Hi folks
Got the final bits of glass to complete my greenhouse on Thursday, it is a second-hand 8'x6' and I've washed it all down, inside and out with, soap and waster then disinfectant, hosed it down 24hrs later. Now I'm popping out on-and-off to enjoy the sunshine and lift the final film of grime with this little wonder: http://www.e-cloth.com/ (http://www.e-cloth.com/)/ It brings it up beautifully with little effort. Originally got it do the aquarium exteriors beacause it doesn't need any chemical cleaning agents. Anyway...I'm rambling.
OK, so cleanliness taken care of, the other things I need to think about is shading and temperature regulation as far as I can tell. Clueless here so I'd appreciate a bit of input. Don't have a lot left in the garden fund for this year, however.
Temp regulation-wise I saw an auto-vent-opener in Homebase today. I have one overhead skylight vent and this looked appropriate. Any tips on where to get a good deal on these, do I need a power supply to the GH or does it run on battery? Couldn't see anything on the packaging. Also is it worth installing extra vents?
I already have 3x25L barrels of water in there to provide a temperature buffer but that's not going to be practical when the tomatos start to get bigger.
Shading - I'm not too keen on painting anything on. Don't want to have to scrape it all off come autumn. I did see some stuff in wilkos that looked like it hung on the inside of the GH. Anyone know if this is any good? Do I need to do any dismantling to fix it in place?
Also, with shading is there any hard and fast rules about when it should start to be employed?
Shading only is necessary IF we get HOT summer.. ::)
If and when I do result shading (not every year)..I've got some net curtain material and/or scaffold netting..I just attach it outside of the GH with wooden begs on the sunny side of the GH and that is usually enough.
I've got automatic opener for one of the roof vents..that will open up the window and cool the GH enough for those early sunny mornings until I get up and open rest of the windows/vents and/or door open. During warm periods all windows and vents stay open all day and night.
I tend to shut the doors for the night but if necessary, when its really, really warm..I leave the door open during day too and puddle the floors with water.
I don't have access to electric in lotty so fans are not option..though there is solar fan available..but I haven't really found it necessary.
All the extra louvre vents I've installed I find really good..almost must for ventilation...and If I would not spend too much for other gardening stuff..I would find more money to spend some more automatic openers..eventually I will do.
My autovent came from B&Q, works well and probably cheaper than homebase.
They do not need power, they just work by having a tube filled with something that expands and pushes a rod.
For a 8x6 you will only need 1 top vent with the auto vent, and a louvered vent low down, this way you get a good air flow through your greenhouse.
I would not leave the door open, if you do you only circulate the air at the top, so the total ventilation is actually reduced.
Thanks, folks.
Well what you call HOT in Notts, Goodlife, we call absolutely-far-too-ridiculously-hot-don't-walk-outside-you'll-burn-your-feet in central belt Scotland. Love the Notts climate, I spent last year down that way in a little village called Everton, just outside Bawtry. Loved the people and the countryside too. Just wasn't home though! Anyway - I'm suspecting that shading is unlikely to be an issue for me in that case.
Elegant design on the the autovents - I like that!
So really it's a case of autovent on the skylight vent and install a louvre vent on the opposite bottom pane? Please god don't say louvre vents are expensive, the missus may blame me for breaking the rolling pin with my head, if you see what I mean ;D
Quick question on the louvre front, though, I was looking at autovents because i won't always be here to open and close manually. Holidays etc. Does the louvre take an autovent as well?
Sorry for all the newbie questions but I don't want muck up due to schoolboy error.
You can buy autovents for for the lower vent, but you don't need one for a small greenhouse.
Once we get some warm weather I just leave the bottom vent open all the time.
Watering is the main issue for when you go on holiday.
I'm suspecting that shading is unlikely to be an issue for me in that case. ;D ...or you could put few canes up next to your GH.. let some runnerbeans climb up and those will create enough shading for your plants inside.
Quote from: goodlife on April 29, 2012, 08:18:17
I'm suspecting that shading is unlikely to be an issue for me in that case. ;D ...or you could put few canes up next to your GH.. let some runnerbeans climb up and those will create enough shading for your plants inside.
Or you could plant one Achocha and turn your greenhouse into a cave!
just off subject but you stayed just down the road from me as im from Retford, like Crispy said the main think when going away is watering ask a nice person on the plot to open the door and water for you. on our site a few of us look after each others, if we go down and its hot and the doors are closed we open them for each other and always tell one another when we are away.
Yep Retford was the nearest civilisation to us! I have Retford Wilcos to thank for my restarting of the brew-more-buy-less project that ended in 23 demijohns, 7 fermentation barrels, and 2 glass carboys. Happy days! I do reccommend the Blacksmiths Arms in Everton for a good meal though. Food is quality, over the odds, slightly, but worth it. And it's a lovely wee pub, traditional, always a bit of craic. Anyway, you've made me get off topic now!
I don't have an allotment and probably won't, just a medium sized garden. I frequent here because this is the most friendly and helpful gardeners forum on the net in my opinon, hope I' m not going to get my fingers smacked for mot having a lotttie ;) . it does kind of mean door openers/waterers aren't going to be in great supply, but Goodlife and Chrispy have sorted me out with a plan.
I'll get a capillary system if i need to. Plastic, carpet on top, plastic on top of carpet, seal with exterior silicon, trim. Cut holes in film for pots, dip end of carpet in bucket of water. Simples ?????? Would be good if it was simples! And I promise I'll never say meerkat things eve, ever again. I've just annoyed myself let alone anyone else. .