It is difficult to imagine a country house without a greenhouse. Its base serves as a kind of foundation that holds the entire structure, saves from frost on the soil. Do it yourself with your own hands. For its device, wood, plastic, iron pipes and even window frames are suitable.
DIY greenhouse
First of all, you need to determine the location of the greenhouse. From east to west it is more appropriate to have a greenhouse in early spring for growing seedlings. For later crops, such as tomatoes and cucumbers, the greenhouse is better oriented from south to north, this allows it to shine through the most productive morning and evening sun rays.
The dimensions of the greenhouse completely depend on the size of the film, which it will be covered. First of all, you need to dig a pit depth on the bayonet of a shovel. Drive wooden posts along its edges, to which wooden sides are attached. Their height should be approximately 40-50 cm, and one of the sides on the long side should be slightly higher than the other, so that rain water does not accumulate on the film.
To facilitate the care of plants, wooden blocks of 4.5x4.5 cm in size need to be nailed parallel to the ground to the north and south sides. From above, lay two strong boards on them, it is convenient to lean on them, working in a greenhouse, without fear of damaging the plants. You can make higher sides, for example 60 cm, then you do not have to dig a ditch. In this case, manure is poured directly onto the ground with a layer of 10-15 cm.
The frame of the greenhouse can be made of any material at hand: iron or plastic pipes, wooden beams, boards, old window frames, etc. The most important thing is to determine its height. Low designs are more economically profitable and they warm up much faster, but are inconvenient to maintain. In a high spacious greenhouse it is much more convenient to look after plants.
Then you need to take care of the biofuel of the greenhouse. With it, you can speed up the harvest for about a month. As organic fuel, you can use any organic matter - manure, grass, straw, leaves, thin branches. Everything is laid in layers, not reaching the edges of 5-10 cm, it is covered with a layer of fertile soil on top.
The resulting bed should stand for several days, and about a week before sowing or transplanting seedlings, it is necessary to start the combustion process in it. To do this, pour the bed with hot water.
Greenhouse frame and film
After everything is ready, you can start working with the film. Most of the film deteriorates at the points of contact with the supporting elements of the frame, because there is always a very high temperature. Moreover, the darker the greenhouse frame in color, the hotter it is. You can extend the life of the film by painting the structure white, plus everything you can protect wood or metal from premature destruction. In addition, white color increases illumination by 5-10%, which increases productivity.
The ideal temperature for stretching the film is a temperature of +5 to + 15 ° C. The film should be stretched without sagging, so it will be less susceptible to wind and rainwater will not accumulate in the pits. However, excessive tension will also not bring benefits.
The film may take the form of a sleeve or an entire web. The first type is desirable to be laid so that the place of the bend falls on the ridge of the greenhouse. To reduce the effect of sailing, it is necessary to pull the twine tightly on both sides of the greenhouse and fix it firmly with a wooden shingle.
During night frosts, hotbeds need additional external insulation. For these purposes, a burlap or an old carpet is well suited. During the day, the protective shelter must be removed.
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