Self-sufficient vegetable growing...

[RedvGreen]

Groupon had some transplant fruit trees on offer, which arrived and are flourishing (as much as a sapling can flourish). 1 x Pear, 1 x Plum, 1 x Apple and 1 x Cherry.

Also B&Q had some discount reductions on Courgettes and Chilis - so have 6 plants of each at the moment, just in small plant stage. Will be looking to sort out the garden soon enough. Thinking raised beds with some sort of protection from birds and, at least, try to inconvenience slugs and greenfly.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Im going to be a little less protective this year and start transferrning to the allotment once things are up and a week or so old.
Just need to keep fingers crossed for no super cold weather. Benefit is they get way more sun so once they start growing the grow a lot quicker.

Need to think about background heating for the poly. Was supposed to have been a winter project. next year ...

heated outdoor poly?

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

heated outdoor poly?

Aye yeah.
me and a mate up the allotment came up with an idea based on a site i saw, created really long burning candles (100 hours or so). But for me before the clocks change thats not long enough, suits him as he works nights.
He did it last year and again this. These raise the temp about 10 degrees, but most importantly keep the frost off. Basically a candle, under a couple of terracotta pots, burns slow and the pots radiate the heat. we are talking 2mx3m poly here.
The polys are actually fairly good at keeping the heat in.

What I wanted to do was use the frying oil from work canteen to do something similar, so i could create a longer burn. Same principle. You have a candle, but your adding other oil. Its burns lower and slower but its got enough energy to keep burning.
The one I was basing this on uses Trex as the alternate fuel to go with the wax candle. Its no diff to people using the old frying oil in a car, its less flamable but it works once you have it going.

 

[Psycho Sonny]

Aye yeah.
me and a mate up the allotment came up with an idea based on a site i saw, created really long burning candles (100 hours or so). But for me before the clocks change thats not long enough, suits him as he works nights.
He did it last year and again this. These raise the temp about 10 degrees, but most importantly keep the frost off. Basically a candle, under a couple of terracotta pots, burns slow and the pots radiate the heat. we are talking 2mx3m poly here.
The polys are actually fairly good at keeping the heat in.

What I wanted to do was use the frying oil from work canteen to do something similar, so i could create a longer burn. Same principle. You have a candle, but your adding other oil. Its burns lower and slower but its got enough energy to keep burning.
The one I was basing this on uses Trex as the alternate fuel to go with the wax candle. Its no diff to people using the old frying oil in a car, its less flamable but it works once you have it going.

the use terracotta pots filled with oil and some sort of white string as candles in india. they last for days and much cheaper than candles which will only last 2-4 hours.

so i take it he drills some holes into the pots to allow air / oxygen in? or are they raised using supports to allow air underneath?

the only issue is making sure it's pretty safe and doesn't go out due to wind. the number one cause of house fires is candles these days i believe.

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

the use terracotta pots filled with oil and some sort of white string as candles in india. they last for days and much cheaper than candles which will only last 2-4 hours.

so i take it he drills some holes into the pots to allow air / oxygen in? or are they raised using supports to allow air underneath?

the only issue is making sure it's pretty safe and doesn't go out due to wind. the number one cause of house fires is candles these days i believe.

He uses the 50 hour candles. Polys are pretty wind proof to be honest, but no way is wind going to blow these out. Its on the floor in the middle anyway, so probably at least 12 inches from anything else flamable.
Bottom is a tray, then on top a smallish pot, and on top of that a big one. Both pots have a hole in by default, plant pots.

Yeah its something a bit like those oil pots I am trying to do. The candle helps as it will burn until it goes out. The theory is the far less flamable oil is forced to burn as its constantly getting to the wick.

Ah found the old one I started with. Its quite impressive really

 

[Amp34]

I’m not the only one then... I have an 8x3ft table set up in front of the front window right now... My GFs got used to it now, and the neighbours seem to love it!

 

[Mercenary Keyboard Warrior]

Slowly taking over the window sills with seeds, so far so good, no adverse reaction yet