Hi there,
I have been having problems with most of my vegetables flowering even
before they reach a mature stage. Was wondering if that is due to the fact
that the weather has been so hot lately and the extended period of no
rain. Therefore, I decided to install a shadehouse to protect the plants.

a) Does anyone have any ideas on why the plants are all bolting?
b) Do you think the shade house will solve the problem?
c) How would you go about a home-made shadehouse?
d) What is the best material cover to use for the shade, what colour and
why?

TIA

Niki

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Gooday Niki,
Just a guess, you live in Melbourne?
I have had the same thing here. Caulies and Cabbages all ended up being
recycled due to bolting. I even had a Black Russian tomato plant which
was able to fruit after overwintering this year. I think that is amazing.
The hot days we had recently led to this I reckon.
The shade house could solve the problem if you can keep things watered
and allow some adequate light, what ever that is. I would make sure on
really hot days the sun is completely removed from plants, or only have
it in the early morning, keeping everything watered.
Here are some ideas on how to build it at home

http://www.heyne.com.au/gardencentre....php/Ferns.htm


http://www.gardenshedsgalore.com.au/shade.htm


http://www.ecoworld.com/home/articles2.cfm?tid=32



Niki wrote:
Hi there,
I have been having problems with most of my vegetables flowering even
before they reach a mature stage. Was wondering if that is due to the fact
that the weather has been so hot lately and the extended period of no
rain. Therefore, I decided to install a shadehouse to protect the plants.

a) Does anyone have any ideas on why the plants are all bolting?
b) Do you think the shade house will solve the problem?
c) How would you go about a home-made shadehouse?
d) What is the best material cover to use for the shade, what colour and
why?

TIA

Niki

This is great idea A lot of advertising flyers for camping acessories
feature those portable carports.They can be converted to shade houses.
See here
If you want to get something out of the box that doesn't require a good
deal of planning or effort, try one of those portable carport
structures. I got mine for about 100 bucks, it's a good sturdy steel
structure...there's a photo in the "growing area" thread on page 2...I
replaced the canvas topcloth with some shadecloth I bought online, ready
to go and grommeted for about another 40 bucks...The structure is about
10 X 20, but since I didn't have the space, we only used enough pieces
from the kit to do a 10 X 15, you could also do a 10 X 10...
We did not cement it into the ground, but into some CBS blocks and it
hasn't moved an inch or sustained any structural damage with all the
storms we've had. The only damage I had with Wilma was some tears in the
shadecloth from fallen branches and flying shingles.



Niki wrote:
Hi there,
I have been having problems with most of my vegetables flowering even
before they reach a mature stage. Was wondering if that is due to the fact
that the weather has been so hot lately and the extended period of no
rain. Therefore, I decided to install a shadehouse to protect the plants.

a) Does anyone have any ideas on why the plants are all bolting?
b) Do you think the shade house will solve the problem?
c) How would you go about a home-made shadehouse?
d) What is the best material cover to use for the shade, what colour and
why?

TIA

Niki

This is great idea A lot of advertising flyers for camping acessories
feature those portable carports.They can be converted to shade houses.
See here
If you want to get something out of the box that doesn't require a good
deal of planning or effort, try one of those portable carport
structures. I got mine for about 100 bucks, it's a good sturdy steel
structure......I replaced the canvas topcloth with some shadecloth I
bought online, ready to go and grommeted for about another 40
bucks...The structure is about 10 X 20, but since I didn't have the
space, we only used enough pieces from the kit to do a 10 X 15, you
could also do a 10 X 10...
We did not cement it into the ground, but into some CBS blocks and it
hasn't moved an inch or sustained any structural damage with all the
storms we've had. The only damage I had with Wilma was some tears in the
shadecloth from fallen branches and flying shingles.

Niki wrote:
Hi there,
I have been having problems with most of my vegetables flowering even
before they reach a mature stage. Was wondering if that is due to the fact
that the weather has been so hot lately and the extended period of no
rain. Therefore, I decided to install a shadehouse to protect the plants.

a) Does anyone have any ideas on why the plants are all bolting?
b) Do you think the shade house will solve the problem?
c) How would you go about a home-made shadehouse?
d) What is the best material cover to use for the shade, what colour and
why?

TIA

Niki

Try supercheap car parts...

Jonno wrote:
This is great idea A lot of advertising flyers for camping acessories
feature those portable carports.They can be converted to shade houses.
See here
If you want to get something out of the box that doesn't require a good
deal of planning or effort, try one of those portable carport
structures. I got mine for about 100 bucks, it's a good sturdy steel
structure......I replaced the canvas topcloth with some shadecloth I
bought online, ready to go and grommeted for about another 40
bucks...The structure is about 10 X 20, but since I didn't have the
space, we only used enough pieces from the kit to do a 10 X 15, you
could also do a 10 X 10...
We did not cement it into the ground, but into some CBS blocks and it
hasn't moved an inch or sustained any structural damage with all the
storms we've had. The only damage I had with Wilma was some tears in the
shadecloth from fallen branches and flying shingles.

Niki wrote:
Hi there,
I have been having problems with most of my vegetables flowering even
before they reach a mature stage. Was wondering if that is due to the
fact
that the weather has been so hot lately and the extended period of no
rain. Therefore, I decided to install a shadehouse to protect the plants.

a) Does anyone have any ideas on why the plants are all bolting?
b) Do you think the shade house will solve the problem?
c) How would you go about a home-made shadehouse?
d) What is the best material cover to use for the shade, what colour and
why?

TIA

Niki

"Niki" wrote in message ...
Hi there,
I have been having problems with most of my vegetables flowering even
before they reach a mature stage. Was wondering if that is due to the fact
that the weather has been so hot lately and the extended period of no
rain.

it might be - i had a number of bolters after some recent dry, incredibly
windy weather & i'm pretty sure the weather was to blame. :-)


Therefore, I decided to install a shadehouse to protect the plants.

a) Does anyone have any ideas on why the plants are all bolting?

the above, but also they will bolt just from dryness afaik, so you do need
to water them.

it will also happen if you planted at the "wrong" time, so if you think it's
just that you got some things in too late this time & then they thought it
was summer come early, i'm sure they'd all be bolting joyfully ;-) and you
will know better for next time.

b) Do you think the shade house will solve the problem?
c) How would you go about a home-made shadehouse?
d) What is the best material cover to use for the shade, what colour and
why?

TIA

i'm unsure about the shade house - were you going to have a moveable one to
pop over the beds? i'm thinking that it would probably help during peculiar
weather, but that's a guess. i don't know much about them. for veg, i assume
you would want shade cloth that's not too heavy - the plants would need some
light. perhaps 30% - 50% shadecloth.
kylie

Hello Kylie and Jonno
Thank you for your replies. All great ideas and suggestions. Also, thank
you Jonno for the links. Got some advice from the guys in Mebourne that
actually build shadehouses commercially. Gotting metal rod arches made up
for the frame, now just waiting for the shadecloth. The mob from Melbourne
suggested white colour as the best one and cream as the second best. A
friend of mine who did a horticultural course said the green is the best.
So still a bit confused about it. Will probably go for a cream one.
Thank you again for your replies.
Cheers
Niki


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