We build garden greenhouses ourselves. How to build a greenhouse for growing vegetables all year round

Today, any gardener can create a greenhouse at their summer cottage on their own. In order to build a greenhouse or greenhouse yourself, you need to create a plan, follow step-by-step instructions and have minimal experience with construction tools.

• the main advantages in the independent construction of a greenhouse;
• the main difference between winter and summer structures;
• types of greenhouses;
• stationary and collapsible structures;
• choose the material for the frame;
• types of greenhouse foundation;
• materials used to cover greenhouses;
• in what cases can you do without a foundation?
• creation of diagrams and drawings;
• main stages of greenhouse construction;
• equipment.

The main advantages in self-construction of a greenhouse

At the moment, in the process of growing vegetables in summer cottages and household plots, you can use various types of greenhouse structures, created on your own or purchased in specialized stores. Today, anyone can build a greenhouse of any size.

How your greenhouse building will look depends primarily on the materials that you will use to make it. This design will differ in the minimum price and the possibility of building a greenhouse at any time convenient for you. You can create very original designs on your own, while they will not be inferior to factory designs. For the manufacture of summer structures, polyethylene is most often used.

The main differences between winter and summer structures

At the moment, you can independently build both a winter and a summer version of the greenhouse. But, before starting the construction of one of the options for such a design, it is worth determining the main differences between these types. A winter greenhouse will require large financial investments from you.

The main differences are in the materials that are used to build greenhouses. Plastic film is suitable for summer greenhouses, it is not suitable for winter greenhouses. Winter greenhouses are most often covered with high-quality glass or polycarbonate (transparent). Thin polycarbonate can also be used to create a summer greenhouse.

If you are planning to build a winter greenhouse, then you should pay special attention to the foundation of this structure, as the foundation affects the efficiency of the heating system used in the greenhouse. The frame for a winter greenhouse should be made reliable; lighter options are suitable for summer structures. These features must be taken into account in the process of creating durable and efficient greenhouses.

Greenhouse types

Often, greenhouses are created for growing a certain type of plant, while their features should be taken into account, including the required level of illumination, as well as a comfortable temperature for plant growth.

A shed greenhouse can be called one of the most versatile options for arranging a winter garden or greenhouse, this is due to the possibility of creating an internal transition to the building. This will allow you to maintain the greenhouse at any time of the year. Note that a shed greenhouse is best built in the southern part of the house.

Greenhouses with a gable roof, which look like small houses, are common in different regions of our country. They can be safely called one of the most popular designs.

Drop-shaped structures are durable and have increased light transmission, snow does not linger on their surface, but there are difficulties associated with their installation, so creating such a structure on your own is quite difficult.

A domed greenhouse looks very original, while it has certain advantages in comparison with other types of structures. Such structures can be installed in seismically hazardous areas, they can significantly save the consumption of building materials. A dome-shaped greenhouse must be well insulated and sealed.

The polygonal shape of the greenhouse provides excellent light transmission, has an attractive appearance, and is more resistant to strong gusts of wind. Installation of such a design will require more time and effort, the main thing is to properly organize the space in order to ensure uniform heating of the air in the greenhouse.

There are Dutch greenhouses that are distinguished by their reliability and durability. In this type of greenhouse, the walls are placed with a slope in order to improve the illumination, this has a positive effect on the amount of harvest. The cost of building this type of structure is negligible.

Today you can often find tunnel greenhouses. Such designs make it possible to protect plants from bad weather conditions and gusts of wind. Thus, with minimal investment, you can get a high yield of garden crops. This version of the greenhouse is the most optimal for building on your own. Often such greenhouses are used for growing tomatoes and peppers.

Stationary and collapsible structures

All greenhouses and greenhouses that are used in gardens and household plots can be divided into stationary and collapsible.

Collapsible structures have recently begun to be used in home gardening. Such a collapsible greenhouse consists of a lightweight collapsible frame, often collapsible greenhouses are small in size, so they can be easily installed in different places on the site. Small collapsible greenhouses will cost inexpensively, while assembling such a greenhouse is very simple.

Vegetable growers have long used stationary greenhouses for growing garden crops. Such greenhouses consist of a foundation and a metal frame, on which a coating is subsequently installed. Most summer residents and gardeners prefer to use stationary greenhouses, this is due to their durability, as well as more comfortable work in the greenhouse.

Choosing a material for the frame

The frame of the greenhouse and the door must be characterized by increased rigidity, while they must be strong, which will allow the structure to withstand temperature fluctuations in different seasons, gusts of wind and the weight of the snow mass. But, it is worth considering that when creating a greenhouse, it is necessary to minimize the number of elements that reduce the level of illumination in the greenhouse.

When creating collapsible structures, materials are used that are lightweight and easy to install. At the moment, only a few types of materials are used to create a greenhouse frame, which differ in their characteristics and cost.

Wood is the cheapest and most accessible material that does not require the use of special knowledge and specialized equipment. The wooden structure is lightweight, environmentally friendly, but it can start to rot, so it must be treated with antiseptics.

Aluminum makes it possible to build durable and lightweight structures with a high level of rigidity, they can withstand heavy loads. In order to connect aluminum parts, a household riveter or nuts are used, which are inserted into the drilled holes. This option is not as popular due to the higher cost of aluminum.

Plastic allows you to create lightweight and durable structures, it does not rot and cannot be destroyed by corrosion. It is very flexible, therefore it makes it possible to create structures of a wide variety of shapes, which is useful in the construction of arched greenhouses and greenhouses with a gable roof. But plastic must necessarily be attached to the ground or base.

Steel is used for the construction of the frame quite often, while it is necessary to create a strip foundation for the base of the greenhouse. Frames made of galvanized steel are resistant to corrosion, which allows to increase the life of the structure.

