A greenhouse is a structure that has light-transmitting walls and a roof and is designed to grow various plants in the spring and autumn, when weather conditions do not allow you to take several crops in one year.
Currently, there are a variety of types of greenhouses. In their form, they are large and small, square, rectangular, single or double, etc. Frameworks can be made in the form of a tent, arch, house or have a different shape. Types of greenhouses vary in size: they are standard and non-standard. They are made of polycarbonate, wood, metal. You need to choose a heifer taking into account what goals it faces, why it is needed at all. Cost also plays an important role.
How to choose a greenhouse for a summer residence?
Ideally, the structure should have the following characteristics:
- to be of sufficient quality;
- reliable;
- durable
- adapted to various weather conditions.
In addition, it should be practical and convenient to use, as well as inexpensive.
When choosing a greenhouse, each person pursues a variety of goals. For some, it’s enough that she has a nice appearance and looks good against the background of a house or a plot. For other people who see the greenhouse as an aid to the household or a way to do business, more serious characteristics are needed. Appearance for them does not play a major role.
Collapsible or stationary?
Before purchasing a greenhouse, you should decide which model is needed: stationary or collapsible. With stationary fuss much less - once installed and forgotten. A collapsible one will have to be installed and disassembled twice a year. However, if the greenhouse is in the country, where you visit only in the summer, and thefts quite often happen in the holiday village, then it is more advisable to purchase a collapsible model.
What will be grown
Before making the final choice, you should decide what exactly you will grow in the greenhouse: tomatoes, cucumbers, herbs, seedlings, etc. The decision is yours, but it should be borne in mind that different greenhouse crops differ in the cultivation mode and requirements for humidity and lighting . In addition, some plants do not tolerate any neighborhood and can harm each other.
After you decide which plants will be grown, you can choose a structure of suitable height.
What are greenhouses?
Today, the modern market offers a variety of types of greenhouses and greenhouses, different in shape, characteristics, size and cost. For their production, modern high-quality and reliable covering materials are used.
Types of Greenhouses
Depending on the coating used, such structures are divided into the following types:
All types of greenhouses are good, but they perform their functions with varying degrees of efficiency. Each option has its own advantages and disadvantages.
Film greenhouses
Film is one of the most widely used covering materials.
- The main advantage of such facilities is low cost.
- Another plus is the possibility of self-construction. Film do-it-yourself types of greenhouses are assembled very simply. To do this, you only need a plastic film, a rail, a screwdriver and a furniture stapler.
- Such a structure perfectly transmits ultraviolet rays, which are so necessary for the normal development of plants,
- There is no need to build any foundation.
Unfortunately, film greenhouses have many drawbacks. First of all, it is fragility. The film tears quite easily and rarely survives wintering. The next season, the greenhouse must be tightened again. And the frame made of boards or slats can rarely withstand more than 2 seasons. Humidity and heat are ideal conditions for the development of wood fungus.
Reinforced polyethylene film is more durable thanks to a special reinforced mesh. It can withstand not only strong winds, but even hail.
Glass greenhouses
Glass is a durable and durable material for covering greenhouses. Its distinguishing features are high light transmission and excellent thermal insulation.
However, glass greenhouses have a drawback: inside, the air can get very hot, which can very badly affect plant health. Also, their minus is the complexity of glazing. A large mass of glass requires a reliable, and therefore expensive frame. Glass should have a thickness of at least 4 mm. The larger the frames, the better the lighting of the greenhouse. But this increases the cost of heating. And replacing a large broken glass will also be more expensive.
The disadvantages of glass greenhouses include the fragility of the material itself, which tends to break not only due to physical influences, but also due to temperature changes (a large temperature difference inside and outside the greenhouse during severe frost).
Polycarbonate facilities
This relatively new material has recently actively captured the greenhouse market and the attention of gardeners. Polycarbonate structures have a number of distinct advantages over film and glass types. Material has advantages:
- High strength (almost 200 times stronger than glass), heat resistance and fire resistance.
- Extreme lightness (honeycomb polycarbonate is 16 times less than glass and 3 times less than acrylic of similar thickness).
- High thermal insulation and low thermal conductivity.
