Disaster strikes!

[ItsEssexRob]

Well to anyone who read my three most recent threads on weedkiller, watering and greenhouses this thread includes them all.

My friend who put up the greenhouse and who used the weedkiller seems to have made an error.

In future I think I shall be doing work myself even if im not experienced.

He excavated a hole for the greenhouse ( not sure why I didnt find this odd or pick up on it before) before putting it in and today after torrential downpours the whole thing flooded with about 2 foot of water. I managed to fish the troughs and some of the pots out but others are too far back. Will they survive one day immersed in water? ( plants arent under water, the water comes halfway up the pot.)

Also the weedkiller treated soil has been flodded, so will this put all the weedkiller into my greenhouse and raise its level? It was established in the weedkiller thread it was a systemic weedkiller, so would this be too diluted or inactive now it has been on the soil for 50 hours?

Im going to have to take it all down and build a concrete base it seems. He told me he had been gafrdening for years and years though and now Im left with a mess

[Snadger]

Oh dear! The weedkileer scenario should be ok. The pots of plants that are semi submerged should be ok for a day or so until recued (borrow some waders, or its warm enough for shorts) but can't understand how or why you have dug down two feet?

PS Get rid of your friend.....................

[Potstubsdustbins]

Agree with Snadger but would add friend, gardener and experienced do not sit well with your mate.

You could do no better than come here for advice, someone will always help.

Colin

[Feral007]

Can you get one of those plastic pipes with a squeezy bit in them - they sell them in the $2 shops over here (altho they are never just $2) and they are for use in getting petrol out of a car or something? Whatever, if you have liquid you need to move from one area to another then this would be a way of doing it. As long as the end where the water is going to is lower than the end that it is coming from then it works. You use the squeezy part to pump the water up the tube in the beginning and then it flows on. Dont do the ordinary hose and suck on the end to get it going. You don't want a mouthful.

Do you actually need a concrete base tho? I'm not into the whole gh/polytunnel thing yet. But I'm thinking that you could make something out of this whether you do concrete or not. You will have left over soil no doubt. I'm thinking if you are going concrete, then you'd need to refill a bit of the soil and then concrete it when its settled properly (or bashed down with a hire soil compactor) or you could refill half, and then fill the other half with a good garden mix from the nursery (kind of like compost in large amounts - we hire or borrow trailers to cart the stuff) and top up the rest of the floor with 'good soil.' This way if you are planting into the actual structure you are starting out with some awesome soil. Just remember to slope whatever you do so that the rain runs away, and start another thread on drainage around your structure.

And then of course, I was thinking that if you have soil over, you can make some raised garden beds using it, and top up with some extra garden mix.

You'll be wallowing in vege's before you know it!
EssexRob when these sorts of things happen to my teenagers I have been know to say 'You do like to do things the hard way don't you?' Still a learning curve tho

[Feral007]

Oh sorry, just thought to add - A quote that I've heard a lot recently is 'Only take advice from those who have what you want.' ie inspect someone's garden afore you take advice or let them loose in yours.

[Jimmy]

I you build a concrete base remember to make it slightly higher in the middle, like a crown green bowling lawn. Also perhaps a slight slope to where you want it to drain off to.

My builder years ago made a nice base but it collects water and doesn't drain off.
Most annoying and probably bad for the plants as the GH is damp.

So if you use a builder tell him the above points.

Note: My GH site on a row of bricks around the edge of the base.

Jimmy

[Leeds_lad]

I you build a concrete base remember to make it slightly higher in the middle, like a crown green bowling lawn. Also perhaps a slight slope to where you want it to drain off to.

My builder years ago made a nice base but it collects water and doesn't drain off.
Most annoying and probably bad for the plants as the GH is damp.

So if you use a builder tell him the above points.

Note: My GH site on a row of bricks around the edge of the base.

Jimmy

A simple fix to this. Go to the area where the water collects the most and drill some holes down through the concrete. The bigger the better

[Leeds_lad]

Well to anyone who read my three most recent threads on weedkiller, watering and greenhouses this thread includes them all.

My friend who put up the greenhouse and who used the weedkiller seems to have made an error.

In future I think I shall be doing work myself even if im not experienced.

He excavated a hole for the greenhouse ( not sure why I didnt find this odd or pick up on it before) before putting it in and today after torrential downpours the whole thing flooded with about 2 foot of water. I managed to fish the troughs and some of the pots out but others are too far back. Will they survive one day immersed in water? ( plants arent under water, the water comes halfway up the pot.)

Also the weedkiller treated soil has been flodded, so will this put all the weedkiller into my greenhouse and raise its level? It was established in the weedkiller thread it was a systemic weedkiller, so would this be too diluted or inactive now it has been on the soil for 50 hours?

Im going to have to take it all down and build a concrete base it seems. He told me he had been gafrdening for years and years though and now Im left with a mess

Nah, no need for concrete. Go out to a garden or DIY centre and pick up some cheap flags. Easy to lay and if you ever decide you want the area back as soil, simply lift them back up and voila =)

[Florence Fennel]

I agree with LL, unless your greenhouse is going to be permanently sited there, I wouldn't concrete. I hope this is the last of your disasters Rob, they do say it comes in threes, so you should only get good things from now (well for a while anyway)

[Two_Sheds]

He excavated a hole for the greenhouse ...

On your weedkiller thread, you mentioned he had selective deafness: perhaps he thought you asked for "pond" ?


Rob, it's all a learning curve. You've learned your mate's a numptie, and that you'll do alright for advice if you ask this lot on here