Profile for drywall, characterized by low weight and easy installation. Based on practice, a frame made from a drywall profile is very convenient during operation, it can last a very long time and be collapsible. The profile can be used for the construction of single-pitched and double-pitched structures, as well as for arched greenhouses.

Window frames, as a material for the frame of greenhouses, make it possible to build greenhouses with acceptable thermal insulation indicators, and this can be done as soon as possible with significant cost savings. It is worth noting the short service life of such a structure, even if you plan to process the wooden part of the window structure, the maximum service life will be no more than five years.

Other materials are not used to create the frame of greenhouse structures.

Varieties of the greenhouse foundation

The light weight and significant windage of greenhouses can cause the structure to overturn during strong gusts of wind, so the greenhouse frame must be installed on a reliable and solid foundation. The type of foundation is chosen depending on the estimated mass of the structure.

A brick foundation is easy to build, durable and suitable for most greenhouses. Note that the creation of such a foundation for a greenhouse is a complex and lengthy process.

The stone foundation is durable and reliable. A properly created stone foundation will be able to withstand a heavy metal frame made of profiles and fiberglass. Such a foundation is used to create capital greenhouses, it is expensive.

A concrete foundation is one of the most inexpensive options that will allow you to quickly create the foundation for your future greenhouse. Initially, a formwork is created, after which the concrete mixture is poured and the rods are installed in order to secure the frame of the greenhouse in the future.

The simplest and cheapest is the wooden base for the greenhouse. But, it will be possible to use such a base, even taking into account its treatment with antiseptic agents, for no more than five seasons, so such a base should not be installed under capital greenhouses.

Materials used to cover greenhouses

Glass, plastic film, polycarbonate (translucent) can be used to cover a greenhouse or greenhouse. Each of these materials has its own positive and negative characteristics, which must be taken into account, giving preference to one or another material.

Polyethylene film is one of the cheapest materials, but in terms of durability, the film cannot compete with glass and polycarbonate. The film, regardless of its quality, must be changed at least once every three years. When creating an arched arc greenhouse, a double layer of film is most often used, this provides the most comfortable conditions for the growth of various crops. The film is characterized by excellent light transmission, but the sun's rays adversely affect the film, wearing it out and reducing light transmission. Condensation often forms on the inside of the film.

Glass has traditionally been used in greenhouses and is durable and has a high level of light transmission, providing excellent thermal insulation. When using glass to create greenhouses, it is worth remembering that it heats up very quickly and has a large mass. Glass is an expensive material, and replacing it will not cost you very cheap.

Polycarbonate is a hard plastic that has characteristics such as transparency and a cellular structure. Distinctive features of the material are durability, impact resistance, light transmission. Polycarbonate is a flexible material, so it can be used to create tunnel or arch type greenhouses.

In some cases, other materials may be used. For example, you can find combined greenhouses in which the roof of the structure is covered with a film, and the side parts of the frame are made of glass.

In what cases can you do without a foundation?

The foundation is the foundation that allows you to ensure the proper level of structural stability, maintain its integrity, and the strength of the entire greenhouse. But today you can find various protected ground structures that do not provide for the need to equip the foundation.

First of all, we are talking about lightweight portable structures. They are distinguished by their low weight; such structures protect fastenings to the ground using pegs from windage. If we are talking about stationary greenhouses, then the arrangement of the foundation is mandatory, which allows you to create durable and stable structures.

Create diagrams and drawings

Before you start building a greenhouse or greenhouse on your own, you need to draw up a competent plan, draw drawings and diagrams of future buildings. Drawings of the future greenhouse can be any. At the moment, on the Web you can find diagrams of classic models of greenhouses created from wood back in Soviet times, but there are also modern models, as well as diagrams of Mitlider's greenhouses.

When choosing a drawing for a future building, it is worth starting from the requirements that you will impose on the greenhouse. In particular, it is worth considering the features of the materials used for the construction of the greenhouse, as well as the goals that you set for such a protected ground design.

You can independently create a diagram of the future structure or use an option already developed by someone. If you do not want to waste your time and effort, then it is best to use ready-made schemes, the main thing is to choose a scheme that will satisfy your needs.

The main stages of the construction of the greenhouse

The process of self-creation of a greenhouse or greenhouse consists of several stages, while they must be performed in a certain sequence:

• you must select the type of structure;
• create a drawing and diagram or use ready-made drawings;
• creation of a structure frame;
• earthworks, which include the arrangement of the foundation, the foundation for the frame;
• fixing the supporting frame of the greenhouse;
• greenhouse cover installation.

The features of each of the stages depends on the materials used, as well as on the future characteristics of the greenhouse, including its size, as well as on the season in which it will be used.

Equipment

Creating a greenhouse, it is necessary to provide favorable conditions for the growth and development of plants, such a microclimate can be provided through the use of specialized equipment for greenhouses. In order to ensure the maximum yield of cultivated crops and their quality, it is necessary to modernize greenhouses and greenhouses. Growing plants in greenhouse conditions requires the use of systems for space heating, watering plants, if necessary, additional lighting, and systems that provide ventilation.

The use of an irrigation system (subsoil, drip) makes it possible to save water, and also reduces the cost of time and effort, relieving gardeners and summer residents from the need to irrigate manually.

Heating in greenhouses can be organized in several ways, the choice of equipment used will depend on the existing communication system. At the moment, gardeners use stove, gas or electric heating of greenhouses.

Ventilation in a greenhouse is of great importance, and affects plants regardless of the stages of their growth and development. Ventilation allows you to protect plants from overheating and provides the necessary air exchange in the greenhouse. In order to provide natural ventilation, you can open the doors and vents. If more intensive air circulation is required, it is necessary to install an exhaust or circulation fan.

