Passive solar greenhouse / aquaponics system planning/build

boss

That's so cool.

rininger85

I think we've decided to skip spring again this year. We had a few days that were 'spring-like' but yesterday was in the 70's and we are under a burn advisory that it is too hot and dry that you shouldn't burn... don't recall ever seeing that here so hope it's not a sign of whats to come this summer. Today will be 81F... Saturday was a low of 28F overnight and last night was a low of 50F, tonight low of 61F.... from the winter that wouldn't let go straight to summer. I was going to plant tomato and pepper plants last night but decided to wait until tonight because it's supposed to be overcast with a chance of rain tomorrow so thought they might be less likely to get fried if I waited until tonight to plant them.

I also have cucumbers and melon plants that I think I'm going to go ahead and plant out in the hoop house tonight if I have time.

I was thinking last night / this morning that we haven't heard much from our Aussie friends lately... they go silent during their winters, but I haven't seen many of them posting all summer long and now their summer has to be winding down... did everyone forget about the forum?

joblow

rininger85 wrote:

I was thinking last night / this morning that we haven't heard much from our Aussie friends lately... they go silent during their winters, but I haven't seen many of them posting all summer long and now their summer has to be winding down... did everyone forget about the forum?

Rininger,
In winter we Aussies all drive up into the hills to look at the snow, you guys are lucky enough to have it up against your backdoors :laughing3:

gnoib

rininger85 wrote:

I think we've decided to skip spring again this year. We had a few days that were 'spring-like' but yesterday was in the 70's and we are under a burn advisory that it is too hot and dry that you shouldn't burn... don't recall ever seeing that here so hope it's not a sign of whats to come this summer. Today will be 81F... Saturday was a low of 28F overnight and last night was a low of 50F, tonight low of 61F.... from the winter that wouldn't let go straight to summer. I was going to plant tomato and pepper plants last night but decided to wait until tonight because it's supposed to be overcast with a chance of rain tomorrow so thought they might be less likely to get fried if I waited until tonight to plant them.

I also have cucumbers and melon plants that I think I'm going to go ahead and plant out in the hoop house tonight if I have time.

I was thinking last night / this morning that we haven't heard much from our Aussie friends lately... they go silent during their winters, but I haven't seen many of them posting all summer long and now their summer has to be winding down... did everyone forget about the forum?

Aussis hibernate in the winter.

We are under a fire ban since 3 weeks, the whole county and 3 neighbor counties.

We are supposed to get some rain to night, but I believe it when I see it.
Drought is classified as historical.

GurkanYeniceri

I've just woke up and saw this post, what is happening? Let me go catch some salmon for breakfast, will be back in a tick :-)

Nhibbo

Rininger, you are right about the weird weather. It's been unusual here in Melbourne as well. We've had only 2 lots of showers since New Year and lots of bushfires across the country through April when things are normally cooling down. In short, hot and dry unseasonably late. I think we're going into a dry winter which also means a much colder winter without moisture to moderate the temps, but we'll see.
Gnoib, I feel your pain re rain forecasts that never eventuate. We're in the same boat.
On the good side, the fish are growing well, lots of bottled tomatoes have been stored away and the winter seedling are shooting up.

Nhibbo

PS: Just checked the Met data. From Jan 1st to May 1st has ben the driest on record for much of Victoria, most of Melbourne and Altona. Yep. Very dry.

rininger85

joblow wrote:

rininger85 wrote:

Rininger,
In winter we Aussies all drive up into the hills to look at the snow, you guys are lucky enough to have it up against your backdoors :laughing3:

Aren't we so fortunate? So you drive into the hills in the winter where have you been all summer? I have only been coming here maybe once a week lately because there just isn't much going on and it's us folks trying to escape the grasp of winter that are the only ones who seem to be posting, not you fortunate folks who we try to live vicariously through to help us through our winters.

gnoib wrote:

Aussis hibernate in the winter.

We are under a fire ban since 3 weeks, the whole county and 3 neighbor counties.

