Back to Real Grass?

The first artificial turf pitch was laid in Rhode Island in 1964, and started to gain attention when the Houston Astro Dome opened in 1966 with

It took another 20 years before an Australian artificial turf sports field was completed

It only seemed to me to get start getting popular in Australia in the 2010’s when artificial grass started to hit the domestic market.

Well with around 10 years experiance I have seen a lot of artificial lawns and I am not a fan.

What I Don’t Like

No Saving On Installation

If you want a high standard finish their is a lot more than just rolling the cheapest product.

If you want a nice flat lawn you need to spend some time on getting a flat stable base.

The base may need to be provided by a softer layer if it is going to be anything but oriental.

Expect to pay between $60 and $100/sq m for a reasonable product and quality installation.

Not No Maintenace

This photograph shows what can go wrong if you ignore maintenance

You may not have to mow it, but you do have to vacuum it.

Otherwise leaves just sit on top.

You still have to weedkill as windblown seed can still form roots and grow.

Heath Issues

Unfortunately, artificial grass can trap blood, skin, and animal waste and become a breeding ground for harmful bacteria, like staphylococcus.

If you have pets, you will need water to remove dog urine to keep things more sanitary.

Artificial grass can also be a major source of micro plastics which are considered a major environmental problem.

Not People Friendly

Two common complaints are;

  • The surface gets to hot in summer.
  • Likely to cause friction burns.

5 Pros And Cons Of Greenhouse Kits 

Guest Post

Greenhouse kits offer a convenient and efficient way for individuals to cultivate plants, flowers, and vegetables in controlled environments.

These kits come in various sizes, designs, and materials, catering to the diverse needs of gardeners and horticulturists.

However, like any product, greenhouse kits have their own set of advantages and disadvantages.

Understanding these pros and cons can help potential buyers make informed decisions before investing in a greenhouse kit.

Pros

Easy Assembly: One of the primary advantages of greenhouse kits is their ease of assembly. Most kits come with pre-cut materials and detailed instructions, simplifying construction. This feature mainly benefits individuals with limited DIY skills or who prefer hassle-free setups. Maze greenhouse kits, for instance, are designed to be user-friendly, allowing even novices to build their greenhouse quickly. Watch this video about assembling this kit:

Affordability: Compared to building a traditional greenhouse from scratch, greenhouse kits are often more cost-effective. These kits eliminate the need to purchase individual materials in bulk, saving time and money. Additionally, greenhouse kits typically include frames, panels, and hardware, reducing the overall cost of constructing a greenhouse.

Portability: Many greenhouse kits are designed to be portable, allowing users to relocate them as needed. This flexibility is especially beneficial for renters or individuals with limited outdoor space. Portable greenhouse kits are lightweight and can be easily disassembled and moved, making them ideal for temporary or seasonal use.

Climate Control: Greenhouse kits provide a controlled environment for plants, offering protection from harsh weather elements, such as frost, wind, and excessive sunlight. Users can regulate temperature, humidity, and ventilation with adjustable vents, windows, and shading systems to create optimal growing conditions for different plant species.

Space Optimization: Greenhouse kits maximize space utilization, allowing individuals to grow various plants in a compact area. Whether placed in a backyard, balcony, or rooftop, these kits enable gardeners to cultivate crops year-round without requiring expansive outdoor land. Vertical greenhouse kits are also available for those with limited horizontal space, further optimizing growing capacity.

Cons

Limited Size Options: While greenhouse kits offer convenience and affordability, they often come in standard sizes, limiting customization options for users with specific spatial requirements. This makes them not ideal for individuals seeking larger or custom-designed greenhouse structures.

Durability Concerns: Some greenhouse kits may lack the durability and structural integrity of traditional greenhouse constructions. Kits made from lightweight materials, such as PVC or thin aluminum frames, may be prone to damage from strong winds, heavy snow loads, or prolonged exposure to sunlight. Additionally, cheaper greenhouse kits may deteriorate quickly, requiring frequent repairs or replacements.