Additional lighting must be used when growing seedlings. Also, such lighting will be needed when growing any garden crops that are planted in regions with a short daylight hours. The use of special lamps allows you to provide plants with the necessary level of illumination, especially in early spring, winter and in the last month of autumn.

Today, many gardeners and summer residents cannot imagine working on the site without the use of greenhouses.

For the first time in our country, K. Timiryazev was able to grow plants using greenhouses. In 1872, he built a growing house on the territory of the Petrovsky Academy of Sciences, in which he grew various crops. Such a prototype of modern greenhouses gave impetus to the development and implementation of a wide variety of types of greenhouses, which make it possible to extend the fruiting period of plants and improve the quality of the crop.

As a rule, planting is done in the spring, but you need to take care of the conditions, in particular, we are talking about protection from low temperatures. Especially when it comes to vegetables.

Greenhouses and greenhouses do an excellent job with this task. How to make it from almost improvised materials and see below.

How is a greenhouse different from a greenhouse?

Before delving into the question of how to make a greenhouse, let's decide what is the difference between a greenhouse and a greenhouse:

• The greenhouse is used for growing seedlings and further planting in open beds, while plants can be in the greenhouse all year round;
• The required temperature level in the greenhouse is maintained due to the presence of compost or manure in the soil, while in the greenhouse there is an additional, third-party heating source;
• It is possible to grow trees in a greenhouse, but this cannot be done in a greenhouse.

What are greenhouses?

A greenhouse can be stationary or portable (a photo of a greenhouse in the country is presented below).

A stationary greenhouse can have all kinds of shapes, the most common model is a butterfly (it got its name due to the doors opening on both sides).

Portable more often in the form of a tunnel. The main material in both cases is a polymer film.

From all this it follows that it is quite possible to make a greenhouse with your own hands, this is the same creative process as growing cucumbers, tomatoes, etc.

Material selection

Before considering how to make a greenhouse with your own hands, let's deal with the issue of choosing a material.

When choosing a material, it must be borne in mind that it must meet the following requirements:

• Good light transmission;
• Resistance to various kinds of deformations, with strong gusts of wind, for example;
• Easy to install and assemble the whole structure;
• Durability.

As for the materials used, the cheapest, and most importantly practical, is the film, and here are its types:

• polyethylene;
• stabilized film;
• polyvinyl chloride.

Covering materials include:

• agril;
• lutrasil.

In order to finally decide and understand which material is preferable, it is necessary to compare them, and consider the pros and cons of each.

Glass

The advantages of glass include: it transmits approximately 94% of the light, serves for a long time, retains heat.

By cons: it gets very hot in the summer, a strong load on the main frame.

Film

The advantages of this material include: low cost, low weight, no foundation is needed.

Note!

By cons: fragility, difficult to wash.

Polycarbonate

Pros: good light transmission, high level of thermal insulation, lightweight and durable.

What to use to make a frame for a greenhouse

The frame is a kind of basis for a greenhouse, most often it is made of wood or plastic, less often of metal pipes.

wooden frame

The main plus is its environmental friendliness. It is also worth noting that it is very simple in terms of installation.

For installation, you will need the following tools: a hammer, a screwdriver, a saw, nails, rubber as a sealing element, wooden bars, a ruler.

Note!

It is advisable to cover the wooden elements of the future structure with drying oil before the installation process.

Execution sequence

First of all, a beam is attached to the mortgage mount, which will then become the base. Then the main beam is placed around the perimeter of the foundation, and temporarily everything is fastened with nails.

Side and corner beams are fastened with a bar diagonally. The door frame is installed to the side pillars. The cornice is attached to the top of the side and corner beams.

Roof

In the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe points where the vertical beams are fixed, it is necessary to remove a beam, the length of which is 2 m. The roof beams must be fixed at an angle equal to 30 degrees, they are connected to each other by a beam. In the area of ​​\u200b\u200bthe end points, they must be supported by vertical guides.

The final fixing of the roof frame is done with the help of corners and strips on self-tapping screws.

Note!

Doorway

The door frame is attached first. Do not forget in the middle and upper part of the opening is fixed with special stiffeners.

Application of metal pipes

A greenhouse, as mentioned above, can be made from metal pipes, and also with your own hands. This design is more durable.

You will need: a welding machine, a hammer, a grinder, a special nozzle for working with metal (disk).

The pipe is divided into two identical parts. Tees are welded to the edges of the base pipe, crosses are welded every half a meter. The cut off elements must be welded to the crosses.

Special tees are attached to the arc to secure the door pillar.

Covering the greenhouse

After the frame is ready, you can start covering.

Film

The easiest material to use is film. It is necessary to cover the entire structure, leaving a margin of 15 cm, and then cut off.

Polycarbonate

The front side of polycarbonate, the one where the picture is shown. First you need to cut the sheets. Seal the cuts from above with sealing tape, perforated from below.

First, polycarbonate is attached from above, then on the sides. Mounted on the frame with a special profile, as well as rubber gaskets.

At the end, a seal and door fittings are installed.

Ventilation

In greenhouses, in order to create ventilation (ventilation), you just need to open the doors, but it is advisable to do this in warm weather.

A greenhouse is an indispensable thing for a gardener who is going to harvest a large crop of tomatoes, cucumbers and other vegetables in the future, by approaching the design wisely and following all the instructions, everything will definitely work out.

DIY greenhouse photo

Polycarbonate greenhouses in the distribution network are widely represented - for every taste and size. But many people prefer to do it themselves. Because a do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse is many times stronger and more reliable. At the same time, the costs are less or the same.

