Glassless 'greenhouse'

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orrel
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Glassless 'greenhouse'

Post by orrel »

Hoodia bainii in flower#2 0036.JPG
Hoodia bainii in flower#2 0036.JPG (194.39 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
Mamm. sphacelata#2.JPG
Mamm. sphacelata#2.JPG (238.07 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
Mamm. albilanata.JPG
Mamm. albilanata.JPG (174.83 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
Mammillaria candida.JPG
Mammillaria candida.JPG (185.56 KiB) Viewed 5084 times
In response to the subject of greenhouse tours, my 'greenhouse' has the sky for a roof although the horizontal directions are limited by the small size of my tiled patio here on the Costa Blanca. We get about 290 days of pure sunshine per annum, but when it rains it really rains! The 'gota fria' (cold drop) has enormous raindrops and can last without any cessation whatsoever from 4 am to 3pm. Then a sheet of polythene is required to stop the compost being removed from the pots.
Quite a number of species are available from local garden centres of which there are many. The plants are virtually all supplied by the lorry-load from Holland; few are labelled so it helps to have some experience. The Spanish garden centre growing method is: keep well shaded, apply liberal amounts of the same feed as all the other plants on sale, watch spherical plants gradually becoming like a church spire! Thus you have to try and do the rounds regularly to pick up plants which are newly-arrived. many are superb in quality and size and very cheap compared to Britain. There are one or two specialist growers, but the breathtaking prices asked makes me wonder how they ever sell very much. Maybe that's why there are only a few growers.
Compost here is a joke. Even posh-looking branded bags are mostly recycled material. I suspect the EU rules about composting chipboard etc are, like most EU rules in Spain, totally ignored. The result, liberally mixed with shreds of plastic, twig and material swept from the tourist beaches is deadly to any sort of plant. It has been a long chase trying to obtain a peat based or cocoa fibre compost. The last lot I found was wonderful. I went back for more but didn't check the label. Arriving home I found that the DIY centre (Aki) had changed to the usual recycled stuff so I am left with expensive bags of rubbish I daren't use for anything. :angre: So, the great compost search resumes.
On the plus side, plants grow madly except in July & August when they shut down due to temperatures of 34C or more. I attach a few pics of my small collection, having only moved here in March 2012.
Orrel
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rodsmith
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Re: Glassless 'greenhouse'

Post by rodsmith »

They seem to be doing well, Orrel
Rod Smith

Growing a mixed collection of cacti & other succulents; mainly smaller species with a current emphasis on lithops & conophytum.
Herts Mike
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Re: Glassless 'greenhouse'

Post by Herts Mike »

Considering the almost perfect climate in Spain I am always surprised at the relatively small variety of plants being grown in general.
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orrel
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Re: Glassless 'greenhouse'

Post by orrel »

Thanks for your comments. Things are looking up - I believe I've found a place selling Dutch-made compost which is mostly peat. A garden centre visited last Tuesday has bags of small-sized lava 'grit' probably imported from the Eifel region of Germany. I picked up two discarded low sided storage boxes sans lids (I'm a great 'bin rat' , it's unbelievable what people here throw out). So, I now have two large trays (see picture) with drainage pipes & many of my plants standing on the grit in them. Just in time as today it is raining gently - first rain since May. The temp is still 23C but I'm finding it a bit nippy after our weeks of 34C :smile: The trays enable me to close the drainage pipes when using fertiliser so the plants get the benefit, not the gutter (we have no road drains here, water just flows down the road & over the cliff to the sea.) When it rains I can allow the trays to drain. Next stage is to devise some sort of movable cover as when the infrequent heavy rain comes it falls like Niagara without let up for about 12 hours. The water supply is very hard (this is a Karst limestone region) & full of iron & other minerals. The plants don't like it including my wife's potted hibiscus, whereas after rain they plump up and look so different. This is, I presume, due to the weak Nitrogen in rain water. Rain is really amazing stuff.
I referred last post to plants being cheap. Just bought a pot containing 8 Espostoa lanata for Euros 1.80 :eek: See picture.
Regards from Cabo Roig, Costa Blanca
These should grow fast here
These should grow fast here
8espostoa lanata.JPG (156.83 KiB) Viewed 4702 times
My two trays in place
My two trays in place
trays#2.JPG (241.47 KiB) Viewed 4702 times
Trays on trestles from local DIY store
Trays on trestles from local DIY store
trays#1.JPG (230.04 KiB) Viewed 4702 times
Last edited by Tony R on Sat Sep 07, 2013 3:08 pm, edited 1 time in total.
Reason: Please use 'Place inline' for photos - gives a neater finish
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