Temperature Control Challenges: Despite climate-controlled features, greenhouse kits may find it challenging to maintain consistent temperatures throughout the year because of their limited insulation. In extreme weather conditions, such as heatwaves or cold snaps, greenhouse kits may struggle to adequately regulate internal temperatures, leading to stress or damage to plants. Supplemental heating or automatic vents may be necessary to address temperature fluctuations effectively.

Limited Structural Integrity: Greenhouse kits are often made of lighter materials, so they may need more structural integrity than professionally constructed greenhouses. DIY kits assembled by inexperienced individuals may be more susceptible to leaks, gaps, or uneven foundations, compromising the overall stability and functionality of the greenhouse.

Maintenance Requirements: Like any outdoor structure, greenhouse kits require regular maintenance to ensure optimal performance and longevity. This includes cleaning panels, lubricating hinges, inspecting frames for rust or corrosion, and replacing worn-out components. Failure to properly maintain a greenhouse kit can result in reduced efficiency, diminished plant growth, and costly repairs in the long run.

Choosing a Greenhouse Kit

Choosing the fitting greenhouse kit involves considering several factors to ensure it meets your specific requirements and preferences. Here are some key considerations to keep in mind:

Size And Space: Determine the available space for your greenhouse and consider the size of the kit that will fit best. Think about the number of plants you want to grow and any additional space needed for storage or workspace.

Materials And Durability: Aside from considering the greenhouse design, it’s best to assess the materials used to construct the greenhouse kit. Opt for durable materials, such as aluminum or galvanized steel for frames and UV-resistant polycarbonate panels for glazing. These materials offer longevity and resistance to weathering.

Climate And Location: Consider the environment and location where the greenhouse will be installed. Choose a kit with insulation, ventilation options, and shading systems suited to your local climate. This ensures optimal growing conditions year-round.

Assembly Difficulty: Evaluate your DIY skills and the complexity of the assembly process. Some greenhouse kits are designed for easy assembly with minimal tools and experience required, while others may be more challenging. Choose a kit that matches your expertise and available time for assembly.

Budget: Determine your budget for purchasing and installing a greenhouse kit. Prices can vary significantly depending on size, materials, and features. Balance your budget with the desired quality and functionality of the kit.

Reviews And Recommendations: Research customer reviews and seek recommendations from other gardeners with greenhouse kits experience. Reading about others’ experiences can provide valuable insights into different kits’ quality, performance, and durability.

Warranty And Support: Check the warranty coverage and customer support the manufacturer offers. A reliable warranty ensures protection against defects or issues with the kit, while responsive customer support can assist with any questions or concerns during assembly or use.

Final Thoughts

Greenhouse kits offer numerous benefits, including ease of assembly, affordability, portability, climate control, and space optimization.

However, potential drawbacks—such as limited size options, durability concerns, temperature control challenges, structural integrity issues, and maintenance requirements—should also be considered before purchasing a greenhouse kit.

Ultimately, investing in a greenhouse kit should be based on individual preferences, budget constraints, and specific gardening needs.

 

Hiring a Dingo Loader

Spreading a lot of topsoil or levelling a large garden yourself?

One of the best tools is a ‘Dingo’ or ‘Kanga’ loader.

These can usually be hired locally at very reasonable rates.

Can be a bit scary driving the dingo off the trailer.

Just go slow and you should be alright.

You will be jerky and wobbly at first but I found after 10mins I got the hang of it and started enjoying it.

These machines are narrow enough to go through most gateways (Less than 900mm wide),

As I was on a corner block it was easiest to take out a fence panel.

As well as the basic machine some attachments that may be worth hiring at the same time are:

  • A bucket with teeth if you are planning to dig compacted soil.
  • A large capacity bucket for moving compost and mulch.
  • A rotary auger if you are putting in posts, or even preparing to plant trees or large shrubs.