How to choose a design

If you decide to build a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, it is advisable to choose a design that allows you to use the main advantage of this material - its ability to bend. These are two types with curved roofs with arched supports.

In one design, the arcs extend from the ground itself. If they are curved in the form of a radius, a lot of area is lost along the edges, since it is very inconvenient to work there due to the small height.

Another design solves this problem - with a composite frame welded from several pieces. Straight racks emerge from the ground / from the base, which rise to a height of at least one and a half meters. An arc is welded to them. With this device, the roof is rounded, the walls are straight. Even along the walls you can work without problems, straightening up to your full height.

But the rounded roof of the greenhouse has several disadvantages. The first - it is more difficult in it than in a straight line to make vents for ventilation. You can solve the problem if you make transoms in the walls, and not in the roof. The second minus of a rounded roof in a polycarbonate greenhouse is that snow comes off it worse than from flat inclined surfaces. If you live in a region with snowy winters, you will either have to make reinforced farms, or make a pitched roof - with one or two slopes.

There is a third solution - to make the rounded part of the roof from two arcs welded at an angle, which forms a kind of ridge. With this structure, the snow melts well and the skate can be protected with a wide strip of metal. This will improve the snow removal and protect the joint from leaks.

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse: frame material

The choice of materials for the frame is not very large. Profiled (rectangular) pipes, a metal corner and a wooden beam are suitable. Also use galvanized profiles for drywall.

Wood

The beam is used for small greenhouses, and the design is chosen with a single-pitched or double-pitched roof, since it is difficult and time-consuming to bend wood arcs. The cross section of the beam depends on the size of the greenhouse and the snow / wind loads in the region. The most popular size is 50 * 50 mm. Such supports are placed in the Middle Strip. For greater reliability, corner posts can be made from a bar of 100 * 100 mm.

Moreover, to save money, you can not buy a bar, but make a composite one - from boards. Take two boards 50 mm wide and 25 mm thick, three boards 15 mm thick. Fold, knock down on both sides with nails. The resulting racks are stronger, better tolerate loads, less prone to torsion, since the wood fibers are directed in different directions.

Another option is a larger one.

If a do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse is being built on a wooden frame, all boards / beams must be treated / impregnated with antiseptics, and those that are intended for the street. Treat the ends that are buried in the ground with compounds for direct contact with the ground. Without such treatment, wood, firstly, will quickly collapse, and secondly, it can become a source of plant diseases.

When connecting racks to the strapping (bottom bar), for greater rigidity and reliability, use steel reinforced mounting angles. They are available at hardware stores. To increase the bearing capacity of the roof, additional jumpers are installed.

Profiled pipes and steel angle

Most of the polycarbonate greenhouse frames are made of profiled pipes. If you have the skills to work with it, it’s easy to do everything yourself - cooking a square or rectangle is easier than round pipes. Another plus is that with the help it is easy to make arcs yourself.

The cross section again depends on the size and environmental conditions. Most often they are made from a rectangular pipe 20 * 40 mm. But options are also possible. For that material, another parameter such as wall thickness is also important. It is desirable that the metal was 2-3 mm. Such a frame endures significant loads.

A steel corner is also a good option, but bending it is a difficult task, therefore greenhouses are assembled in the form of a house - with gable or shed roofs. The dimensions of the shelves are 20-30 mm, the thickness of the metal is from 2 mm.

Galvanized profiles

Do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse with a profile frame is the most unreliable option. It is good in areas with little snowy winters, and even without strong winds. The advantage of this option is that welding is not needed. And the minus is not the biggest bearing capacity.

One of the frames

The technology is used standard - as for the construction of walls and partitions made of drywall. The only difference is that the frame is sheathed on one side and polycarbonate is attached. It is advisable to make the racks double - splicing two supporting profiles, turning them “back to back” and twisting them with self-tapping screws. For greater rigidity of the frame, make slopes, connecting adjacent racks with inclined jumpers. It is desirable to make the roof pitched, and not rounded, to strengthen the trusses.

Foundation

If you are wondering whether or not you need a foundation for a polycarbonate greenhouse, there is only one answer - you need it. And reliable. They fly very well. Therefore, the foundation should “anchor” the building well.

Belt type

This foundation is for buildings that are planned for more than one year. The most expensive, but also the most solid option. If you plan to use the greenhouse all year round, the foundation is made deep - to a depth just below the freezing of the soil. For seasonal use, concrete-brick or just from a bar is suitable.

Concrete-brick - one of the most common

Concrete-brick (concrete-beam)

Most often they make a concrete-brick version. It is optimal in terms of costs, complexity and duration. Work is carried out as follows:

• By the size of the greenhouse, they dig a trench. Its width is about 20 cm, the depth depends on the type of soil.
  
• A dense oilcloth or roofing material is spread on the prepared bottom. This is necessary so that moisture from the solution is not absorbed into the soil. It is also desirable to cover the sides, but there formwork panels partially solve this problem. Without this layer, the concrete will not gain strength and will collapse.
• The solution is poured into the resulting ditch. The proportions are as follows: for 1 part of cement (M 400), 3 parts of sand and 5 parts of aggregate are taken. Aggregate - preferably crushed stone of small and medium fractions. Expanded clay should not be used - it absorbs moisture, can cause high humidity.
• The surface is leveled "under the level". You can smooth it out with a wooden block.

