We make a mini greenhouse ourselves

Seat selection

Arranging a greenhouse with your own hands always starts with choosing a location. If the mini-greenhouse is stationary (not portable), then the following factors must be taken into account when it is located:

Light mode

From the point of view of maximum use of solar energy, it is recommended to install a mini-greenhouse along the length from the western part of the site to the east. You should not erect a structure along walls, high fences, trees, otherwise you will have to install additional lighting in the greenhouse.

Air flow direction

Ideal when there is an opportunity to make a mini-greenhouse in a sunny place protected from winds and drafts. If the site is intensively blown by winds, which contributes to the destruction of heat flows, then it will be advisable to erect a dense hedge at a distance of about 10 m from the walls of the structure.

Location relative to home

A stationary mini-greenhouse near the house may obscure the view from the window. It is also important to install it parallel to garden paths, a house and other buildings - in this case, the summer cottage area will look more harmonious.

Passage to the greenhouse

When erecting a structure, care must be taken to lay functional paths. This means that the path to the greenhouse must be made wide and even so that inventory, fertilizers and other necessary materials can be freely transported along it.

Proximity to outbuildings

It is advisable to build a mini-greenhouse so that water and electricity can be easily supplied to it - this will save money during construction and further maintenance.

Terrain relief

The area under the greenhouse should be flat. You cannot install a structure in the lowland of the site, since cold and humid air accumulates there (warm air masses tend to rise up).

Also in the lowlands, as a rule, the groundwater is located close to the surface, due to which the humidity in the greenhouse will be constantly increased. You should not build a greenhouse on loose soil, because over time the soil will sag, and the structure will deform, and may even collapse.

It should be said that portable greenhouse structures have more functionality for giving. They can be installed in different places depending on the illumination, wind blowing. Small portable greenhouses can be located along the walls of the house - so they will be provided with reliable protection from the wind.

If the mini-greenhouse is located on the south side of the house, then the plants will be provided with the maximum light and thermal conditions. Conversely, if the sun is too much and the plants are hot, the greenhouse can be moved to a shaded area.

Purpose

Basically, a mini greenhouse is used as a shelter for growing seedlings of vegetables and flowers.However, not all vegetable crops can grow in a greenhouse. For example, eggplants are very thermophilic and sensitive to temperature extremes, so growing seedlings of this culture is possible only at home in pots.

The rest of the garden crops, such as tomatoes, cucumbers, peppers, cabbage, grow quite successfully in a greenhouse, and successfully take root in the open field. So that after planting seedlings on the garden the mini-greenhouse is not empty, it is possible to plant low-growing vegetable plants, for example, radishes, various varieties of cabbage - creating optimal conditions for the growth of these vegetables, you can get a harvest much earlier than when growing in a garden ...

A stationary mini-greenhouse built by your own hands is ideal for growing early vegetables; cucumbers, tomatoes, peppers, or exotic heat-loving fruits. It is also possible to sow seedlings in it, but since the height and area of ​​such a structure gives wider opportunities for vegetable growing, it is more expedient to plant early vegetables in the greenhouse, and use low greenhouses for seedlings.

Video “Miniature greenhouse for vegetables. Convenient and simple ”

A guide to growing vegetables in a mini greenhouse.

Device

Any mini-greenhouse consists of a frame and a translucent cover. The material for the frame is selected based on the area and purpose of the structure:

• metal tubes (aluminum, steel) - this option is suitable for a small stationary greenhouse - when choosing a metal, you need to take into account that the aluminum frame is lighter, you can easily disassemble it and move the structure to another place, and steel is cheaper, but such a frame is mounted when using welding, so moving the structure is not easy;

• wood - this material is suitable for a small mobile greenhouse intended for seedlings - when erecting a frame with your own hands, you need to treat the tree with special anti-rotting agents, or paint it;

• metal-plastic waste - a mini-greenhouse made by hand from used window frames is now not uncommon - old windows are strong enough, equipped with fittings, so they can be used to make a functional structure not only for seedlings.

As for the greenhouse cover, it should be as transparent as possible. The ideal option is glass, but making a stationary greenhouse with such a coating is quite difficult. Alternatively, you can use ready-made window frames that are installed on a brick foundation.

The simplest and most economical option is plastic wrap. It is easily attached to any frame, however, it does not differ in durability, it can be damaged by wind, hail, and, above all, the film does not allow air to pass through, in this regard, it becomes necessary to regularly ventilate the greenhouse.

Now polycarbonate is very popular - it is a transparent sheet of plastic with maximum light transmission. It can be of different thicknesses (from 2 to 8 mm), unlike glass, it does not break, it bends easily, so it can be used to cover arched greenhouses.

When equipping a mini-greenhouse near the house with your own hands, you need to take into account such important points:

• high-quality illumination - if the plants do not have enough light, they will stretch out and become weak;

• free access to plants - if the greenhouse is stationary, you need to make small paths in it, along which you can freely walk in order to water the plants, loosen the soil, apply top dressing;

• if the structure is small and the entrance to it is not possible, then you need to make opening windows, or a removable cover;

• the frame of the greenhouse should be as strong as possible - able to withstand heavy rain, wind, sometimes snowfall, and protect plants from such weather;

• heating - if it is not possible to heat a mini-greenhouse with electricity, then the most acceptable option would be biofuel (manure, compost, litter embedded in the soil) - these organic materials, rotting, release a lot of heat, thereby maintaining the temperature of the soil.

How to do it yourself

In the construction of a greenhouse with your own hands, you can use everything that is left after the renovation of the house. To equip a greenhouse, you will need the following materials (approximate list):

• wooden blocks 3 m high - 10 pieces;

• metal pipes - about 100 meters;

• plastic or metal corners - 30 pieces;

• crosses (any material) - 15 pieces;

• covering material: polycarbonate (about 45 m), film (50 m).

Construction begins with the installation of the frame. First you need to make and install the side walls. If the frame is metal, then it must be assembled, having previously laid out on a horizontal surface, if it is wooden, then the horizontal boards must be fastened with other boards, nailing them with nails 7-8 cm long. Next, the frame is installed (dug in) in a place intended for the installation of a greenhouse.

The next step is nailing the upper to the structure. Depending on the material of the frame, boards are nailed or metal tubes are welded. Many vegetable growers build arched greenhouses with their own hands. This option is simpler in that you just need to fix the previously prepared arc frame.

After installing the frame, it is advisable to build a small base (foundation) of boards or bricks, something like a high bed. And the final stage is covering the frame with film or polycarbonate. As for glazing, this process is rather complicated, therefore it is more often used for arranging greenhouses intended for growing seedlings and vegetables all year round.

The film on the frame must be well stretched and fixed - this will reduce the likelihood of damage to the coating. Sometimes, in practice, a weighting material is used to fix the film: the remains of pipes, bricks, stones. They are simply stacked or tied around the edge of the film. Thus, the simplest, but rather spacious and functional greenhouse was erected with your own hands.

If a greenhouse is needed only for growing seedlings, then the best option in this case would be a wooden, if necessary, a portable structure, which you can easily build with your own hands. The size of the greenhouse can be different (you need to calculate based on the number of seedlings), but the height should be at least 60 cm. The coating can be either film or glass - old window frames with glazing are ideal, but you can also use ordinary film.

Video "Covering a homemade mini-greenhouse"

The video shows the process of installing a covering material on a homemade mini-greenhouse.