Ecologically clean greens, vegetables on the dining table are an essential addition to the diet with natural vitamins. If there is a land plot, they can be grown independently, using one of the types of buried greenhouses, in early spring, late autumn or year-round. This method allows you to get greens, vegetables with a minimum cost of heating the room. The design of the structure is selected depending on the region, time of use.
Types of structures
A natural phenomenon - the temperature difference between soil and air, the ability of soil to maintain temperature at a depth made it rational to use buried greenhouses in regions of the country suitable for these purposes. Almost all of them are designed for long-term use. After all, you have to dig a pit, since their effectiveness is possible at a depth of only twice the freezing of the soil. Depending on the location, type of wall materials, roof structure, buried greenhouses can be:
- Shed.
- Gable.
- Cylindrical.
- With brick.
- Wooden.
- Concrete.
- Dirt walls.
The structure can be up to 1.5 meters deep, and its above-ground part is one meter high. Compact buried greenhouses, in areas where soil freezing is negligible, can be built at no particular cost. This will allow you to grow greens, seedlings with minimal costs for space heating.
Gable earthen greenhouses with brick walls
Such designs are universal, suitable even for areas with fairly harsh climatic conditions. The capital structure will allow growing not only garden plants. It can also freely accommodate horticultural crops.
The construction of such a greenhouse is quite expensive. But the construction turns out to be convenient and in the future will become economical in use for many years. When erecting such a greenhouse, the following premises are provided:
- Tambour.
- Storage area for materials and supplies.
- Work zone.
- Greenhouse.
With year-round use of the greenhouse, it will have to install a boiler for heating. To do this, use the vestibule room. The reduction in heating costs is achieved by carrying out thermal insulation work, a heat insulator is placed between the walls and the ground.
Shed structures with wooden walls
This construction option is more economical than greenhouses with a gable roof. The frame of the building consists of three rows of wooden posts placed in the pit. On the north side, the first row is 20 cm below the average and is upholstered with a croaker. Eighty centimeters from it there is a middle row, sheathed to the height of the ridge. In the resulting notch, I have biofuel sprinkled with earth (10-15 cm). Above these racks, a roof is built into the cavity of which sawdust is poured. 
Racks from the south are made 30 cm above ground level, completely upholstered with croaker. On both sides, the walls are sprinkled with earth. On the north side, they also cover the roof covered with tar paper with it. In the working area, a chimney is built on the floor. And above it, a flooring is laid, on which racks with earth are placed, leaving space for free access to them. Such a greenhouse can be used all year round. In the absence of heating, it can be operated from the first months of spring until the onset of frost.
Features of greenhouses buried in the soil
- The use of a natural phenomenon, the preservation of positive temperatures by the soil below the level of its freezing, reduces the cost of heating such structures in the winter.
- The construction of such greenhouses will require digging a foundation pit to a depth of two large freezing soils in the location area. In colder climates, it is necessary to increase it. This leads to an increase in the cost of work.
- When constructing greenhouse structures, groundwater is taken into account. They must be located at considerable depths so as not to flood the greenhouse. For the functioning of the greenhouse, you need to take care of arranging a good drainage system.
- In places with a warm climate, optimal soils, unheated buried greenhouses can be built without strengthening the walls. It is enough to perform them with a slope opposite from the pit.
- Buried greenhouses are very effective in areas with a short summer period. They allow you to grow seedlings, get a full crop of vegetables, herbs.
Minuses
- Winter options for greenhouses require capital construction. And this is a significant cash outlay, and not everyone can afford it.
- You can place the building not in any place. Buried greenhouses are built only on suitable soils. The presence of groundwater, quicksand and other features of the soil makes their construction impractical.
- It is necessary to equip a high-quality drainage system around the building to prevent flooding from precipitation. And these are additional costs.
- The need to create a high-quality ventilation system.
- In areas with a shallow depth of soil freezing, the construction of such a greenhouse does not require significant investments.
- An economical option for heating in the winter.
- Can function in all weather conditions.
- They allow growing heat-loving vegetables, horticultural crops, flowers in regions with cold climatic conditions. Even exotic plants grow in them.