  

• Mortgages are installed in the foundation, at the corners and with a distance of 1 meter - studs or pieces of reinforcement with a diameter of at least 12 mm. Studs are placed if it is necessary to attach timber to them, reinforcement - if brick is to be laid. They stick out above the level of the foundation by at least 15 cm.
• The poured foundation is covered with a film, stands for at least a week (at temperatures below 17 ° C, two weeks should pass). If the weather is hot, it is watered a couple of times a day. To preserve moisture in this case, under the film, it is better to cover it with a coarse cloth (burlap).
• If the bottom strapping is a beam, waterproofing is rolled over the concrete base. You can - roofing material in two layers, but now it is quickly collapsing, so it's better to take Hydroizol or something similar. You can smear concrete with bituminous mastic a couple of times. The result will be more reliable.
• A row of strapping is laid:
  
• Next comes the assembly of the frame.

There are options for this type of foundation. It is possible to install small sizes in the prepared trench, fill the space between them with mortar. They must be installed so that their edge is below ground level. A layer of concrete is poured on top, leveled. Mortgages are fixed in the seams.

Empty bottles can be used as building material. They are laid in rows, poured with concrete. It turns out a very economical and warm foundation. Its bearing capacity is quite enough for a more serious building.

Timber foundation for a polycarbonate greenhouse

This option is suitable as a temporary solution - it can last two to three years. It depends on the humidity in the area, the quality of the wood and the processing. A beam is used with a large section - 100 * 100 or more (can be made composite, from several boards). It is treated with compounds for wood in contact with the ground. The order of work is as follows:

This option is only suitable for dry areas with low groundwater. In this case, we can hope that the foundation will live for at least a few years.

Pile-grillage

Another type of foundation that will not protect against frost. But it is reliable and will serve for a long time. Complete, and we will give a short list of works.

Next, you can fasten the strapping, or you can build on a couple of rows of bricks and only after that install the frame. After that, we can say that the do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse is almost ready. It remains to fix the polycarbonate.

Which polycarbonate to choose

How long a polycarbonate greenhouse, bought or built with your own hands, will last, how well it will “work”, depends on the parameters and quality of the polycarbonate. His choice must be taken responsibly - the amount is considerable.

Types of polycarbonate

There are three types of this material:

What type of polycarbonate is better to use for the construction of greenhouses? Depends on the mode of operation of the greenhouse. If it is heated, you need a cell phone. If this option is exclusively for the warm season, corrugated (or monolithic) is more suitable. Monolithic is also not bad, but corrugated has more rigidity. For greenhouses that are planned to be used from early spring or throughout the winter, cellular polycarbonate is installed. Due to its structure, it has more than its high thermal insulation characteristics - it retains heat better, although it transmits light worse (86% versus 95%).

Choosing cellular polycarbonate

It is not difficult to choose corrugated or monolithic - we are guided by the declared characteristics. It is only important that there is UV protection. There are no other pitfalls. But with a cell phone, there are many nuances. You need to pay attention to the following:

The easiest way to check the quality of cellular polycarbonate is to try to squeeze it between your fingers. If it is not pressed through, even if you make considerable efforts, you can take it. If it squeezes easily, look for another one.

Mounting Features

According to the technology, polycarbonate is mounted using starting and connecting profiles. First, profiles are installed on the frame, a sheet of cellular polycarbonate is inserted into them, which is fixed to self-tapping screws with special press washers, which at the same time protect the attachment point from leaks. Profiles, in addition to holding the sheets in place, also protect the cuts from dust and dirt getting into the bottom. The system looks neat, works well, but all components cost decent money.

Aesthetics for a greenhouse is not the most necessary property, therefore, if you need to save money, they prefer to fix it in a simple way, without profiles and press washers. Here's how they do it:

This is what concerns directly the fastening of cellular polycarbonate. There is one more point that became clear during the operation of polycarbonate greenhouses. Polycarbonate should not be placed close to the ground. It is desirable that it starts at least half a meter from the surface. Why? Because firstly, it gets dirty anyway and almost no light passes through it, so it does not affect the overall illumination. Secondly, it begins to deteriorate - blacken exfoliate. It is not clear what causes this reaction, but it occurs frequently. So when developing a do-it-yourself polycarbonate greenhouse layout, provide half-meter walls from another material - brick, building blocks. Does not matter.

The greenhouse is a special zone, the internal climate of which is not affected by any vagaries of the weather and negative environmental factors. Crops growing inside the greenhouse are not afraid of cold or heat, wind, snow or hail. Thanks to the microclimate created there, the plants receive everything they need in sufficient quantities for them.

Everything that is done with one's own hand is much cheaper than alternative options.

Creating a greenhouse with your own hands is not as difficult as it might seem. The main thing is to know about the main elements of its design, the general rules for normal functioning and to have a desire.

What to consider at the outset

First you need to choose a place for placement and decide on the crops grown in it. Choosing the location of the greenhouse is an extremely important step, because in one place the soil may be too wet, and in another the plants will not have enough sunlight.

Choosing a soil

The building should have the highest quality soil, which is located on the site - with a flat surface and moderate humidity. A hole should be dug in the marked area to check the quality of the soil. If clay appears in the recess, the place does not suit us. For a greenhouse, you need to choose soil in which there is a layer of sand.

If there is no suitable plantation on the site, then you can dig a pit yourself, fill its bottom with gravel and make a layer of sand. Fertilized and disinfected soil is already laid on this drainage.

Choose a place

The place must be sunny. Most often, greenhouses are used in the spring and summer, where there is no heating system, and the greenhouse is heated by the sun's rays. It is necessary to choose a place on a site where the sun shines all day and the shadow of trees or nearby outbuildings does not fall on it.

wall greenhouse

Drafts are a big enemy of greenhouses. Incorrectly or loosely installed cover causes wind to enter the inside of the greenhouse. But even if everything is done correctly, a breath of wind will cool the coating, and cooling walls, as you know, absorb some of the heat in the room.