We are supposed to get some rain to night, but I believe it when I see it.
Drought is classified as historical.

I don't recall in my life that we've ever had a drought up here. Last summer was weird at my house we hardly got any rain but it would rain normal two miles west of me we were just in a bubble that missed most of it. We have had rain the past two days now and looking like a little more today then more sunday. I need to mow pretty badly right now but I have my dad's tractor half torn apart in my barn since it died on me back in January or February, just haven't had time to fix it. My lawn mower was buried behind it. I hadn't unburied it because I thought I would need help to push the tractor back in to the barn but I was able to roll it close to the door last night then pull my mower over to the side and work back and forth until I could get the tractor back in the barn farther and get the mower out from around it... so I filled up the lawn roller for the first time and did a couple laps around the yard but it was getting dark and time for my son to go to bed so I didn't do the entire yard, plus rain was rolling in. Now I need it to dry out enough for me to mow once before it gets so tall that I need a brush hog.

GurkanYeniceri wrote:

I've just woke up and saw this post, what is happening? Let me go catch some salmon for breakfast, will be back in a tick :-)

Salmon for breakfast? Hmm... i'm not sure about that...

Nhibbo wrote:

PS: Just checked the Met data. From Jan 1st to May 1st has ben the driest on record for much of Victoria, most of Melbourne and Altona. Yep. Very dry.

Nhibbo are you guys officially into your autumn/fall season now? We typically get very little rain in the mid to late summer but it comes back around towards October for us.

rininger85

I'll tell you this, we don't have the drought conditions that many of you have... but there is more and more going on over here lately that makes me thankful we went down this road of building the greenhouse and the hoop house and taking control of most of our food... we've had major salmonella and listeria issues with our food supply in our stores lately. Then looking at the weather patterns shifting and becoming more unpredictable I am very glad we started down this road, too bad we didn't do it sooner!

boss

Interesting, well and awful about the listeria. Makes me wonder if our aquaponics can get these terrible things?

scotty435

There are people who are carriers for Listeria monocytogens and others who are carriers for Salmonella species so even if you grow them perfectly they can be contaminated during handling. Not saying that's the only way contamination occurs, there are environmental sources for either of these organisms as well.

Nhibbo

"Nhibbo are you guys officially into your autumn/fall season now? We typically get very little rain in the mid to late summer but it comes back around towards October for us."

Yes Rininger85, June is the start of winter here officially and May has traditionally been our wettest month, but the seasons just seem to be getting later and later and not following the official calendar. In saying that though, there have been years where it was still ok to swim at the local beach in June, if you were brave enough LOL.

rininger85

If there's no ice on the water we swim... In a drysuit but we still swim... Actually some swim under the ice I just haven't made it that far yet.

gnoib

My tenant on the Farm works for Kinder and Morgan, mechanic for the compressor stations. In their last monthly meeting, they were told to prepare for a very strong monsoon season. KM gets outstanding long range forecast.
How bad the drought is, one can see in the wild live. The Canadian Honkers that come every year, have only 4 chicks this year. Normally it is 7.

rininger85

Our draught is over. We are in flood zone now
Rained about three days in a row standing water everywhere again

Yesterday I woke up to the chickens screaming so I jumped up and tossed on a pair of shorts and ran downstairs grabbing the 22 I keep at the back door... Go outside and somehow the chickens are out of the coop all over the yard and field and they never go in my field because it's scary tall grass. Ran out to the coop and something had managed to open the door, went in and killed 3 chickens but it was long gone couldn't find it so I rounded the chickens up and back in the coop. Last night I put the live trap against the door and found out who it was when they came to visit for another snack. Shocked a raccoon can open my coop door it's heavy and doesn't slide well but this one was in the live trap without baiting the trap so assuming it was the same one the night before.

Backyard Aquaponics A place to discuss aquaponics

Passive solar greenhouse / aquaponics system planning/build

Backyard Aquaponics
A place to discuss aquaponics