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Cat On A Hot Greenhouse Roof

September 24, 2014 @ 17:44 By Gavin Webber 10 Comments

Imagine my surprise when I opened up the greenhouse today and saw this whopping great hole in the greenhouse roof.   I couldn’t believe my eyes!  What in the heck could have done this?

Greenhouse roof

I had no idea how it happened until I asked Kim.  She mentioned that she heard a heck of a racket a few nights ago, that sounded like something very large had landed on the carport roof.

So I put two and two together, inspected the fur fragments around the hole, and figured that a big tabby must have jumped off the carport roof and landed straight through my greenhouse roof.  It managed to get out again as there is a pot stand right underneath.  Thankfully there were no seedlings on the stand.

This gaping hole will be nigh on impossible to fix because I built another shed in front of the access that is necessary to remove the gutter from the greenhouse and slide out the damaged panel.  In fact, all of the roof panels are UV damaged, even though the manufacturer stated that it would last a lot longer than it has.  Between the sun damage and hail damage, it has not held up as long as I would have liked.

I have all but given up on this greenhouse, because it is just too hot in summer even with shade over the greenhouse roof.  And it is too cold in winter, because of all the gaps.  I could replace the damaged panel with some wood, but I wouldn’t achieve an airtight seal.  I am even thinking of moving the two VegTrug out of the greenhouse and stand them up against the decking.  At least I will get better use out of them.

Considering that my greenhouse was built 4.5 years ago, I think I should have gotten better value for money for a $699 investment.

My advice to you all is not to purchase a greenhouse with polycarbonate panels.  They simply do not last the distance, especially in our harsh climate.  Good old glass would be your best bet.

You live and learn.

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Filed Under: Gardening, Greenhouse

Building a VegTrug or Two

April 20, 2014 @ 18:30 By Gavin Webber 13 Comments

After spending a few hours fixing up a few blown out panels on the greenhouse, I decided to put it to good use and add some veggie beds.  The greenhouse is now four years old, and has been a little neglected over the last year.  It gets up to 55°C  (131°F) during the summer, so it doesn’t get used for half of the year.  It makes a great solar dryer though, and works wonders for drying herbs and bay leaves!

It was filled with seedling growing racks, and not that practical for use in winter.

I wanted to grow some summer veg during the winter, so decided to add in some growing beds.  As I am not getting any younger, I decided to look for a growing bed that was about waist height and easy to reach without having to bend over.

Enter the VegTrug!

I wanted a garden bed that was easy to put together, that was made of FSC wood, and that was about 1 metre (3 feet 3⅜ inches) long.  I figured that I had just enough space to put two of this sized beds along one wall and half of the back of the greenhouse.

I found the garden bed that I was hoping existed in my local hardware warehouse.

VegTrug in box

VegTrug in box

The price was what I kind of expected ($120), and it was much cheaper than metal based, on-ground garden beds of the same size.

I was pleased that the wood was from FSC managed sources (that is all I buy), and that it was just the right size.

So it was construction time.  I had two helpers, one willing (Kim) and one not-so-willing (Ben).  Pam (Kim’s Mum) watched the fun and games as they ensued.

Ben tightening nuts on the VegTrug

Ben tightening nuts on the VegTrug

It was easy to put together, and we managed to complete on in 30 minutes.  The cordless drill/screwdriver certainly helped to speed up the process.

VegTrug

The model that I purchased was the Wall Hugger Small.  There is a medium-sized model that was 2 metres (6.5 ft), but that wouldn’t have fit in the greenhouse.

IMG_0418

As I mentioned, it was not hard to put together.  You just have to get your helpers to pass you the right sized screws (there were only two sizes, so it shouldn’t have been that difficult)!

IMG_0424

After it was completed, I did a final check to make sure it was all put together correctly.  Thankfully, it was, so I added in the woven liner and moved it into the greenhouse.

IMG_0436

Once the first VegTrug was in place, we built the second one.  Now that we were familiar with the instructions, we threw this one together in 20 minutes.

VegTrug in greenhouse

VegTrug in greenhouse

Then I filled each bed with soil and compost.  The instructions mention that it holds 170 litres of soil, however I only used 100 litres to fill each bed.  It has settled a little, but not enough to warrant another bag.

Filling the VegTrug with soil

Filling the VegTrug with soil

I have since planted some tomato seedlings and tomatillos that were growing in the veggie patch.  The tomatoes are doing okay, but I think that it might be a bit cold overnight in the greenhouse for them.

It has been getting down to 11°C during the night, so a bit cool for tomatoes.  On the other hand, the tomatillos are growing really well.  During the day, we open the greenhouse doors, and close it all down at around 5 pm.  It gets up to about 30°C during the day with the doors open on a sunny day, which is perfect.  Step out of the greenhouse, and the temperature is only 15°C.  It is amazing what those transparent walls and roof make, even with the doors and roof hatch opened.