Safety Warning:
Even though it’s fun its a heavy powerful machine that needs to be treated with respect so:

    1. Don’t try to climb too steep a slope, go too quick or do anything, that will put it off balance or tip over. You don’t want it to roll on you.
    2. Make sure that pets and children are well out of the way.
    3. Don’t allow people to get behind you
    4. Take your time as you will feel like you are a cowboy riding a bull if you go too quick.
    5. Rest when you get tired.
    6. If you are crossing a footpath get some cones and rope to keep pedestrians away.

A final piece of advice “Don’t let the wife have a go or you will never get her off it”.

What piece of Hire Equipment have you found useful?

 

The Settling In Section contains lots of advice on what to do after

you have moved in your new house.

 

Artificial Grass v Real Grass

As I walk around residential areas one thing I have started to see more and more is artificial grass.

I have even seen builders put artificial grass on the nature strips in front of their show houses. (Can you still call them nature strips with artificial grass?)

Here are my thoughts on how they compare for use in the home:

Real Grass

Artificial Grass

Installation To get a good lawn requires good soil preparation whether you are going to use seed or turf. It will initially require heavy watering. Artificial grass should be laid on a level well compacted gravel bed. Following the laying of the mat a filler of rubber granules is added and brushed in.
Cost Low for seed to high for turf High
First use Can be a few weeks for turf to months for seed Immediately
Water Use 10-20L/m2 per week in summer without rain Zero
Maint’nce Weekly mowing in summer and regular edging Regular weedkill and monthly raking to keep up appearance
Repair Easy and low cost Difficult and expensive, particularly if it becomes uneven.
Suitability for sport Ok for garden putting greens Good for sports such as tennis as it’s resistant to wear
Enviro Effects Helps absorb CO2 Saves water
Look Seasonal and weather changes also watering dependant Always green
Feel Soft and cool on feet Neutral to pleasant smell Soft but Hot in direct sunlight, static can build up, and has rubbery smell*
Effect on the House Will help keep the house cool No effect
Allergies Can affect hay fever sufferers, especially when mowing No effect

* spraying with a weak solution of fabric softener will help with static and smell

As for me….. well my children have grown up and I don’t like mowing lawns so we haven’t got any lawn, just a native garden.

Which do you prefer?

Guerrilla Gardening

If you haven’t heard of the expression ‘Guerrilla Gardening’ is gardening on land you don’t own.

So why would you spend your time on this when you have got lots of other jobs in your new house?

Well in my case I lived on a corner block and had over 20m of colorbond fence at the side of the house.

Between this fence and the footpath there was this triangular piece of open space about 200mm wide at one and 5m wide at the other end.

The fence looked boring and within one week of it going up it got hit by graffiti.

The challenge was to prevent further graffitti and improve the look of the house from the side, without spending too much money.

I went for a fairly simple plan

  • Prickly native shrubs at the back.
  • An area of aganpanthus in the widest area
  • Native grasses and pig face at the front.

Although the shrubs were typically only 300mm high when they went it is interesting that no more graffitti occurred when people could see the area was being cared for.

What you can see in the photograph is after five years of growth. This has occurred in spite of minimal watering for the first year and nothing afterwards over a period of prolonged drought.

As for the mosaic its Che Guevara, probably the most famous Guerilla……………But I have changed the image you normally see on T shirts etc, to put a daisy on his hat and flowers around the bottom.

 

For similar posts see Garden

 

Recycling Builder’s Waste

During the building process there can be a lot of materials that would go to waste if you don’t speak to the builder and make sure they are left on site.

Here are some of the materials we have saved and reused to save us considerable time and money.

