It has long been proven that the yield depends not so much on summer care, but on the correct early sowing of seeds, organizing seedling planting and providing optimal conditions for its growth and development. A greenhouse can provide all this.
With their own hands, from improvised materials, anyone can make a structure that will enable seedlings to develop in early spring, when the ambient temperature is not yet optimal for this. Enclosed space and materials that allow sunlight to pass through create a greenhouse effect and a suitable microclimate.
Greenhouse benefits and requirements
The benefits of greenhouse cultivation of early vegetable crops are obvious. You can start sowing already from the end of winter or early spring. Under cover, it is easier to protect the crop from temperature extremes, pests and rodents.
It is possible to increase the yield (up to three times compared to conventional gardening in the open field) byif you make a greenhouse with your own hands. From improvised materials, the assembled structure is equipped in such a way that it is possible to provide a stable microclimate in it without critical fluctuations in temperature and humidity.
An important condition for the arrangement of such a structure will be ease of access to landings for care. A greenhouse from improvised means must be reliable and withstand the loads of precipitation and wind, be as durable as possible. It is important that it can be easily mounted in a new place and just as quickly removed for storage.
The cost of such a design should not significantly increase the cost of products grown with its use. If a small homemade greenhouse fits organically into a garden or yard, then it will be great.
Views
When thinking about the organization of a greenhouse, one should clearly understand its intended purpose. Its design, dimensions and type of structure depend on this. So, small mini-greenhouses, made with their own hands from improvised material, can fully provide the family with early greens and radishes.
For growing tomatoes and cucumbers, you should choose a more solid structure or provide for the option of expanding it, taking into account the growth and development of plants in height. Such seasonal structures can be solid or consist of typesetting blocks.
To grow seedlings for the purpose of its implementation, a stationary structure with a foundation, a frame and a door will be required. ByAccording to the way the roof is organized, it can be solid (solid), partially open, or its covering material can be completely removed for a day in sunny weather.
Greenhouse or greenhouse can be located separately or adjacent to one side of the main wall of the building. In this case, additional racks can be hung on this base to install containers with seedlings. The wall can serve as the basis for arranging a pitched roof.
Material
According to technology, the greenhouse must have drainage. Gravel, crushed stone or sand is suitable for this. Then a layer of organic bedding is laid, which, when rotting, will give warmth. Straw and fallen leaves will do. A layer of fertile soil is poured on top.
The box that limits it can be made of wood or slate sheets can be buried around the perimeter. For a more reliable construction, a foundation made of processed wooden beams or round timber is equipped. In a permanent place, you can lay blocks or pour a concrete base to which the frame will be mounted.
Do-it-yourself greenhouse made of PVC pipes and an alternative to it - a frame greenhouse made of metal rods - are made in the same way. Ribs to support the film are bent in a pattern. Pipes are conveniently mounted on metal pins buried in the ground, the rods are simply stuck in place and are adjustable in height.
The coating can be ordinary polyethylene film or a special greenhouse film. A more expensive roof option is polycarbonate.
Original greenhouse designs can be made from plasticbottles. Transparent walls are erected from them, connecting them after cutting or equipping additional supports.
Glazed frames of windows and balcony blocks can also be used for the construction of block structures. Such greenhouses are convenient to mount, they are easy to assemble and dismantle.
Choosing a seat
Homemade greenhouses can be organized on the site, directly near the house or outbuildings adjacent to one of the walls, as well as indoors: in the corridor, on the balcony or even on the windowsill.
Wherever they are placed, there are general rules for placement. The success of growing seedlings or obtaining a harvest of finished products depends on their observance.
The place is chosen sunny, protected from drafts and winds, with good drainage so that there is no stagnation of water from melting snow or precipitation. The area must not be affected by fungus or mold.
They have mini-greenhouses, made with their own hands, so that their northern part is deaf, and the southern part can be opened for ventilation and maintenance.