I am so glad that I found a veggie bed that was the right size and height.  There is room underneath to store empty pots for storage, and still enough space in the greenhouse for 4 seedling racks.

A great find, don’t you think?

 

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Filed Under: Gardening, Greenhouse, Sustainable Living, vegetables Tagged With: VegTrug

Question and Answer Time Part 2

August 30, 2011 @ 21:05 By Gavin Webber 1 Comment

My son Adam enjoying the Greenhouse!

I received an email yesterday from a long time reader Richard, who asks;

Hi Gavin,
I think it was during the Sustainable Homes day that I visited your place and saw your greenhouse. It took me a few months to get the motivation to set it up and a further few weeks to finally bolt it all together but it’s done. As you inspired me, I tried to find out some more information on the greenhouse from your website, but I couldn’t find anything. Can you please give me some pointers?
Firstly, the four feet at each corner of the base, did you just jam them into the soil so the base is flat on the ground? What’s the base of your greenhouse covered in, crushed rock or recycled crushed brick?
Did you seal the polycarbonate sheets with silicon along the aluminum parts?
With the shelving did you buy separate portable greenhouse shelving and put them inside?
With your seedling labels, have you found any ‘eco-friendly’ ones or just the plastic paddle-pop things from Bunnings?
With your fruit trees, what made you decide what to buy?
As I’ve only got a 1kW PV system installed, would you add another more powerful system? How did you decide on how many panels you needed?
Sorry to ask all these questions, but it’s frustrating doing it all myself.

Rgds,
Richard

Thanks for your questions Richard.

Answer #1.  The base of the greenhouse was bashed into the hard clay that we have in this neck of the woods, so it did not need any concrete.  The base did have spikes that were about 30cm (1′) long and it has not moved since.

 After it was hammered into the ground with a rubber mallet, I made sure it was level.

Answer #2.  The ground was already covered in crushed rock, which I simply pulled back from the frame, then backfilled when in place.  It has kept it very sturdy.

Answer #3.  Walls.  I did not seal the polycarbonate sheets, and have only had one pop out because I was silly enough to leave the door open when it was very windy.  They are a pain in the bum to put back in!

Answer #4.  Shelving.  I bought the shelves separately, and re-purposed an old one that I had.  They are just cheap small greenhouse frames, that would normally have a PVC cover over them.

Answer #5.  As for eco-friendly labels, I simply cut up an old ice-cream container into strips and marked them with a permanent marker.  When I am finished with the label, I wipe it with a bit of methylated spirits to remove the writing, and store it back in my seed box.  Otherwise, I use old wooden ice-cream sticks from iced lollies.

Answer #6.  Fruit trees.  I asked the family what they liked to eat, bought those varieties on dwarf root stock, and planted the deciduous trees (stone-fruit, apples, pears) in the front yard which is north facing so that sunlight still warms up the house in winter, and planted the evergreens (citrus) to the south and west of the house.  Where I couldn’t source dwarf roots stock I planted them in pots.

Answer #7.  Solar PV.  It all depends on your consumption of electricity.  If you are energy-wise, then 1kW will be sufficient, however if you are like the average Australian family and use over 16 kWh a day then it will only reduce you power bill by 25%.  You can read about how I went about reducing my electricity consumption at the post titled “Eco House Challenge Electricity 1“.

Answer #8.  Just remember it is cheaper to save a kilowatt than it is to make a kilowatt of electricity.  I sized my system based on 75% of my energy usage of an average 12 kWh per day and I was way over generous.  I now produce 120% of my energy needs, as two children have left home since I installed the system back in September 2007.

Well, I hope everyone got a little something from Richard’s email, as I certainly enjoyed replying to it.

Ask and you shall receive!

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Filed Under: Greenhouse, Q and A, Solar Power

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About Gavin Webber

About Gavin Webber

An Ordinary Australian Man Who Has A Green Epiphany Whilst Watching A Documentary, Gets a Hybrid Car, Plants A Large Organic Vegetable Garden, Goes Totally Solar, Lowers Consumption, Feeds Composts Bins and Worms, Harvests Rainwater, Raises Chickens, Makes Cheese and Soap, and Eats Locally. All In The Effort To Reduce Our Family's Carbon Footprint So We Can Start Making A Difference For Our Children & Future Generations To Come.

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Podcast Reviews

  • Always inspiring and entertaining!
    August 4, 2016 by floriographer from Australia

    I've crowed about Gavin's podcast before but I just have to recommend it once again - I love that he shares his learning as well as his successes - it helps the rest of us try try try again! Thanks Gavin!