Bricks being used as path edge
    • Broken bricks and roof tiles were used to form the foundations of most of the paths around our property. A topping of Tuscan chippings has formed some great rustic paths.
    • Some complete roof tiles were saved, to be used in case of any future damage.
    • Sand was spread over an area that had been dug over to help break up the clay.
    • Complete bricks were used as path edging and Scoria from the drainage pipe surrounds was used to infill the area between paving slabs. (see photo )
    • Timber was used for formwork for additional concrete paths.
    • Large rocks from the excavation were used as garden features.
    • Small rocks were used to edge rustic paths and walls etc.
    • One piece of broken drainage pipe was used to make a washing basket stand near the washing hoist. Another was used to form a small bridge as a garden feature.

      Pipe as washing basket stand

 

What builder’s waste have you found useful?

For similar posts see Settling In

 

While The House Is Built

If you are getting a house built you can feel lost with not much to do between the contracts being signed and being ready to move.

Here are some suggestions for you to be doing during the wait.

Inspect Progress

I have always made at least weekly visits to inspect progress during construction.

It’s surprising how it gives you a better idea of what’s behind the walls. Y

ou might even discover some mistakes at an early stage and avoid time wasting corrections being needed later.

Growing Plants

With a new garden you will probably need lots of new plants.

One we way we saved money was by buying lots of plants in 50mm pots, some compost and 100mm pots.

We then replanted all the new plants in the larger pots and refilled the smaller pots with either seeds or cuttings from our garden.

To make it easier to water them I set up a very basic spray system.

By the time we were ready to move we had over a hundred reasonably sized plants ready to go.

Making Garden Features and Furniture

I quite like making mosaics so for our last house I made a number of mosaics on concrete paving slabs, which were then set in paths around the house.

These made interesting features.

I also used mosaics to make a small garden table.

Another project could be to build wooden benches and garden tables.

Start a Worm Farm

With most new houses by the time the builder has finished there isn’t much good soil left.

Although you can buy compost and top soil there aren’t many worms and other organisms in it.

Starting a worm farm can help.

To make mine develop faster I used to collect the coffee grounds and tea bags from the kitchen at work to add to the stuff from home.

You could also used paper from the shredder or ask you favourite café to save you their coffee grounds.

Build a Dog Kennel

If you have got a pet that spends part of its life outside you need to be sure its got somewhere to keep out of the weather.

You are getting a new house so why not make sure your pet gets looked after.

Make Pelmets

One way of keeping the heat in the house is to fit pelmets above the windows.

These, together with Curtains, stops the heat being drawn down the cold windows at night.

These can be reasonably easily made before your move and fitted as soon as you get possession.

 

What things have you made, or wished you had made, before you moved into a house?

Also see Settling In

Easy to grow vegetables for beginners 

Guest Post from Tristan

There’s no better feeling than growing your own vegetables.

It’s not only fun and healthy, its super rewarding.

When thinking of starting your own little veggie garden, sometimes getting it started can be the hardest part.

While choosing things to grow, it’s important to grow produce that is easy to grow rather than your favourite produce, save this till next year.

Growing produce that is simple, gives you the confidence to begin taking on bigger challenges, and before long your whole yards will be a little veggie garden.

Growing crops that require little maintenance and have a short harvest time is a great way to start.

Location

Pick a part of your garden that is sheltered but sunny.

Exceptions to this rule include salad leaves and some herbs.

Soil

The quality of your soil is another important factor for your grow, chances are if things are already growing there, your produce will to.

First step is to prepare the soil, this is done by removing weeds and turning over the soil, loosening things up.

Only grow what you have space for, don’t grow plants too closely together, so follow the recommendation on the seed packets.

Potatoes

Potatoes are one of my favourites to grow.

Plant them in the ground or even in a box.

Wait until the first leaves begin to show, then you cover these with soil.

This helps them grow faster for the next few weeks, then its harvest time.

Depending on what time of year you plant your potatoes, between planting and harvesting is roughly 3 – 4 months.

Beetroot

Beetroot is another simple vegetable to grow as and can be planted by simply twisting it into the soil like a drill.

