Contents
Building a greenhouse with your own hands is pleasant and useful for a garden or vegetable garden. While building a greenhouse takes a lot of effort, finances and time, building a greenhouse on your site is literally a matter of a couple of hours. We will talk about how to create a greenhouse of the Shell variety with our own hands and what materials it is better to use for it, we will talk in this article.
Pros
A greenhouse made of polycarbonate, namely this material is most often used, takes up a minimum of space in the garden, while performing all the functions of a stationary greenhouse. The design has a minimum of joints and cracks into which unwanted moisture or insects can seep, besides, it is quite easy to assemble it with your own hands. The price range classifies a polycarbonate greenhouse as a budget building, and the overall strength of the polycarbonate frame makes it a profitable and durable purchase. The weight of such a greenhouse rarely exceeds 3-4 kg, so that it can be easily moved around the site.
Free access to plants inside the greenhouse makes it much easier to water and weed them. At the same time, you can independently regulate whether sunlight will hit the plants or not, simply by opening or closing the section. In addition, it performs the function of protecting against strong winds or hail rain, which can harm plants. And in the summer heat, it will make it possible to ventilate the plants simply by opening one or both sections.
And, finally, the shape in the form of a shell (or a bread box, which is closer to anyone) allows you to open both doors at any angle.
Cons
Like any small structure that is not fixed in the foundation, a polycarbonate greenhouse can leave its “habitat” place under a gust of strong wind. Therefore, it is necessary to further strengthen it. In addition, the frame is usually sold assembled, so a car with a large trunk is required for transportation. However, if you have drawings and you intend to assemble a polycarbonate greenhouse with your own hands, then there will be no problems.
Unfortunately, even such a convenient design is not airtight, which means that rainwater, insects, and plant debris can still get inside. In addition, the design does not retain heat well inside and is completely unsuitable for growing plants in the open field in winter. That is, this is a purely summer-spring version of the greenhouse.
Video “Greenhouse Shell easy and cheap”
An example of a homemade greenhouse “Shell”.
How to make
In order to make and install the structure, you will need drawings, a sunny place and a little do-it-yourself work. Try to orient the opening sides to the north and south so that the plants receive maximum sunlight during the day.
It is best to build a foundation for the structure, for example, a wooden box pre-treated with fungicides. Dig a hole about 45-55 cm deep, as wide as the frame. Install the box (if using one). Pour a layer of sand 5-7 cm high into it, plant residues (leaves, tops, mowed grass) on top, lay fresh manure and fertile soil in the next layer. Fix the frame (in a box if using it) in the ground, tamp it firmly. Now you can start covering the frame with polycarbonate.
Remember that it is better not to drill the sheets, but to fix them with mounting tape. At this stage, it is very important to prevent the formation of cracks in the moving parts of the structure so that water, fallen leaves, and insects do not get into it.
Video “Greenhouse Novator-Mini – assembly instructions”
Video instruction for assembling a greenhouse “Shell”.