- The structure will last for many years.
- Effective for year-round industrial cultivation of seedlings, flowers, herbs, vegetables.
- Buried greenhouses allow you to get a full crop in a short summer.
Recently, the popularity of this type of greenhouses is growing. They can not only be equipped on personal plots to provide vitamins for the whole family. This is a profitable type of business for those who want to do business. After all, buried greenhouses significantly reduce the cost of their heating.
This fact will seem something fantastic. However, few people know that such structures were successfully used in pre-revolutionary Russia. A properly equipped underground greenhouse with your own hands is fresh vegetables, fruits and berries on your table all year round.
Pineapples were grown in thermos greenhouses in such quantities that they were enough for the needs of the imperial court and for export to Europe.
Why hide the greenhouse in the ground
Underground greenhouses, compared to conventional stationary ones, have several obvious advantages:
- Saving and keeping warm. This advantage is determined by the property of the soil at a depth of approximately 1.5-2 meters to maintain a stable positive temperature. Its fluctuations depending on the season are only a few degrees.
- Durability and reliability. Underground greenhouses perfectly tolerate winds, even hurricanes, and are not afraid of blockages of snow and hail.
- Fast self-sufficiency. Although the construction of a submersible greenhouse is an expensive and time-consuming business (digging a foundation pit, pouring a foundation, arranging a ladder), the crop obtained almost all year round pays for all costs. Moreover, with the right arrangement, almost any crop, including citrus fruits, can be grown in buried greenhouses without much effort.
Types of submersible greenhouses
- freestanding;
- Adjacent - most often, to any outbuilding.
Where to choose the best place to build a free-standing greenhouse
Perhaps you are lucky, and on the plot there is a natural slope from north to south, then it is best to arrange a greenhouse there. The price of construction when using the natural landscape is significantly reduced.
Advice! It is desirable that one of the sides of the greenhouse faces south - it is in this position that the maximum use of solar energy is made.
If your site is flat, then the building is oriented to the cardinal points, like ordinary greenhouses - from east to west. At the same time, you need to make sure in advance that groundwater does not accumulate at the site of the future construction, and it will be easy to drain.
Stages of construction of a thermos greenhouse
The instructions for building a buried greenhouse are not difficult, but try to correctly calculate your strength and financial resources - you may need to hire specialized equipment.
- At the first stage, after choosing the location of the building, mark out its dimensions. The underground part can reach from 1.2 to 2 m, and the ground part up to 0.9 m. In length, the structure can be stretched as much as you like, but a width of more than 5 m is impractical - both reflective and thermal insulation properties are reduced.
- Digging a pit. If you decide to start your own small business for growing crops or flowers, it is almost impossible to take out such an amount of land on your own with your own hands. Here, either assistants will come to the rescue, or (the fastest option) - an excavator. The edges and walls of the pit are carefully aligned.
- Foundation pouring. The perimeter of the pit is laid out with concrete blocks or a foundation is poured over it.
- Walling. After removing the formwork from the finished foundation, you can continue to work and begin to build walls. For walls, a material with good thermal insulation properties is purchased in advance. Thermoblocks are ideal for this purpose. Thermoblock is a hollow wall material made of expanded polystyrene.
The blocks are laid out on the foundation and reinforced with metal.
- Wall insulation. The joints of the blocks are carefully coated with a waterproofing solution, the cavities are filled with mounting foam. After that, a thermal insulation film is attached to the wall from the inside.
Advice! Using foil thermal film, you will achieve a double result: you will save heat and, thanks to the reflective effect, you will use both solar energy and electric energy in the most rational way.
- Heating. The simplest heat accumulator in a greenhouse can be water bottles. Because of the greenhouse effect, they do not cool down for a long time. This method of heating is at the same time cheap and the most time-consuming - after all, the cooled hot bottled water needs to be changed periodically.
Not surprisingly, the most popular heating method is the use of electricity. Underfloor heating, the same one that many are used to seeing in bathrooms, is also successfully used in buried greenhouses.