The best option for the steppe regions, which are characterized by the presence of a constant gusty wind, will be a wall greenhouse, the design of which is attached to any non-residential building on the south side.

Once you have decided on the location of the building and its area, it's time to think about its configuration.

What are greenhouses

Before making a drawing of a future greenhouse, you should decide on its configuration and appearance. A wide selection of modern building materials allows you to create incredible masterpieces of various forms in this direction. The structure can be of two types:

1. Collapsible. It is built if seasonal use of the greenhouse is planned.
2. Non-separable. Built for year-round use.

According to the configuration of the greenhouse are:

• Wall single slope
• Traditional
• Polygonal

Other form options are mainly various combinations of these three basic forms: tent or arched greenhouses are often built, the frame of which is taken from the traditional or polygonal variety.

Structural elements

In order to build a greenhouse with your own hands, you need to know about its structural elements. Any greenhouse consists of three main elements that differ in shape and materials of manufacture:

Greenhouse base

It doesn't matter if you're making a temporary or permanent structure, almost every greenhouse needs a foundation. The only difference is that you don’t have to make a particularly strong base for a temporary greenhouse (some even use plastic bottles for it). For a greenhouse, the use of which is planned all year round, the foundation needs to be more solid. Thanks to a reliable support, the structure will serve for a long time. The base of the foundation must be below the freezing level of the soil. He will tell about the foundation for the greenhouse .

DIY greenhouse (video)

Greenhouse frame

The construction of the frame is perhaps the most difficult stage in the construction of the greenhouse. You can purchase a ready-made metal frame, you can order a metal-plastic or aluminum glazed structure, the assembly of which will result in a finished greenhouse, or you can mount the frame yourself. The frame is the main part of the whole structure. When planning the shape of the frame and choosing materials for its construction, it must be taken into account that the strength of the entire structure will depend on the strength of this element. For the manufacture of the frame, materials such as are most often used:

wooden beam

A wooden frame is easy to assemble, but wood is not durable, therefore, when constructing a permanent structure, a wooden frame requires careful processing and regular maintenance during the operation of the greenhouse. But if you decide to build a greenhouse based on this material, then the information contained in the article will be useful to you.

Steel

The steel frame will be strong and wear-resistant, withstanding any load. Often, instead of a steel corner for the construction of a greenhouse frame, it is used. If your choice fell on a steel frame, you should remember that the metal corrodes, so the material requires pre-treatment.

PVC

The degree of strength of the PVC frame directly depends on the strength and thickness of the profile used. The main advantage of polyvinyl chloride is its flexibility, which allows you to create structures of any shape completely sealed, allowing the owner to regulate the microclimate inside the greenhouse with his own hands.

Greenhouse cover

To protect the crops grown from the negative impact of external environmental factors, care should be taken to ensure a durable coating for the greenhouse being built. Today's construction market is filled with a variety of related products, so finding a coating that best suits the given selection criteria will not be difficult. To cover greenhouses is most often used:

Glass

High-strength glass is used to cover a durable greenhouse, the operation of which is planned for many years. Many choose tempered glass for their greenhouse or triplex. If it is not possible to use durable glass to cover the greenhouse with your own hands, you can install ordinary glass in several layers. To protect the glass from wind loads and the possible impact of precipitation, such as hail, for example, you can install an unbreakable protective coating on top of the glass.

Glass perfectly transmits the sun's rays, and with them the ultraviolet.

Penka

To cover seasonal greenhouses, film is the most inexpensive and popular material.

It perfectly transmits the sun's rays, scattering them, and prevents the plants from burning. At the end of the season, the film is carefully dismantled with your own hands and, if there are no obvious flaws on it, it can be left for reuse.

Polycarbonate

This flexible, high-strength rolled material looks aesthetically pleasing, protects crops from ultraviolet radiation, passing them the maximum amount of sunlight. The material is durable, so it is not affected by precipitation and wind loads. The polycarbonate coating is designed for long-term use, its transparent color remains unchanged for many years.

Some tips from professionals will help you build a quality greenhouse on your own:

1. The construction of a permanent greenhouse begins in the fall, so the selected area should be properly prepared: we remove the soil on the bayonet of a shovel, removing the plants from the top layer, and put it in a separate place for storage until next summer. Using any sheet material, we make boards to protect the soil from weeds.
2. with a collapsible frame made of pipes are easy to transport, but difficult to install. Fast assembly will be provided only by a frame made of ready-made welded modules. The fewer connections in the frame system of the greenhouse, the less backlash and other defects that reduce the strength of the building.
3. If you are installing a polycarbonate greenhouse, you should not dismantle the cover for the winter. Polycarbonate is not afraid of loads. You can remove only the irrigation system and vents.
4. The reliability of fastening directly depends on the choice of fasteners, a good option is a design with a frame with welded loops that allow you to fasten it both to the ground and to the foundation.
5. If the greenhouse is fixed with pipe piles, they should not be completely driven in, as the soil floats and settles over time, and the fastening may weaken.
6. From two longitudinal sides, the greenhouse should be equipped with transoms for ventilation. In addition, you can install plastic partitions that eliminate cross-pollination, a system and automatic vents.

Knowing the structure of the greenhouse structure, relying on the advice of experts and following the rules for choosing a place and soil for a future greenhouse, you can easily make a greenhouse yourself and grow plants in a microclimate that is favorable for them.

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Many summer residents would like to grow fresh vegetables all year round. It is possible to come to the country house even in winter. The building is heated, with all communications. For vegetables, if you want to grow them in winter and spring, you will also need a warm house. A year-round heated greenhouse can be equipped with your own hands.

This is the most important thing to start - to choose the right place. At 30%, the location will determine the efficiency of the greenhouse.

