Nemotode things.
Finally, I've won something!If I had a problem that bad i'd be getting some of those Nemotode things.
I've been an amateur gardener since around 1979, was even professional for over a year, about 15 years ago but I'm at an age now where I simply can't be chewed with the hassle of slugs, snails, sheep reaching over the fence eating anything close, dogs standing in the middle of strawberry beds eating strawberries or trampling flower beds, cat s
t (neighbours cats), f'ing buttercups and dandelions.There, does that secure my nomination?
Skyedriver said:
Evoluzione said:
You are Britains most miserable gardener
If I had a problem that bad i'd be getting some of those Nemotode things.
Finally, I've won something!If I had a problem that bad i'd be getting some of those Nemotode things.
I've been an amateur gardener since around 1979, was even professional for over a year, about 15 years ago but I'm at an age now where I simply can't be chewed with the hassle of slugs, snails, sheep reaching over the fence eating anything close, dogs standing in the middle of strawberry beds eating strawberries or trampling flower beds, cat s
t (neighbours cats), f'ing buttercups and dandelions.There, does that secure my nomination?
But as I always say, i'd rather battle Mother Nature than Human nature. They're just doing their thing, surviving like the rest of us and I can cope with that. I too have had plants and trees stripped by sheep, rabbits and other unidentified creatures recently, but there is no malice.
Here's the thing (as he looks over to the outside thermometer reading 7 and hears the rain lashing against the window) if somebody came in here and destroyed my plants it would be a whole different ball game. I'd be sitting here fuming and researching shotgun licences, dreaming of peppering someone's arse.
Maybe one day i'll get fed up with the battle, but for now it's the lesser of two evils.
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