  • ms
    July 22, 2016 by Ketaea12 from New Zealand

    I really enjoy listening to Gavin, he has a kind lovely voice. He covers some great relevant topics for the everyday greenie. With lots of tips or how to or what not to do. Thanks Gavin, love it!!

  • Well worth your time to tune in
    October 23, 2015 by A Vision Splendid from Australia

    I can highly recommend Gavin’s podcast ! I have followed Gavin’s blog since the very beginning and have loved to see his journey unfold. Gavin has a lovely speaking voice so this podcast is always very easy to listen to. Gavin has a very authentic approach to his green living lifestyle. He shares the ups and downs but always provides motivation and practical steps that we can all implement.

  • very good
    June 28, 2015 by Scared pax from United Kingdom

    This is a great podcast if you want to improve your life in so many aspects and become a more sustainable person. I love the soothing voice, the good pace, and it contains lots of useful information. Recommended!

  • opened my eyes
    May 25, 2015 by Gorn4lyfe from Australia

    A wonderful show!

  • Inspiring
    April 30, 2015 by Alan Whelan from Ireland

    This is a great podcast if you're looking for practical info on saving money by living more sustainably from someone who's made that journey over the last few years. Told in a nice, easy conversational style

  • Green Living, inspiring and practical
    January 8, 2015 by EliseMac from Australia

    Thanks Gav for sharing what has (and hasn't) worked along your journey for living a greener lifestyle. Inspiring and achievable for anyone, I look forward to this podcast weekly.

  • Local food equals less waste
    December 27, 2014 by allotmentadventureswithjean from Australia

    Another brilliant podcast from Gavin Webber encouraging us, and showing us how, to cut down on food miles, growing our own food, and cutting down on food waste. Gavin is a really interesting speaker, showing us how to eat better, growing our own food and how to live more sustainably.

  • Honestly australian
    December 15, 2014 by HodgepodgeOz from Australia

    Fantastic podcast, with a wide variety of well thought and researched topics. Gavin is a honest, forthright pod aster with a genuine interest in helping others get green. Like a day alongside is a day wasted, so too is a week without listening to Gavin. Highly recommended for people starting out, or those in the midst of their new lifestyle. Keep it up Gavin, wish there were more great reviews! Kimberley

  • Morning motivation
    December 8, 2014 by Bunnyworm from Australia

    Gavin has a great passion for living this greener lifestyle that motivates others to do the same. The podcasts are always interesting and informative. :)

  • Passionate Advocate
    October 18, 2014 by BoomOpGirl from Australia

    Gavin's enthusiasm and passion for creating a more sustainable world is nothing short of contagious. Thanks Gav, you are my weekly source of motivation for living a sustainable life! :)

  • Gavin speaks from the heart
    October 13, 2014 by Green gavin from Australia

    Gavin's podcasts are required listening for anyone planning to live a more sustainable life. He doesn't preach, but tells you his story from the heart. You'll laugh, smile, share in his concerns and along the way you'll pick up some great tips on living a simple life.

  • Green thoughts, so well iterated
    October 9, 2014 by Kwasikwami from Australia

    This is a wonderful podcast. Not only does Gavin talk knowledgeably on a range of sustainability topics from gardening tips all the way to the issues facing humanity as a whole, but he does so in such a wonderful voice, it's like listening to my Dad, love it!!

  • Easy listening inspiration on being green
    September 24, 2014 by Broomedy from Australia

    Gav knows how to share his journey to a more sustainable life in a manner that shows just how easy it really is. Not to mention healthier, economically beneficial and generally rewarding. The podcasts are an easy way to absorb Gav's great lifestyle. I recommend to anyone.

  • Thanks Gavin!
    August 31, 2014 by Honeywoodmilk from Australia

    Great practical advice for a greener lifestyle. This podcast is for anybody interested in growing their own food in suburbia, saving electricity, brewing beer, making cheese, all that wonderful business and most of all, saving money! Thanks Gavin, love the podcast mate!

  • Enjoyed those ideas for staying warm
    August 15, 2014 by enduringdragon from United States

    Like you we are having winter here in Chile—brrr! Every bit we can save on heating we will.

  • Green Podcasts
    July 26, 2014 by Carneu from Australia

    Excellent podcasts, which are full of information to help get started on a sustainable lifestyle.

  • Practical ideas and inspiration
    July 19, 2014 by HeathrowHeath from Australia

    I highly recommend Gavin's podcast and blog. Down to earth, entertaining and inspirational. Thank you.

  • Interesting & easy to listen to
    April 27, 2014 by Velocity3 from New Zealand

    Gavin & his guests make this green journey lots of fun.

  • Great green listen
    April 18, 2014 by Obscurenickname from Australia

    Gavin is a great down to earth, tell it like it is aussie with a passion for sustainability and growing food and making cheese

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