Table. Options for choosing a place for a greenhouse

Parameter	Description
Daylight	Of course, in a stationary year-round greenhouse, additional artificial lighting will have to be provided, but why not use the possibilities of nature 100%. Plants should be provided with the maximum amount of daylight. By placing the greenhouse structure in a west to east direction in an open area, you will get maximum sun for the plants.
Wind	Cold winds can not only penetrate inside the structure through any even small cracks, but also, acting from the outside, reduce the temperature in it by 2-5 degrees. For young seedlings, such a difference can be fatal. Therefore, when installing a greenhouse, take care of its additional protection from the wind.
Water	Ideally, a year-round greenhouse has an automatic watering system. But if there is none, hydrocommunications should be located close, for convenient and efficient water intake and irrigation. Water temperature, especially in winter, also matters. Watering seedlings with cold water is unacceptable.
Approaches	Few people pay attention to this parameter. However, the approach to the greenhouse should be wide and comfortable. This will not only facilitate its construction, but also make comfortable and efficient operation.

Material selection

What to build from? There are many options. You need to choose such a material so that the building lasts a long time, is durable, airtight, economical. In this regard, the old film and glass classical buildings, equipped with frame structures using wood, have finally become a thing of the past.

Why film, glass and wood are not suitable?

Greenhouse made of wood and glass - photo

1. Even a heavy-duty film can tear - heat leakage will occur.
2. In the frames and between them, cracks will necessarily form over time, through which heat will also leave.
3. Glass breaks and in one layer has a low heat transfer.

What materials to choose for a year-round greenhouse?

• The frame structure can be used when installing metal-plastic frames, provided they are double-glazed.
• The walls of the greenhouse can be made of polycarbonate on a metal base.
• For a year-round greenhouse, a brick building is suitable.

Reliability, long service life, protection for growing crops - these are the main parameters by which greenhouse building material is selected.

Assembling a greenhouse from cellular polycarbonate

Consider the polycarbonate structure, the features of its assembly and the tools and additional materials necessary for this.

What is good polycarbonate

This modern material has many positive performance qualities.

• It has excellent thermal insulation properties.
• It has a surprisingly flexible structure - it bends easily without breaking, which allows for the installation of even arched structures.
• This new material is 16 times lighter than the thinnest glass.

In polycarbonate structures, shaped pipes act as a frame. In addition to them, you will need:

• welding machine;
• polycarbonate sheets;
• bolts and sealant.

Assembly can be done in a few hours, according to the instructions that come with the finished greenhouse.

Advice! Not all ready-made designs provide transoms, but it is better to provide them, the possibility of ventilation will protect the plants from overheating.

The frame is assembled with bolts. Sheets are inserted into the frame. Don't forget to make the roof sloped (a 35-degree angle is enough) to keep snow from accumulating. Places of strips with open honeycombs on polycarbonate are treated with sealant to minimize heat loss.

Features of a metal-plastic greenhouse

Do-it-yourself metal-plastic structures are not the easiest thing to do. It will be the most durable for specialists, so it is better to make a custom-made greenhouse frame in a construction company that specializes in the manufacture of such products. Plus, the frame will need double glazing, which is also better to entrust to specialists.

As a result, the full cost of such a year-round greenhouse will not come cheap. But this is the most real opportunity to grow greens and vegetables all year round.

Advice! When installing a metal-plastic glazed greenhouse, it is recommended that one wall (north) be made not of glass and insulated.

The roof of such a greenhouse tilts 30 degrees. It is preferable to choose a single-slope configuration.

Features of a brick greenhouse

A brick greenhouse, or as it is also called capital, is a real “home” for plants, where life is possible all year round. This is not even a greenhouse anymore, but a real greenhouse in which you can grow not only vegetables, but also various exotic plants. Until now, despite new modern materials, such as metal-plastic and cellular polycarbonate, the option of a brick greenhouse is considered the most reliable, proven, optimal, and effective.

How to build a brick greenhouse

The construction can be done with your own hands, if you have at least minimal skills in brickwork and other construction work. But even without labor costs, a greenhouse will require a solid financial investment.

You will need:

• brick;
• mineral wool;
• cement, sand;
• roofing material;
• boards, timber for rafters;
• windows, doors, gutters.

The features of the building are that, unlike all other types of greenhouses, a brick one is a “two-room apartment” for green pets. The first room is the vestibule. Usually it occupies an area of ​​2x2 m or 2x2.5 m. Garden accessories, fertilizers, soil and other necessary things are stored in the vestibule, and a heating system (boiler, stove) is also installed.

The main greenhouse room can be any area that you are able to master.

The partition between the two rooms is made capital. It has a door installed. The second door from the vestibule leads outside. In the greenhouse, not only windows are made, but also transoms.

Another feature - for a capital greenhouse, you will have to fill in the foundation, preferably tape.

Table. The main stages of the construction of a brick greenhouse

Heating system

You can heat a greenhouse in different ways. From the simplest and most ancient - furnace, to new and modern infrared equipment and heat guns. Each system has its own disadvantages and advantages.