The main thing is to protect the electrical cable from moisture and from a shovel. With this mission, a metal mesh or pouring concrete into the cable will help you cope. You can even lay out the floor in the greenhouse with tiles, and grow plants in boxes, flowerpots or pots.
- Roof construction. The frame on which the roof covering will be laid is usually constructed from wooden bars impregnated with an antiseptic. The roof can be both single-pitched (it is easier to assemble) and gable.
For a gable roof, a ridge beam is installed. For this, supports are placed in the center along the entire length of the greenhouse.
A number of rafters connect the walls with the ridge beam. The frame is ready and after assembly it is painted.
To cover the roof, experts recommend using cellular polycarbonate. Sheets up to 12 m long provide a minimum number of joints, and hence cold bridges. To improve thermal insulation, a double layer of material can be used.
So that when attaching to the rafters, the polycarbonate does not crack, you first need to make holes of the desired diameter for the screws with a drill. The joints between the sheets are glued with construction tape.
Note! Snow does not melt on polycarbonate, so the pitched roof slope must be at least 30 *. However, this will not free you from the need to manually remove the layer of snow from the greenhouse from time to time.
The greenhouse has been built underground. It's time to do its interior arrangement.
Internal work
We hope that a rich crop grown in a submersible greenhouse will quickly pay off your expenses for its construction! And the video in this article will tell you some of the nuances on this topic.
An underground greenhouse has a number of advantages. If you understand the features of its construction in the ground, you can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables all year round. What should be an earthen greenhouse, and how to equip it competently in Siberia and other regions, read on.
The greenhouse design according to Scottish or Dutch technology is strikingly different from the most common specimens in modern gardening. Nevertheless, the buried greenhouse was used even in the days of pre-revolutionary Russia. The thing is that this greenhouse has more than enough advantages. Consider the most significant advantages of a greenhouse structure:
- equipping a greenhouse with a heating system is not always a must. Even during the period of severe winter frosts, the temperature in the greenhouse will be at least +10 ° C;
- in the summer, vegetables and other crops growing in an earthen greenhouse will not suffer from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, since they are much more reliably protected;
- a greenhouse equipped underground is appreciated by experienced gardeners not only because of its strength. From a financial point of view, this is the best option;
- growing flowers and vegetables in an earthen greenhouse is a profitable business that can be done all year round.
A do-it-yourself greenhouse underground is a profitable investment of money and effort, both for an experienced and a novice gardener. However, consider the fact that such a structure requires serious preparation, it is rather difficult to implement this project. This moment is the only significant minus of the earthen greenhouse.
Design features
Do-it-yourself underground greenhouses must be properly planned. It is this moment that will ensure the durability of their use. First of all, calculate the depth of the building. Remember: in no case should you dig a hole under an earthen greenhouse if the groundwater that lies too close does not allow it. Otherwise, the operation of the greenhouse will be short-lived. But it is not worth placing a greenhouse on the surface either. It must be equipped below the freezing level of groundwater.
Experts distinguish two main types of construction: buried and underground. Of course, with an underground greenhouse you will have to tinker much more thoroughly. For example, in this case, you will need to carry out special passages to the front door or a ladder. However, this classification of greenhouses is not over. They are also divided depending on the presence or absence of a design slope. Greenhouses are horizontal and inclined.
Separately, you should decide on the dimensions of the future earthen greenhouse. Some gardeners prefer trench-type greenhouses (when the length of the structure is several times greater than its width) and pit (when the dimensions differ insignificantly).
Learn the key features of the construction of an earthen greenhouse, and you can enjoy vegetable wells of vitamins all year round.
How to build with your own hands
A greenhouse in the ground will serve you for many years, if you correctly approach the process of its construction. The first thing to take care of is choosing a place suitable for building a greenhouse. In this case, be sure to take into account the characteristics of the soil and the depth of groundwater.
