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Produce => Non Edible Plants => Topic started by: ACE on March 06, 2008, 16:48:34

Title: This is where it all starts
Post by: ACE on March 06, 2008, 16:48:34: In the greenhouse

(http://inlinethumb53.webshots.com/38900/2202341980062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2202341980062644071HPHcWE)

(http://inlinethumb46.webshots.com/40941/2700608240062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2700608240062644071pMdszC)

(http://inlinethumb10.webshots.com/23689/2332113050062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2332113050062644071YxuFqu)
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: springbok on March 06, 2008, 16:53:56: ace that purple flower in the 2nd pic is that passiflora?
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: ACE on March 06, 2008, 17:01:17: vinca minor, In there so I can get some cuttings.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: Barnowl on March 06, 2008, 17:03:48: They all look very well on for the time of year
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: ACE on March 06, 2008, 17:08:26: This is the Isle of Wight, aka The Garden Isle. Remember spring started 2 weeks ago down here, so some of them are a bit late.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: Lindsay on March 06, 2008, 17:18:53: What hard work and good organisation - pleased to see that in spite of the tough times you've had recently, Ace, that the plants haven't suffered. The photos everywhere are lovely.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: tim on March 06, 2008, 17:24:19: I can only wish..........!
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: star on March 06, 2008, 18:26:21: The spider hasn't caught that fly yet then!! ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: Lindsay on March 06, 2008, 18:49:45: Trying hard!!! ;D ;D
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: star on March 06, 2008, 19:01:40: ;D ;D ;D
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: lorna on March 06, 2008, 19:06:33: Ace everything looks great, love the greenhouse.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: GrannieAnnie on March 06, 2008, 22:51:35: Quote from: lorna on March 06, 2008, 19:06:33
Ace everything looks great, love the greenhouse.
ditto- what a wonderful greenhouse.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: longlad on March 06, 2008, 22:57:35: all right for some I have to make do with a window propagator no space for a green house :(
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: chickadoodle on March 09, 2008, 15:45:57: Ooooooh, that greenhouse is ace, ACE ;D
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: Tee Gee on March 09, 2008, 16:45:22: Impressive!!

Looks like you have still quite a bit of pricking out to do ;)

I have a few bits on the go but certainly not as much as you have.

Last week was the start of my serious growing I sowed a few things on Tuesday which fits in with my growing season, I would guess that I am at least a month after you.

Noticed this morning that three varieties of Tomato, the petunias & marigolds have germinated, they germinated in four days.

Give me another month and my greenhouse will be as full as yours, in fact I was down on the allotment preparing my unheated greenhouses to take the plants that I have planned to grow this year.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: ACE on March 09, 2008, 19:26:32: Quote from: longlad on March 06, 2008, 22:57:35
all right for some I have to make do with a window propagator no space for a green house :(

Don't matter what you have got you never have enough room. I had to eject this lot to make room to work.

(http://inlinethumb61.webshots.com/39228/2523217600062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2523217600062644071htBxHI)

(http://inlinethumb33.webshots.com/10400/2258437030062644071S500x500Q85.jpg) (http://good-times.webshots.com/photo/2258437030062644071ljXkXg)
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: debster on March 10, 2008, 21:12:46: ACE do you retail those plants cos they are superb
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: valmarg on March 10, 2008, 21:40:44: What size is your greenhouse ACE? Looks enormous.

valmarg
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: ACE on March 11, 2008, 19:38:57: Quote from: debster on March 10, 2008, 21:12:46
ACE do you retail those plants cos they are superb

They are mostly grown to use in shows but for every 8 taken to a show only 1 will be good enough to use. The rest get sold to my clients who can tell visitors to their gardens that 'that plant has been on the telly'. Sometimes we grow for a client and then 'borrow' them for a show.

Now that greenhouse, It ain't mine, It is on permanent loan from a 'lady who lunches' and would not dream of getting dirt under her nails. She just uses it to show off to her friends and family about her 'little treasure' of a gardener. Must cost her a fortune in leccy with heatmats all round, fans, auto misting automatic venting etc. It must measure 18'X10'

I still work from a cold poly tunnel on the proper nursery, but that is usually full of thousands of foxgloves which do not need a lot of looking after.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: chickadoodle on March 11, 2008, 20:20:12: Ace, could you tell me a bit about the heating mats and misting system please. I don't often "lunch" and haven't done my nails for ages honest ;D, but I am considering a propagating system. Any advise would be greatly appreciated.
Title: Re: This is where it all starts
Post by: ACE on March 11, 2008, 20:49:13: The mats that we use are expensive, unless you can get them at trade prices. But before you ever get the mat you need to line the shelf with polystyrene sheeting, then metal foil, next is the heating mat, another layer of foil, capillery matting comes next. and lastly a perforated plastic sheet. A sensor comes out of the heat mat which you push into the compost in one of the seed trays you are using. You can then set the thermostat to the desired temperature, I run between 20 and 25c. The mister is an automatic watering system with all the watering nozzles changed to very fine bore jets. which comes on evening time for 10 minutes which is enough to water the plants and soak the capillery matting with enough water for the next day. I hand spray once a week with a cheshunt mixture to stop mould and damping off. These are also ideal conditions for whitefly, so a couple of those big sticky sheets hung up keep them down. Mousetraps set every night just in case a little bugger gets in, as they will nibble the cables and cost you a fortune.