Greenhouses made from arches are designed for growing seedlings for subsequent planting in open ground or a greenhouse. They are easy to make, portable, and convenient to use. This article will explain how to build a greenhouse from arches and covering material yourself.
Depending on the preferences of future users, it can be portable or permanent. In the latter case, the structure can be moved to another location on the property or used for several seasons.
The process of creation
Manufacturing greenhouse from scrap materials a simple and easy procedure that does not require any specific skills or special knowledge.
To begin, it's important to determine the dimensions of the future structure, taking into account your needs and stability calculations. The optimal height should not exceed 1.3 meters, and the length can range from 6 to 10 meters. The width of the future structure depends on other parameters and the size of the arches used, but on average, it does not exceed 1.2 meters.
When installing a greenhouse made of arches and covering material made with your own hands, it is not at all necessary to adhere to these conditions, relying solely on your own needs.
The greenhouse construction process is simple and quick, requiring minimal effort and expense. If building a permanent structure, special stakes can be installed into the ground to attach the arches.
The distance between them should initially be convenient for subsequent work in the process of caring for the plants growing in the greenhouse.
After creating such a basic frame, it is enough to stretch the covering material, carefully securing it with special fasteners at the base of the greenhouse.
Choosing arches for a greenhouse
Today, on the market for agricultural materials and equipment, you can even find ready-made greenhouses in which the arches are sewn into a dense covering material.
When choosing poles for a future DIY greenhouse, consider their characteristics and anticipate potential challenges in each location. The most common and widely used options are:
- Options made from elastic wire treated with special agents. These arches offer good flexibility and resistance to moisture and temperature fluctuations while maintaining their original characteristics.
- PVC-coated steel tubes up to 12 mm thick offer a longer service life and increase the durability of the future greenhouse. They are easily embedded in the soil and are resistant to deformation. A special coating also provides excellent corrosion protection.
- Plastic arches without a metal base are a cheaper material, but inferior in quality to other options. They are very flexible, allowing for various greenhouse shapes, but special, extra-strong stakes will be needed for anchoring them into the ground.
Plastic clips secure the fabric to the base of the frame, ensuring its stability. These reusable fasteners allow the greenhouse to be opened as needed and will last for at least one season. They are also easy to purchase and inexpensive.
You may be interested in:How to make a greenhouse yourself
Those who enjoy the meticulous and creative process of building greenhouses from arches and covering material themselves can complete all the steps themselves:
- For this purpose, a wooden frame is made according to the size of the future garden bed.
- Next, install the chosen type of arches on which the material will be placed. The best method is to cut the fabric into two pieces and then place them along the sides of the greenhouse.
- The entire structure is covered with a single sheet of material, which is secured to the base or to the ground itself. If the material is attached to the ground rather than to the base, it's important to calculate its size so as to allow for a margin of approximately 20 cm.
- After laying on the ground, fasten it using available means, the main thing is to avoid the possible presence of sharp corners that could cause damage.
- The most common type of cover is polyethylene film, which meets all the requirements for heat retention and light transmission to plants.
You may be interested in:However, it is highly susceptible to adverse weather conditions and mechanical stress, so in most cases it will only last one season. Non-woven fabric is more expensive, but it pays for itself with its long service life due to its density and resistance to stress. It retains heat and moisture well inside the greenhouse without blocking direct sunlight.