When you finally figured out all the points that interest you, you need to draw up a project on which you will work. A do-it-yourself recessed greenhouse must have waterproofed and well-insulated walls - this is another key condition for the success of your work. It is recommended to build the structure in stages.
foundation pit
If the topsoil periodically heats up or cools down depending on the time of year, then at a depth of 2 m the temperature regime practically does not change and is about +5-10 °C. That is why it is desirable to build a greenhouse at this level. The pit needs to be dug to a depth of about 2.5 m. As for the length of the future greenhouse, it's up to you to decide. But its width should be no more than 5 m.
The thing is that with large parameters, the reliability of the structure will suffer, and you will have to think much more seriously about insulation. Digging a pit can be done with your own hands if you plan to build a miniature greenhouse. Otherwise, it is better to order an excavator for this purpose.
Foundation and walls
A greenhouse built in the ground can be effective without a heating system. However, your key task is to take care of pouring the foundation and erecting insulated walls. It is better to use concrete as a basis, and the walls must be sealed with a layer of roofing material. The ground wall in height, as a rule, is no more than 1 m. Most gardeners use thermal blocks, bricks or cinder blocks.
Roof installation
A year-round dugout for growing flowers and vegetables must have a roof. It can be single-sided or double-sided. Wooden blocks are used as the basis. In order for them to last a long time, be sure to treat them with antiseptic agents. Rafters, as a rule, are used for the construction of a gable roof.
As for the main roofing material, in most cases it is sheet polycarbonate. It has a lot of advantages: excellent resistance to low temperatures and other adverse external factors. If you prefer to cover your own earthen greenhouse with polycarbonate sheets, then you will need a metal frame. Another important condition: the roof must be opened if necessary. Thus, you will ensure the presence of natural ventilation.
Warming and heating
No matter how hard you try to build a thermos greenhouse, in the northern regions of the country this is often not enough for its full functioning. If severe frosts are not uncommon for your region, it is better to take care of its insulation at the design stage of the greenhouse. Most gardeners purchase foil penofol. Its thickness is insignificant, while it is resistant to moisture, and it will not be difficult for you to mount it. In order for the use of penofol to bear fruit, be sure to ensure that all joints are sealed with aluminum tape.
Greenhouse gardening has many advantages, sometimes gardeners do not even worry about having a heating system. However, in some cases, you can not do without it. You can heat the lower greenhouse using the following devices:
- heat guns;
- heaters with infrared rays;
- cable that emits heat;
- water heated floor.
Whatever type of heating of an in-depth greenhouse you prefer, it is better not to save on this moment and do everything with high quality. So you will be sure of the reliability of the greenhouse and its durability.
Video "Unique 3-storey greenhouse"
This video shows a unique greenhouse with three floors, which was made by craftsmen from the Urals.
For personal needs or as a business in cold regions, you can. Its main advantage is a constant positive temperature even in winter. The construction of such a structure will not be difficult, and improvised means can serve as materials for construction.
Conventional greenhouses are designed in such a way that temperature changes are felt inside. But greenhouses in the ground work differently. Due to the recessed construction, the walls work like a thermos. Such a system allows you to significantly save on heating and electricity.
Underground greenhouses are great not only for growing annual crops. You can plant perennials. It is also great to plant trees and bushes in such a greenhouse.
There is a myth that because of the small height and deepened walls, the seedlings inside the greenhouse do not receive enough sunlight. But this is not true. Enough sunlight penetrates through the roof for good plant growth. The roof area itself is small, so there is less heat loss.
2 types of earth greenhouses:
- Underground. The walls are completely underground. Such greenhouses are large enough and they grow perennial crops and trees. The depth of the structure depends on the flow of groundwater.
- Buried. In this case, only a part of the wall of 40-60 cm goes underground. At the same time, the above-ground part reaches 110 cm. The building is quite simple, but it will retain much less heat.
The roofs of earthen greenhouses are quite flat. This can be inconvenient in winter. Such a greenhouse should be regularly cleaned of precipitation so that the structure does not collapse. But this has its own plus. Such a building is resistant to strong winds.
Pros and cons of an underground greenhouse for year-round gardening
Before building an underground greenhouse, you should think it over, evaluate the advantages and disadvantages of year-round gardening. To begin with, the gardener must know that both a novice and an experienced gardener can grow crops. In addition, crops can be grown both in Ukraine with a temperate climate, and in Siberia with severe frosts.
