Some years ago I attended a workshop by a vegie-garden expert and the subject of hothouses came up. I remember his comment on the subject because he was in no doubt. 'You don't need a hothouse in Tasmania' he said. Then I met Russell. He has a vegie-garden at Acton and is really enthusiastic about his hothouse. Acton has quite a moderate micro-climate compared to many parts of Tasmania, so I wondered why Russell really likes his hothouse. I decided to find out more.
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| Russell's hothouse in his garden at Acton |
Q: What have been the benefits of a hothouse for you?
- It is a lot of fun, especially with early and late tomatoes. I begin to pick tomatoes well before Christmas and pick my last ones mid to late August. This season I am going to plant a tomato towards the end of the normal season to see whether this can be extended even further. I also grow chillies.
- It is an ideal environment for seed raising.
- It is a nice place to be on a cold wintery day.
Q: What are the mistakes you can make with a hothouse?
- Don't plant into the ground. To avoid diseases and pests that thrive is hot conditions use pots and potting mix (normal soil will turn into a brick) and replace the soil at the end of every season.
- Soils going dry. An automatic watering system is essential or the risk of loss is great.
- Not enough ventilation. You need windows that can be opened and you need to prune so there is plenty of air around leaves and fruit. Therefore don't have too many plants. It is hard to apply self-discipline here.
- Too much mono-culture. For tomatoes for instance add chillies and marigolds.
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| At the end of June with more tomatoes on the way |
Q: How do you control the temperature?
- My hothouse came with a cover to put over it in Summer, but I don't use it. I find the louvre window in the side, the door and the window in the roof sufficient to control the temperature.
Q:What would you advise people considering getting one?
- Mine is 2.5 metres by 1.9 metres and I use one side and one end for the plants and have a bench on the other side. You could remove the bench to maximise space for plants. I have a paved area in the middle for walking on and where the plants go I have blue metal so water can drain away.
- It is not hard to put together. It came with instructions and it took two of us 3 or 4 hours to put together after I had made a base of sleepers.
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| Tomato seedlings for the new season, watering system and work bench |
Q:Where did you buy it and what were the costs?
- I bought it 3 years ago at Stonemans Nursery in Glenorchy. At present the model costs $1919. There is a larger version (2.5 metres square) with a double door that costs $2299. I found the structure to be strong. Acton is a windy place and I have had no problems.
Thank you Russell!
Russell's comments further convinced me that I like a hot house in my garden. In my case it would have to be where there is an outside brick BBQ area at present. A standard hothouse would not fit. I am thinking of building one myself from recycled materials. Later this season I may let you know how I am getting on with this.
