Preparing for a Queensland Summer

From one extreme to another, this week every day in the mid 20s so its time to think about making sure I protect my garden from getting cooked before they get to the pot.

I thought I would carry out a test on what's happening to the supply tank temperature to start with so at midday I tested the tank surface and the contents of both a covered tank and an uncovered tank here are the stats.

Tank surface 35 degrees

Air temperature 23 degrees

uncovered Tank contents 24 degrees

Covered Tank contents 19 degrees

That's a difference of 5 degrees which is critical for the growing of some plants. As you know if the water temperature gets to high some plant tend to bolt and go to seed so this is important to me.
It was also interesting to note that the temperature in the Hydro trays and window box was about the same as the tank contents.

Surface temperature 35 degrees

With and withoutThermal cover I have used a 2.5 R rated Air Cell product.

                                      HYDRO TANK 

                               THERMAL BLANKET

A  GROWER GROUP member at Toogom making use of the same material on his tank.

Now my next thing to do was roll up my clear tarp on my Half Tunnel and replace with a white 50% horticulture cloth, this stuff is brilliant. Please avoid using the coloured cloths if you can, if you go back to an earlier blog regarding lighting you will see the results of using the wrong thing. Not everybody stocks this white cloth so email me and I can direct you.

50% white. It is woven so as to split the light to enhance the correct light for plants

The light inside is great and the Temperature has dropped by 10% immediately

KEEP COOL MAN.