Benefits of an underground greenhouse:
- Even without heating in winter, a thermos greenhouse will maintain a positive temperature. It will be at least 10 degrees.
- In the summer, vegetables are reliably protected from ultraviolet radiation.
- Building accessibility. A recessed greenhouse does not require large financial investments. This is the most budget option.
- A year-round greenhouse is an ideal option for organizing a business all year round in Russia.
To build a reliable structure, you need to build a solid frame. Also, do not forget about the foundation, which will ensure the durability of the building. But the main feature of greenhouses underground is the air space under the film or polycarbonate.
It is best to cover the thermos greenhouse with polycarbonate. It is flexible, durable, UV resistant, retains heat and is durable. You can use glass, but then the plants will suffer from an excess of solar energy.
But such greenhouses also have disadvantages. These include difficulties in the construction of the structure. You also need to take care of ventilation. And caring for plants in a thermos greenhouse can be difficult.
Features of the construction of an underground greenhouse
The main parameter that must be taken into account during construction is the depth of construction. Here it is necessary to take into account the course of groundwater and their winter freezing. If the waters do not flow deep, then the construction of a winter greenhouse is very doubtful. The recessed greenhouse should not reach the main groundwater table. But the beds should be placed below the freezing level of underground sources in winter.
The winter greenhouse is buried between groundwater and its freezing level.
It is worth noting that there are 2 types of construction: recessed and underground. The second option involves the equipment of stairs and special passages in order to gain access to plant care. The recessed greenhouse is serviced by the gardener when the roof is raised.
Greenhouses with an opening roof are in demand. Some types of such greenhouses are described in our material:
Types of greenhouses depending on the relief:
- Horizontal;
- Inclined.
When building a greenhouse with your own hands, it is important to take into account the evenness of the terrain. Horizontal greenhouses have walls of the same height, while inclined greenhouses are built on a slope. In this case, it is important to use solar energy as correctly as possible.
Depending on the area occupied, greenhouses are divided into trench and pit type. The first option is as long as possible with a small width. For a pit greenhouse, you will need to dig a recess of the same width and length.
Preparatory work for the construction of a buried greenhouse
Any construction work involves preparatory work. They include the choice of a construction site and the preparation of the soil itself. The winter greenhouse must be erected on the right site.
Things to consider when choosing a construction site:
- Direction of the wind. It is desirable to minimize gusty and cold winds. The underground greenhouse is resistant to strong winds, but with their constant presence, it is necessary to further strengthen the greenhouse. To do this, you can mount a special fence.
- Illumination of the site. The greenhouse site should be well lit so that the plants receive maximum light all day.
- Serviceability. You need to have constant access to the building, so the greenhouse must be built near the place of residence.
When building a fence for additional protection, you do not need to build too close to the greenhouse. This indicator should be at least 8 cm. This is due to the fact that the wind flow, when colliding with the fence, goes up and can cool the greenhouse.
Do-it-yourself gable and single-slope greenhouse in the ground
You can make a gable brick greenhouse with your own hands. This is a reliable structure that will withstand the coldest temperatures. You can plant any crops, trees or seedlings in it. The construction itself may seem quite expensive, but you need to remember about durability and savings on heating, which will quickly pay for the greenhouse.
The pouring of the foundation should take place no higher than the level of soil freezing. The depth is 80-90 cm. Options for a solid foundation for greenhouses are described in the article:
It is necessary to divide such a thermos greenhouse into 3 functional zones: working, greenhouse and vestibule. The tambour serves as the installation site for climate control systems. The roof in this compartment should not be transparent. Also, the vestibule can serve as a warehouse for storing tools. You can insulate this room with mineral wool.
The sequence of construction of a gable underground greenhouse:
- You need to dig a pit and pour the foundation. Filling depth - 80 cm. A tape base is used.
- The construction of walls in one brick. The thickness of the wall becomes 25 cm. You need to install windows 60 cm above the level. To ensure good natural lighting, the distance between the windows is 2-3 bricks.
