Perhaps digging out my greenhouse base wasn't such a good idea...

[Madasafish]

Your "rust proof" base will rust a lot more.. I know from experience. Take the opportunity to cover it in waxoyl based car underseal which will long term protect it from rust. Or Hammerite..

Repainting a rusty base when 20 years old is not fun.. I speak from experience..

PS: You have the wrong birds. Chickens are no good. With an inbuilt pond, you need DUCKS...

[Rob the Radish]

If your going to dig a trench down both sides why not fill it with gravel first so it acts as a french drain and take it to the lowest point in the garden, or a soak away.

[chris]

Thanks folks, the ground is massive boulders, rocks, sand and whatever other rubbish they buried, topped with some topsoil, then turf.

It's a corner plot, was a show home - the side garden here wasn't officially a garden but they turfed it all the same.

Since we bought it I've fenced it off and made use of it.

I'll dig further down and see if I can break through the layer. There is a lower spot in the garden, so I might be able to dig a soak-away to that level. I'll have a look later- might report back with more pictures for further advice.

Thanks again

[chris]

Soooo, the problem as Colin said is the greenhouse is at a low point in the garden. The heavy rainfall highlighted the slope of the step before greenhouse. Watching the rain yesterday, I could see it coming I the same place again.

I've finished digging the base out that side (good news is the soil at the other end is much, much better) - havent managed to get through the non porous layer - it goes very deep. I think the sand/clay soil there has some cement in the mix, left over from building the wall around the back garden. Anyway I've managed to dig a sort of channel in the trough I've dug out, to direct water lower to the other side.

To stop it entering the greenhouse I've dug out and put in a channel drain in front of the GH. I'm going to put a channel drain around the long side of it too, so I can direct the water away from the greenhouse, if that side becomes an issue.

Waiting now for some heavy rain again before I re-fill the base

Tad bit achey this morning!!

[taff]

not surprised.....well done

[Feral007]

Sounds like a lot of hard work!

[chris]

It was a bit of work, but not near as much as digging out my chicken coop base in the same garden! That almost killed me, wish I'd just taken the fence down and got a JCB in!

[Potstubsdustbins]

Glad to hear your making progress Chris, let us know how it all ends up.

Colin

[chris]

Thanks Colin.

Emptied my daleks today, had a dalek and a half worth of useable compost. Was a bit annoyed as I can't get up to the allotment at the mo as I'm ill so decided to dump it in the trench. It filled it around half way soi thou I'd go to the other side of the garden and dig up the good soil and fill it up. So,it's full now

I'm going to silicon the gap from the guttering->pane of glass where the water can run in, and add some permeant supports I'm there later, ready to plant my toms in, next week or the week after.

Might leave the otherwise this year

[Snadger]

Two words to say to you Chris................. 'Ring Culture'

[taff]

+three for you snadge....ring of fire

arf arf arf

[chris]

Hehehe.

Managed to make a frame in there too - as I'm growing biggie beefsteaks this year.