2023-06 GreenHouse/Växthus Finish

June gets really hot, and is the peak solar-producing month. It’s also quite brutal on the plants as they’ve been weeks without rain. Watering the plants in direct sunlight can cause damage if the leaves are wet so we hand-watered each evening. It takes a long time to water each end of the garden however.

Greenhouse Deck

I concentrated on finishing the greenhouse projects, specifically the deck. I enjoyed making it but there were a few mistakes. I realised I would need some supports for the middle which I had to order and wait for. I got about halfway through the decking before realising it was at a slight angle compared to the orientation of the greenhouse and re-laid it. I also had to order a second batch of deck for the final couple of planks as some of the wood stock was too warped to use. Once done I used a circle saw to cut the end of the deck flush and accidentally took a large chunk from one plank, meaning I had to re-lay it.

In the end it was all complete, and the plants have been getting massive. Outside the plants have been having a much tougher time with no shelter from the sun.

Garden Design

The thought is that in years to come it will become hotter, and more weather extremes like high winds. To combat this we’d like to create shade and wind breaks in the garden but have to work within the special plan (stricter planning regulations for a specific area).

We’ve also reached the limit of what we can water by hand, with it taking 1-2 hours each night to water everything which can get exhausting after work. The evening is also when mosquitos are most active. Working with long hoses is a pain as they kink and need manoeuvring which takes time to fix. So it’s likely we’ll look to put in drip lines across each bed in the long term.

Plant Move

We moved our four blueberry bushes from an exposed and dry location to a more sheltered place near the garage. When we dug them up we could see the roots had barely moved from the original pot shape. At the new location we took the opportunity to plant them into lots of mixed-in manure. Within a week they looks more visibly alive which was a faster reaction than seemed possible. By the end of June they are looking healthier than we have ever seen. We are think of putting in more blueberry bushes around the same areas since they are native, have resistant to the conditions and we understand a lot better now the locations in the garden they like and the care they need.

Budgeting

In general this month I went all-in funding anything that needed doing to the greenhouse and garden. This was both because my partner was enjoying the garden, which makes me happy, and to make the maximum progress in developing the garden into something useful. Essentially each manure delivery, garden facility or tool is progress that helps us start growing faster next year.