Table. Characteristics of greenhouse heating systems

Heating type	Specifications
	Used in capital buildings. The simplest and least expensive method. Does not require complex structures. The oven is installed in the vestibule. Chimney - around the perimeter of the greenhouse. For the arrangement of stove heating, ventilation is necessary. Among the disadvantages are uneven heat supply, the need for constant monitoring, strong heating of the furnace surface, fire hazard. The walls of a gas-generating solid fuel furnace do not heat up.
	It can be installed in a greenhouse from any material. Considered the safest. You will need a tank with a boiler, a pump, pipes, water, electricity. Water is heated by electricity, distributed through the system with the help of a pump, cooling down and returned to the boiler. This method provides not only an optimal uniform thermal regime, but also the necessary humidity. But only specialists can install such a system. Operation will also require serious material costs.
	Alternative to water. You will need gas heaters and burners, as well as pipes evenly distributed throughout the greenhouse. Gas is burned, heat is distributed in the room. There are several disadvantages, among which the main one is the need for constant monitoring to avoid gas leakage. Additional ventilation will also be required. This option is more economical than water, heating is carried out evenly, the room heats up faster.
	The most popular and demanded type. Can be used in all greenhouses. There are many devices, including: convector batteries, cables, guns, heating mats. Most systems are equipped with sensors, it is possible to adjust the modes.
	You should not even try to install the system with your own hands - it is mounted only by professionals at the time of assembling the greenhouse structure. Heating is excellent, uniform, fast. Condensation does not accumulate (which happens in winter with all other systems). But there is a possibility of overdrying the air, so it is recommended to install humidifiers in parallel.

What vegetables are grown in a greenhouse all year round

In a heated greenhouse, you can grow absolutely any vegetables, herbs, berries, flowers, and even exotic plants. But if there is only one greenhouse on the site, and you give preference to vegetables, you will have to choose up to three vegetable crops and the same number of greens.

Vegetables

From traditional vegetables for year-round cultivation, they usually choose:

• cucumbers;
• tomatoes;
• pepper;
• Chinese cabbage;
• radish;
• salads.

Greenery

From spicy green crops are grown:

• Dill;
• parsley;
• cilantro;
• basil;
• green onion.

Pepper - can be sown and grown with any crops.

Tomatoes - grow well with onions and radishes.

Cucumbers - prefer radishes, lettuce and all green crops.

Greens - Can grow with all crops.

Advice! It is undesirable to combine cucumbers with tomatoes and cabbage with parsley in neighboring crops.

Planting seedlings in a greenhouse

The time for planting seedlings that have grown in rooms to a permanent place of growth in a capital heated greenhouse depends on the time you have chosen for sowing. For the successful planting of seedlings, there are certain rules.

1. Seedlings are ready for planting when they have at least 7-8 true leaves (peppers have at least 12). The bushes are strong, stable, not elongated, flower buds may begin to form in peppers and tomatoes. Leaf color is intense green.

   

2. Before planting, seedlings need to be hardened off two weeks in advance - they should be taken outside for several hours, gradually increasing the time.
3. Greenhouse soil is prepared in advance - it is filled with humus, a bucket of 1 m² (not manure!) And minerals (potassium and phosphorus - 40 g each, nitrogen - 30 g / m²). The soil is dug up, loosened, broken into holes.

   

   

   

4. The wells are watered with water, two liters each. Seedlings are also well watered two hours before planting.

   

5. The seedling is carefully removed from the seedling container with the help of a planting scoop, along with the root soil. If too long a root sticks out of the soil clod, it is allowed to pinch it by a third.
6. The seedling falls into the hole, holds with one hand, the second fills the space between the walls and the lump.
7. The soil is compacted near the stem, watered again. For plants that will be tied up (tomatoes, cucumbers, some varieties of pepper), it is immediately recommended to install pegs or plank trellises.

   

Plant care in the greenhouse

In a greenhouse that works all year round for the “production” of fresh vegetable products, plants need especially careful care.

The first important condition is soil preparation. Vegetables grown out of season in a greenhouse will place increased demands, primarily on the soil. It should be light, fertile, with a high concentration of substances needed by plants.

The following components are required in the composition of greenhouse soil:

• manure;
• turf;
• peat;
• straw (sawdust);
• sand;
• carbohydrate-containing and nitrogen-containing fertilizers.

The second condition is feeding. Vegetables and herbs need to be fed regularly throughout the entire growth and fruiting cycle.

The third important component of care is watering and humidity regime. Drip irrigation is preferred, or a fine shower (for some crops). If it is not possible to install an automatic irrigation system with temperature control of the supplied water, make sure that its temperature is not lower than the ambient temperature.

Heating is described in detail above. One has only to note that in the conditions of the middle zone, it will be necessary to heat a year-round greenhouse with different intensity for at least seven months a year.

An important care measure is weed control and soil loosening. The earth crust is dangerous for all garden plants, but it is especially harmful to seedlings and seedlings in a greenhouse, where plants get less air than in open ground.

The loosening of greenhouse soil, depending on the composition of the soil, often begins even before germination (when sowing crops with seeds). If the seeds have not yet sprouted, but the crust has already formed, of course, it must be destroyed in order to make it easier for the seedlings to reach the surface. Loosening before germination is carried out between rows, to a depth of not more than 5 cm, with a light ripper.

When the main crops sprout, or after planting seedlings in the greenhouse, all loosening is combined with weeding and is carried out after watering. The soil is loosened closer to the stem of the plant, but so as not to destroy the lateral roots.

Advice! Vegetable crops, such as tomatoes, peppers, cabbage, cucumbers, loosen immediately after planting seedlings deep, up to 7 cm. As the lateral roots grow, the loosening depth decreases, and the distance from the stem increases.

Also, in a year-round greenhouse, it is necessary to pay special attention to the prevention of diseases of vegetable crops, to take measures to treat diseases that have arisen, to remove vegetation residues, obsolete lashes, stems, leaves in a timely manner, and after harvesting, while preparing the greenhouse for a new sowing cycle, disinfect it.

Growing vegetables in a greenhouse will certainly bring excellent results if you follow all the rules for caring for seedlings and planting them in protected ground. The reward will be juicy and healthy fruits, vegetables and herbs from your own site all year round.

Video - How to build a large winter greenhouse