Proper care of plants at an early stage of their development is the key to a good harvest in the fall. So, providing comfortable growth conditions for crops is a task that faces each owner of a summer cottage. One of the best helpers in achieving this goal is a greenhouse. Of course, there is not always the means to buy an expensive construction, so we will consider how to make a greenhouse out of scrap materials with your own hands.
Greenhouse from scrap materials do it yourself: the benefits of using
The main purpose for which greenhouses use in greenhouses is the earlier start of the sowing season. After all, it often happens that sudden frosts kill newly planted seedlings or do not allow seeds to rise. Small homemade greenhouses are a great way to protect plants by creating the most comfortable growth conditions for them.
Self-made designs, provided that all recommendations on the arrangement are carefully observed, are in no way inferior to those purchased, and make it possible to increase the yield up to 3 times. The main thing is to ensure a stable microclimate inside the structure.
One of the main advantages of the greenhouse, made according to the instructions – the convenience of access to the plants that are planted inside. It is easy to care for them, of course, provided that the place and construction of the greenhouse will be correctly chosen.
Among other advantages of using simple greenhouses from scrap materials with your own hands, it is worth noting:
- ease of installation and dismantling, ease of repair work;
- homemade greenhouse will be cheaper than all other options;
- There is an opportunity to choose a greenhouse, the design of which will organically fit into the site’s environment as much as possible without spoiling its appearance.
Having thought about the construction of a mini-greenhouse with your own hands, the first thing that needs to be precisely defined is the purpose of this design. Most of its characteristics will depend on this, including size, production material, etc. For example, a mini greenhouse-greenhouse will be able to provide you with radishes and greens in early spring.
If we are talking about a greenhouse for tomatoes with your own hands, then you will need to build a fairly solid and solid construction. After all, at each subsequent stage of plant development, more and more space will be required, which is the main task to provide. The same applies, for example, cucumbers and other crops, the ground part of which is large.
Quite different are the requirements for mini greenhouses for seedlings. In this case, the focus should be on the size of the structure, and on its ability to provide the plants with the required microclimate. It is desirable that a rather large part of the greenhouse, for example, a roof or a side flap, be opened for ventilation. On warm and sunny days, this will have a positive effect on plant growth.
Another common option – structures that are adjacent to the wall of the building. The construction of such greenhouses is very simple, and if properly positioned, such a greenhouse will not yield to other species in anything.
Helpful advice! A greenhouse can be of almost any size, to the extent that it will be designed for one plant, for example, if we are talking about growing a small amount of seedlings.
Speaking about the materials for the greenhouse, you should pay attention to the fact that the design should consist of two parts: the lower and upper. The lower part is represented by a simple drainage system, which is easy to make from organic debris, fallen leaves, straw, etc. From above, it is all covered with earth. It is not necessary to do this, but the presence of drainage will provide additional heat to the plants.
As for the upper part, which is represented directly by the greenhouse box, there are many options. Today, in mass production, more and more preferences are given to frames made of shaped or metal-plastic pipes. If we are talking about a greenhouse with our own hands from scrap materials, the photo shows us the incredible variety of solutions available.
So, for example, greenhouses from plastic bottles, designs from pipes and films, and also hotbeds from frames are very popular. It’s not difficult to implement any of these options with your own hands, especially if you follow the step-by-step instructions for working.
Of particular note is the use of wood in the construction of such structures. This applies both to the construction of greenhouses with their own hands from the old window frames, and those cases where the frame is assembled from a timber. This material is used quite often, despite the fact that it is more susceptible to the process of rotting, as well as deformation as a result of drying.
As for covering materials, there are only three options: film, glass and polycarbonate. In the first case, the main advantage is low cost. Having spent very few funds, you can get suitable covering material that will serve one, and with careful treatment, even two seasons.
It is quite another thing – glass. It is much stronger, although it can break as a result of a strike. Especially for a greenhouse, of course, no one buys glass, since it has a lot of weight and its use will simply not be justified, but if we are talking about using window frames with integrated windows for this purpose, then this option is perfectly acceptable.
Today, the ideal option is polycarbonate. This material combines all the best qualities, and allowed the owners of suburban areas to create light, comfortable and inexpensive greenhouses. It is easy to work with polycarbonate, and its light transmission ability allows plants to get enough sunlight and heat.
Helpful advice! One of the main requirements for covering material for greenhouses is high light transmission ability. That is why, even if we are talking about homemade plastic greenhouses, you should take care that the plants do not suffer from a lack of sunlight.
Looking through the instructions on how to make a greenhouse for seedlings or for any other purposes, you should pay attention to the choice of its location. A suitable design only in combination with the correct location will allow you to grow a good harvest.
First of all, the place chosen for the installation of a greenhouse should be protected from strong winds and drafts. Also, it is important to avoid water stagnation in the place where the greenhouse is installed. For this reason, it is not necessary to install in a lowland where precipitation and melt water may accumulate.
If you plan to make a structure that will open on one side, it is strongly recommended that it be the southern part. As far as possible, the side facing north should be deaf to avoid lowering the temperature and the occurrence of drafts inside the greenhouse.
Also, it is necessary to ensure that a sufficient amount of sunlight penetrates into the greenhouse. To do this, it is better to avoid installing the structure under large trees or in the immediate vicinity of agricultural buildings. The only exceptions are greenhouses, which are adjacent to the house. But in this case it is imperative that this be done from the sunny side of the house.
As already mentioned, there are many options for arranging greenhouses, each of which takes into account the specifics of a particular crop, the cultivation of which is planned in this case. Consider one of the examples of the simplest design – a greenhouse from the film with his own hands, which is designed for cucumbers.
The first stage is the preparation of the site for the installation and the arrangement of the drainage layer. In this case, you need to remove the top layer of soil (about 50 cm) and fill gravel or gravel to the bottom of the pit. Then a layer of organic waste is laid in the pit and covered with earth. In this case, the top layer of soil should be at least 30 cm.
Then around the perimeter of the prepared site you need to make a fence. Using steel wire, stiffening ribs are made, from which a frame for covering material will be obtained later. In the process, you can use and soft wire, tying with its help more rigid elements. This will give the whole structure greater strength.
As a covering material, a film is used, which is stretched on the ribs and fixed. In hot weather, the film can be lifted so that the plants are further ventilated, and with the onset of coolness, a thick cloth or blanket can be added to the greenhouse, which will provide warmth for the cucumbers.
Helpful advice! After the cucumbers grow and no longer need protection, it is not necessary to completely dismantle the greenhouse. It is very convenient to simply remove the film and leave the frame as a support for weaving plants.
But to think about improving the quality of the soil inside the greenhouse is. Firstly, it will positively affect the yield, and secondly, it will provide plants with additional heat. The ideal soil mixture in this case includes the following components: 1 part of sand, 2 parts of turf, 3 parts of humus. Also, it would not be superfluous to add one teaspoonful of superphosphate, potassium sulfate and urea.
Helpful advice! Even under the condition that a good quality soil mixture was prepared, it should be used for no more than one year. Next season, the soil must be updated.
Using one of these technologies, you can easily make a greenhouse for peppers, tomato, cucumbers or any other seedlings. Moreover, using the materials at work, you can get rid of unnecessary stuff, turning it into a beautiful and functional greenhouse.
