Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Grow Your Own => Topic started by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 09:42

Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 09:42
After a long weekend down the allotment I thought I would take a few pics to show my progress!

Before:
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd34/RuthCross/allotment3.jpg)
And Now!!
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd34/RuthCross/allotment181107landscape.jpg)
We scavanged an old glazed 'office pod' which will serve as a greenhouse and so managed to get most of up (minus door and roof) by end of Sunday but didn't get any pics as it pitch black by the time we left. Although you can see where we have started to dig the trench footings:
(http://i224.photobucket.com/albums/dd34/RuthCross/allotment181107trench.jpg)
David the OH, also put up the guttering and connected the water butts.
What would I do without him...........Less washing and ironing thats what :lol:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: wildeone on November 19, 2007, 09:46
wow well done!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: muntjac on November 19, 2007, 09:49
wow ,,,, ur fella ...... :roll: .... does werk hard.....................


 :lol:  :wink:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: gobs on November 19, 2007, 09:55
Good job, Ruth, what's the soil like? It seems a very nice color in the pictures. 8)
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 09:59
Quote from: "gobs"
Good job, Ruth, what's the soil like? It seems a very nice color in the pictures. 8)


Lovely loam!! Although it was quite wet at the weekend so we got covered in mud, but it saves using moisturiser :wink:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: gobs on November 19, 2007, 10:02
:lol:

Lucky devil, you. :D
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 10:17
Quote from: "muntjac"
wow ,,,, ur fella ...... :roll: .... does werk hard.....................


 :lol:  :wink:


Actually making coffee, emptying the wheel barrow and taking pictures is hard work too. :lol: I must admit I wouldn't be even half done without him. Luckily he's one of those people that can't sit still, so I give him a spade and away he goes!!!!
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: muntjac on November 19, 2007, 10:23
true working man  ,,,, coffee first   :lol:  :lol:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: frazzy on November 19, 2007, 10:26
wow is it the same plot . brilliant work guys.  *Big Thumbs Up*
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Selkie on November 19, 2007, 10:27
wow ruth, what a transformation!! you both should be very proud of yourselves --- WELL DONE! :D
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 11:20
We are very proud, hence posting the pics on here. It has just started to pour down here as well so hopefully my water butts will be filling up too??

The recent post 'am I weird' has got me thinking about different ways to heat the greenhouse. As I'm putting the greenhouse up at the moment I think now is the best time to set it up.

Unfortunately my compost bin is huge so would take up too much space inside. So I was thinking of perhaps putting the compost bin right next to it, make a hole in the lid and pipe the hot air from the bin into the greenhouse? All I want is enough heat to keep the frost off.

or

Making a heat sump. David is really keen on this and we've probably got enough bits around to do it for free. We got the idea from 'its not easy going green'

Anyone got any comments/ideas? Greenhouse is 2m x 1.75m
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: WG. on November 19, 2007, 11:25
A (closed) unheated greenhouse in Devon is very very unlikely to get frost inside.

[stands back and waits for everyone to disagree]
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 12:43
Your right it shouldn't freeze, but Crediton does tend to be a bit of a frost pocket as its quite low into the valley. The allotment is quite exposed so I would rather be prepared just in case and as its my first winter at the allotment I'm not sure how bad it will be :?
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: WG. on November 19, 2007, 12:47
What will you have in the greenhouse overwinter (or is it for seedlings in the New Year)?
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Ruth Cross on November 19, 2007, 12:50
Seedlings for the new year at the moment. But I will probably want to overwinter various stuff next year when I've 'got going' on the plot.
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: WG. on November 19, 2007, 12:54
Simplest and probably quite effective enough for your location is a bank of 25litre containers filled with cold water as a low-grade heat sink.  Set seedling trays on top.

Note to all : more seedlings are lost due to becoming too leggy too early, than are lost to greenhouse chills/frosts.
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: splodger on November 19, 2007, 13:00
Quote from: "WG."
Note to all : more seedlings are lost due to becoming too leggy too early, than are lost to greenhouse chills/frosts.



and from incorrect watering  :wink:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Rampant_Weasel on November 19, 2007, 13:38
wow there is alot of work gone in there and some major sweating i`ll wager  :D  well done to u both.
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: Lynne on November 19, 2007, 13:47
What a huge amount of progress you have made!

Well done.  :)
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: wildeone on November 19, 2007, 15:53
Quote from: "WG."
Simplest and probably quite effective enough for your location is a bank of 25litre containers filled with cold water as a low-grade heat sink.  Set seedling trays on top.

Note to all : more seedlings are lost due to becoming too leggy too early, than are lost to greenhouse chills/frosts.


WG what do you mean by too leggy?
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: growmore on November 21, 2007, 00:35
Wow, what a transformation. You must both have worked hard to achieve that. Good luck with it all. It will be worth it
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: WG. on November 21, 2007, 00:37
Quote from: "wildeone"
WG what do you mean by too leggy?
thin, spindly, weak stems caused by too much warmth and not enough light
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: wildeone on November 21, 2007, 12:10
THX :D
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: tallulah on November 21, 2007, 18:13
That looks grand Ruth.  I'm grreeen with envy!  I'd have been down the lottie today if it wasn't for having to wait in for the plumber.  A perfect day for digging too!
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: WG. on November 21, 2007, 18:14
Quote from: "WG."
Quote from: "wildeone"
WG what do you mean by too leggy?
thin, spindly, weak stems caused by too much warmth and not enough light
A bit like Peter Crouch, I'd guess ...  :wink:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: mkhenry on November 22, 2007, 00:33
Wow judging by the way you both work I assume that that grey building at the back is your shed.

Well done. :lol:  :wink:
Title: Progress at last!!
Post by: SkipRat on November 22, 2007, 01:42
Brilliant job Ruth. You both must be very proud of yourselfs  :)