- Roof installation. The gable roof does not allow precipitation to remain on the surface. The optimal angle of inclination of the roof is 25 degrees.
Strapping bars must be mounted from below on roofing felt. It is fixed with rafters. Glass or polycarbonate can serve as a covering material. The second option is considered the best, since the glass is quite heavy and transmits ultraviolet light. At the same time, it is an order of magnitude more expensive than polycarbonate sheets.
The walls must be protected with a galvanized visor. It is mounted indented from the wall by 8-10 cm. The building is quite durable. She can serve at least 15 years.
Underground greenhouses (video)
Often, gardeners build underground greenhouses for year-round cultivation of crops. In a thermos greenhouse, you can even plant trees that require constant high temperatures. So you can not only organize cultivation for personal needs, but also arrange a profitable business. At the same time, due to the unique design, the cost of maintaining a greenhouse is negligible.
Examples of greenhouses underground (photo)
The temperature of the soil at a depth of several meters remains almost the same all year round. Naturally, it decreases in winter, but it is not subject to such strong fluctuations as the atmospheric one, and does not fall below zero. The thermos greenhouse deepened into the ground allows the most efficient use of this effect.
It makes it possible to significantly reduce the cost of heating a greenhouse facility and, despite the Russian winter cold, grow citrus fruits and other tropical plants year-round.
A variety of greenhouse structures in Russia have been used for more than a century. The laurels of the inventor of the underground greenhouse with a thermos effect are attributed to Anatoly Vasilievich Patiy.
Back in the Soviet years, this scientist became interested in growing lemons in greenhouse conditions. Over the past half century, he has worked out the technology of cultivating citrus fruits in the middle lane and brought out several of their varieties. It was he who proposed the modern design of the Thermos underground greenhouse.
However, underground greenhouses for year-round gardening were known in Russia even before the October Revolution. They successfully grew pineapples and other heat-loving plants exotic for our country. And they did it on such a scale that they even managed to export products to European countries.
The modern interpretation of this structure involves the use of cellular polycarbonate. But otherwise, it almost completely repeats the well-proven design, buried in the ground by 2–2.5 meters.
Greenhouse Patia with earthen walls
Design features of underground greenhouses
The underground greenhouse of Anatoly Patiy, which allows the cultivation of vegetables and fruits all year round, is located in trenches up to 2.5 m deep. The main part of the structure is in the ground, and only the roof is visible above its level.
For the arrangement of the underground part is used:
- brick;
- timber;
- slag concrete;
- stone;
- thermoblocks;
- foam blocks.
The roof of the thermos greenhouse is covered with polycarbonate. This modern plastic material is ideal for greenhouse structures and surpasses polyethylene film in all characteristics. In some moments it is inferior to glass, but it is much cheaper and lighter than it.
Film roof in thermos greenhouse
Thermoblock walls
This greenhouse design belongs to capital buildings. For it, you will have to dig a deep enough pit and pour a solid foundation. However, all costs are paid off with fresh fruits and vegetables grown year-round.
Underground greenhouse construction technology
The arrangement of a thermos greenhouse is a full-fledged construction. This is not wrapping metal arcs with polyethylene film, as in the case of a small greenhouse. Here you will have to dig the ground (even with the involvement of an excavator), pour the foundation base, build walls and put up a roof.
Digging a pit for a structure
The deeper into the ground, the warmer the greenhouse. During the year on the surface, the air temperature in Russia fluctuates over a wide range. The surface soil also cools and heats up following cooling. But already at a depth of two meters, the soil temperature practically does not change and remains within 5–10 degrees plus all year round.
Scheme-drawing of the greenhouse "Termos"
The pit breaks out at least 2.5 meters. It is at this depth that a constant temperature is maintained. If the greenhouse is deepened into the ground by a smaller footage, then the effect of the thermos will be less effective.
Recommended by an expert gardener! You can dig any trench under the thermos greenhouse in length, but the width should be limited to five meters. If the greenhouse structure is made wider, then the insolation characteristics will deteriorate, and the need for additional heat will increase.