Greenhouse for cucumbers
For its arrangement in the selected area, a layer of soil is selected to a depth of 50 cm. A drainage layer of gravel or crushed stone is laid on the bottom, and then organic matter from decaying manure, straw or leaves. All this is covered with a layer (up to 30 cm) of fertile soil for seedlings.
A fence is being built around the perimeter. Stiffening ribs are bent from steel wire according to the template and stuck into the ground. At the top andsides they are tied together with a soft wire. This will give additional protection against sagging covering material.
Such a simple and convenient greenhouse for cucumbers with their own hands can be made by any gardener. As the seedlings grow, the film is removed, the wire frame is removed or left as a support for weaving.
During strong and prolonged frosts at night, it is advisable to additionally insulate the structure, covering it with an old blanket or other suitable material. Shading may be needed if the weather is too hot.
How to make a greenhouse-wigwam with your own hands?
This design will require a polyethylene sleeve (a bag without a bottom). If it is not there, you can cut it from separate pieces of the film according to the required dimensions and solder the edges. You also need a wooden stake and long rods of willow, willow, hazel, poplar or other flexible material with a diameter of up to 20 mm.
Material for the "wigwam" prepared? It remains to figure out how to build a greenhouse with your own hands. The instruction is simple, the work can be done quickly by one person without auxiliary tools and equipment.
They determine the place and draw a circle on the ground according to the diameter of the straightened sleeve. A wooden stake is buried or hammered in the center. The rods are cut to the same size and stuck with a butt into the ground along the outlined circle with a uniform interval. Short cuts (30-50 cm) can be installed in between.
The tops of the rods are brought together and fixed in the center to the stake. Top put onpolyethylene sleeve and descends to the very ground with an allowance. Earth is poured on these edges or pressed with any burden. The top of the film is assembled, tied with a rope fixed to the stake.
Maintenance is performed after lifting the edges of the film up or when lowering the sleeve to the ground after untying the knot.
Express greenhouse from improvised materials
Quickly and conveniently, such a structure for planted tomato seedlings can be made from a five-liter plastic water canister. Its bottom is cut off, and the container itself is deepened and sprinkled with earth so that it is not blown away by the wind. In the process of growth, the stem must be directed to the neck.
A very simple miniature greenhouse can be made from a plastic container from a cake, pastries, or even from a disposable transparent egg tray with an opening lid. A hole is made in its bottom with a needle to remove excess moisture, and the soil for sowing can be replaced with a peat tablet.
For gardeners who have livestock on their farm, a simple greenhouse can be quickly built from straw bales placed around the perimeter of the sowing area. On them, as a frame, you can lay two crossed boards and cover the structure with a film. Its edges should be pressed to the ground or tucked under bales.
Stationary type design
Such facilities allow gardening even in winter conditions. Accordingly, the materials for their manufacture must have good thermal insulation properties, transmit as much as possiblelight energy and be sufficiently strong and durable.
If you have the desire and opportunity, you can build a greenhouse with your own hands from improvised materials, but coated with polycarbonate sheet plastic. Its service life is more than 30 years. It is lightweight, flexible and practical, and can be used for arched structures.
For fixing the frame, a light foundation is required. Installation of polycarbonate sheets is carried out with self-tapping screws with elastic thermal washers. To service such a greenhouse, a door and a ventilation window located opposite are equipped.
Maintenance Tips
To repair a torn plastic film, it is placed on a flat wooden surface, patched from a cut piece, covered with newspaper and carried out with the edge of a heated iron or soldering iron. In the same way, individual pieces can be welded into a large layer or a sleeve of the required diameter.
During prolonged frosts, you can heat a greenhouse, built with your own hands from improvised materials, by placing additional piles of decaying humus along the walls from the inside. A good biofuel in this case would be horse manure.
If it is not possible to purchase a ready-made potting mix for seedlings, you can prepare it yourself. For most crops, the following composition is suitable: one part of sand, two of turf, three of humus. Potassium sulfate, urea and superphosphate can be added to a bucket of such a mixture - one teaspoon each. soil every yearmust be updated.