- High light transmission (material transparency is up to 86%). In addition, the material scatters the light, so that it falls on almost all beds.
- Good noise and sound insulation.
- High chemical resistance.
- Excellent resistance to various weather conditions.
- Polycarbonate is durable. Products from it have a warranty period of up to 10-12 years.
- Polycarbonate does not break, does not crack.
- It has special protection against ultraviolet radiation. Thanks to the protective layer, hard UV rays do not pass through cellular polycarbonate.
- Easy installation. Lightness and flexibility of sheets allows you to create original and elegant designs of various types.
- It looks attractive and modern.
All types of greenhouses made of polycarbonate have some disadvantages:
- If the sheets are not positioned correctly (UV protection inward), then their service life will be significantly reduced (from 10 years to 2-3).
- Almost all types of greenhouses made of polycarbonate (photos are available in the article) require a foundation for their normal activities.
- The material has a hollow structure, water and dirt quite often get inside. This contributes to a decrease in light transmission and a sufficiently rapid loss of heat, which is undesirable. In addition, the appearance also deteriorates.
Types of greenhouses and their designs
Under polycarbonate, frames are made and built, which differ both in shape and in the material used. The most common types of greenhouses made of polycarbonate are arched and a tent (house). All the rest are variations of these two.
Arched structures
Arched types of greenhouses and greenhouses are one of the most popular designs on the market. They are used for early and all-weather cultivation of various garden crops and flowers.
The frame consists of semicircular arches, which are most often installed on a vertical base. As a rule, these are factory-made greenhouses.
Types of greenhouses (photo above) of the arched structure have the following advantages:
- They are resistant to environmental influences. Thanks to the streamlined shape, snow does not linger on them.
- Their installation is quite simple, which allows you to build these types of greenhouses with your own hands.
- The presence of a small number of compounds. A typical construction, which is 3 meters wide, is blocked by one sheet, which is fixed on the frame only at the ends.
- Polycarbonate consumption for greenhouses is small.
- Good sun penetration.
- Low cost.
- Can be installed without foundation.
The disadvantages include:
- Low functionality.
Small height of the outer beds. - Arched greenhouses are good for low crops such as peppers or eggplant.
Tent structures
Tent types of greenhouses and their designs are most often chosen for self-construction, however, factory options are also found. Advantages:
- The ability to create an individual design.
- Sizes can be the most non-standard for any crop.
- Very practical and functional.
Their main disadvantages:
- For the frame, you must use the most durable material.
- The cost compared to other species is higher.
- Polycarbonate consumption is quite large.
Types of Frames
The frame of the greenhouse can be made of the following materials:
Currently, the wooden frame is used less and less. The tree requires impregnation with special compounds against decay, various fungi and other destructive, negative phenomena. It is also impossible to bury wooden racks in the ground without first lining them with waterproofing materials. Otherwise, the structure will fall apart quickly. All these nuances make the installation process quite time-consuming and disadvantageous.
Frame for greenhouses made of PVC in our country is used quite rarely. Its advantages:
- The material does not rust and does not rot.
- It is not susceptible to the negative effects of various chemicals, fertilizers, etc.
- Very practical.
- The material does not need special processing, such as painting, impregnation.
- Appearance is quite aesthetic.
Metal frames are among the most durable designs. They do not rust, do not give in to decay, do not emit harmful toxins, they do not need to be painted.
The biggest drawback is the high cost of aluminum. In addition, it is very likely that the greenhouse can be dismantled and taken to a metal collection point.
Industrial greenhouses
The only significant difference between industrial greenhouses and those used in personal plots and cottages is their size. They can occupy quite impressive areas that exceed 1000 square meters. m, and their height can reach 6 m.
Types of industrial greenhouses:
- Seasonal The period of active operation is limited to the season (March-November). They are used for growing crops that are in high demand among agricultural consumers.
- Year-round, allowing you to get a high yield even in winter. All types of winter greenhouses are quite expensive, but the high profitability of the economy more than allows you to recoup the costs in the shortest possible time.
The effectiveness of industrial greenhouses depends on the following factors:
- the ability to create and maintain a suitable temperature and humidity;
- the quality of the materials used for the construction of the structure;
- the presence of irrigation, lighting, heating and other systems.