Beetroot leaves can be harvested after 6 weeks or so (leaves are great for salads) and the bulb harvested after 3 months.

Cucumbers 

Cucumber seeds are simple to sow, and are best placed roughly 2cm under the soil.

Cucumbers enjoy the sun like the rest of us, and prefer warm temperatures.

Providing they are watered regularly, and have plenty of sun, they grow like crazy.

Cucumbers crawl along the ground or you can use a trellis.

Cucumber vines grow up to 2.4m so if you have a small garden it’s important to let them grow.

When crammed they produce a smaller more bitter yield, so give them plenty of room to breathe.

Spinach

Spinach is similar to growing Lettuce, something we should all be able to master.

Its best planted in well-drained soil as it encourages root growth.

It’s a plant that can grow year-round as its not deterred by the cold.

When you plant your spinach seeds, you will need to go through and thin where you planted a few weeks later.

Just be sure to remove any area where you see clusters appears.

After you have done this your spinach will be ready to harvest in 6-8 weeks.

Tristan is a writer from Sydney Gardeners, his passion for writing stemmed from his experience in the gardening industry. Writing first hand from years of practical knowledge.

Soil Heave – Protecting the Slab After Construction

Once the house is completed it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t be concerned about the foundations.

This is particularly the case if your house is Built on Clay as there is a risk of ‘Slab Heave’.

This is the result of moisture getting into the clay under the slab causing the clay to swell pushing the slab upwards.

Protection Against  Soil Heave

In South Australia there is a requirement for a 1m path around the building if there is a risk of ‘Soil Heave’,

That is good practice whichever state you live in.

The diagram below shows a suitable detail to protect the ground under your slab.

The key issues are:

  • Paving falls away from external walls for at least 1m with a minimum fall of 1:20 (50mm of fall in 1m)
  • Where the water will not continue to flow away from the edge of the path an Aggi Drain in a trench backfilled with granular material should be provided.
  • Although the requirement for an aggi drain is not as critical where the ground slopes away from the slab, it is nevertheless good practice to have one.

Got Problems?

Generally there aren’t easy fixes for foundation problems, and the cures aren’t DIY jobs

You really need to get an expert involved like Geotech Built 

 

Also see Agricultural Drains

Electrical Planning – Outside

A lot of people forget all about outside electrical work. . .  but it can make a big difference to how much easier it makes things.

I have listed some of the electrical things you might like to think about.

Weatherproof Lights

    1. Light at the front door. ( A good security feature Time switch control is best)
    2. Light to illuminate the driveway. (Sensor or time switch)
    3. Light at the back door.
    4. Lights on the deck/alfresco dining/patio/barby/pool deck/garden
    5. Light for the washing line.

For lights at the side and round the back of the house I generally find bunker fittings work well. They are inexpensive, not as harsh as floodlights, and can be fitted with a low energy bulb.

Weatherproof Outlets

    1. Back door (double socket)
    2. Deck/al-fresco dining/patio/barby/area (at least one double socket)
    3. Driveway (single socket or have a convenient double at the front of the garage)
    4. Pressure pump for water tank (single switched outlet should be OK)
    5. For Low Voltage Garden lights (double socket in a weatherproof box which can also house the transformers)
    6. Shed or separate garage.
    7. Underneath the front eaves. (Only if you are going to want to put up Christmas Lights, one double at least)

Other

    • Door Bell/ Security system
    • 15 Amp socket for spa/pool
    • 15 Amp switched Outlet(s) for future split system air conditioning outdoor unit.
    • 15 Amp switched Outlet(s) for Heat Pump
    • Conduits under driveway/ paths for future garden lights, and fountains.
    • TV aerial point in the Alfresco dining area for a grand final or Melbourne Cup Barby.

What’s the best outside electrical fitting in your house?

 

For similar posts see Electrical

More Electrical Planning including 24 pages of Check Lists in the ‘Selection / Pre-Start Guide’

 

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