Preparation of a pit for a greenhouse
The pit is made rectangular in shape with a west-east orientation so that one of the sides of the underground greenhouse faces south towards the maximum sun. You'll have to dig a lot, but it's worth it. However, for large volumes of excavation, it is best to order an excavator. This will be faster and more reliable.
Foundation and walls
The foundation is poured in the form of a tape around the perimeter of the greenhouse. In fact, this is a full-fledged strip base made of reinforced concrete with a thickness of 30–50 cm, depending on the size of the thermos greenhouse and the building material for its construction. The floor in the center should remain earthen.
A century ago, the side walls were made of wood. Today, in addition to timber, brick is also used. However, a more practical option is gas silicate blocks made of cellular concrete. They have excellent thermal insulation characteristics and low weight, the foundation can be made less powerful.
Snow depth map in Russia
The main thing in the walls of an underground greenhouse for year-round gardening is the level of elevation above the snow cover of at least half a meter. It is necessary to find out in advance this parameter for a particular area. In some areas, the walls will have to be built high.
Even in a snowy winter it is warm in the greenhouse
Installation of a polycarbonate roof
Supports are placed in the center of the room, and then a ridge beam is laid on them along the entire length of the greenhouse. Next, the transverse beams are mounted and sheets of cellular polycarbonate are stuffed onto these rafters.
Thermos greenhouse: inside view
The polycarbonate coating should be attached to the beam using special thermal washers with rubber seals. This is the only way to protect polycarbonate from damage. With sudden changes in temperature, it expands and contracts a little, and if it is rigidly fixed with self-tapping screws, then gaps will inevitably appear at the attachment points.
Advice! In cold regions, to increase thermal insulation, polycarbonate can be laid on the roof of the greenhouse in the ground in two layers. The coating will become less transparent (by 10-15%), but heat loss in winter will be reduced significantly.
The use of a greenhouse in winter has an important nuance. Due to high-quality thermal insulation, the snow on the greenhouse roof does not melt and blocks access to the sun's rays. In order not to darken the greenhouse, the slope must be made steep. Then the snow from the polycarbonate will simply roll off without lingering on it.
Drawing of a greenhouse in the ground for year-round gardening
The roof of the thermos greenhouse can be made of glass. But then the rafter system will have to be made more durable, and these are additional costs. Cellular polycarbonate in this situation is the ideal choice.
Performance of insulation and heating
In general, the "thermos" design refers to greenhouses in the ground that do not need heating. But it all depends on the region. In cold areas, if you want a plentiful year-round harvest, you will have to insulate the underground structure with high quality and heat it well.
Foil penofol is ideal for the role of additional insulation, which differs in:
- small thickness;
- lack of fear of moisture;
- low vapor permeability;
- ease of installation.
Polyethylene and aluminum foil, by definition, do not rot, and they make a good vapor barrier for walls. Penofol is installed with the foil side inward. All joints must be sealed with special aluminum tape.
Growing lemons in a thermos greenhouse
As a heating system, it is allowed to use:
- heat guns;
- infrared heaters;
- heating cable;
- water heated floor.
The choice depends on the financial capabilities and wishes of the gardener, as well as the availability of fuel or electricity.
Five reasons to start arranging a buried greenhouse + video
Among the advantages of the underground construction of a thermos greenhouse are:
- Durability and high reliability of the structure, capable of withstanding snowfalls, hurricane winds and heavy rains.
- Excellent light transmission characteristics of the roof, allowing you to create simply ideal conditions for the vegetation of plants and a bountiful harvest.
- High thermal insulation performance, making it possible to significantly save on energy resources.
- The versatility of a greenhouse structure that can be adapted to grow a huge range of vegetable and fruit crops.
- Year-round use.
Underground thermos greenhouse is universal
Due to its design, the thermos greenhouse is suitable for growing vegetables, mushrooms, berries, fruits, flowers and preparing seedlings. Even without heating, it is able to maintain optimal conditions for vegetation inside.
The polycarbonate roof allows maximum sunlight to pass through, and the insulated walls in the ground retain heat as much as possible. In the buried greenhouse, sudden temperature changes during the day and when it gets cold outside are excluded.