The construction of a new shelter to protect the soil from the environment is only half the battle. When a greenhouse is built, the arrangement inside requires additional costs and effort.
Only in the presence of prepared beds and the creation of optimal conditions for plants can you start to grow something. After a greenhouse has been created from the main structural elements, the internal arrangement requires the installation of the following equipment: heating, ventilation, water supply, beds or racks. However, it can be installed even before its construction (for example, a soil heating system).
Organization of heating greenhouses
The air temperature in the greenhouse should not be lower than + 18º. Any wall insulation in early spring will not provide the desired temperature for plant growth. This requires additional heating. Its system depends on the size of the room and the material capabilities of the owner.
Local heating will not provide an even supply of heat to the entire area. Its correct distribution is achieved by supplying hot water through pipes or using a convector. Heat should flow slowly and from the bottom up.
The solution will be profitable and simple if you choose a sunny place without drafts, where the greenhouse will stand. The arrangement inside provides for the installation of high beds so that the cold from below comes less to the plants, and access to them is more convenient.
To natural heating, it is necessary to add electric, gas or solid fuel.
Innovative is the heating of the soil with a cable that generates energy up to 120 W / m 2 . It is laid in a layer of sand poured on moisture-proof thermal insulation (polystyrene foam or polyethylene foam). The cable is protected from above by a mesh netting, on which fertile soil up to 35 cm high is poured.
Radiator water heating evenly distributes heat throughout the room.
Infrared heaters also provide additional lighting. With their help, you can create different temperature zones, which gives significant energy savings.
Gas heating will be advisable if you connect the heating of the greenhouse to a centralized system. You can use a conventional burner or install an automatic system with a boiler.
The solid fuel system is advisable in private greenhouses when there is plenty of firewood. It is more difficult to manage, but it is more economical than others. It is advisable to always have solid fuel furnaces as a reserve.
Heat loss is largely dependent on the quality of the translucent fence. The arrangement of a polycarbonate greenhouse inside requires less heating costs due to the high heat-shielding properties of the material.
Ventilation
Thermal and air conditions in the greenhouse are created by ventilation frames. For a small space, two air vents or transoms are sufficient, placed on opposite sides or at different heights. They are placed at a distance of no more than 2 m if a large greenhouse is installed. Arrangement inside an additional circulation fan allows you to evenly distribute moisture and heat throughout the volume, which improves the conditions for the development of plants. A fan is also installed on the roof, which blows fresh air from the outside. Due to the high heat-shielding properties of the coating, indoor air quickly heats up in the sun. Arrangement of a polycarbonate greenhouse inside the supply and internal ventilation makes it possible not to overheat the air. Significant drafts and overcooling of the greenhouse should also not be allowed, as this adversely affects the condition of the crops grown.
The regulation of thermal conditions and humidity in a large greenhouse is carried out using a complex control system for automatic opening of transoms and ventilation. A simple system on a personal plot can work from a simple mechanism with a hydraulic cylinder. With increasing temperature, the oil in it expands, and the stem opens one or more window leaves.
Water supply
The vital activity of plants is directly related to the humidity of the environment. With its excess, fruiting is delayed and the root system is poorly developed . If there is not enough moisture, the plants grow more slowly, and their productivity decreases.
Making a polycarbonate greenhouse inside with your own hands includes creating reliable and convenient watering.
Water should not be cold, as the roots rot from this. Watering rules do not allow drops to fall on the leaves and trunks of plants. It is done more often in hot weather, and the water flow rate is 10-12 l / m 2 . The deeper the root system, the more moisture is needed.
Features of irrigation in soil greenhouses are as follows:
- Surface irrigation in greenhouses is undesirable due to increased humidity and the complexity of flow control.
- Drip feed is more efficient since less water is required, fertilizers are easier to administer and the process can be automated.
- The most rational is subsoil watering through tubes with holes buried to a depth of 0.25 m and with a uniformly increasing slope.
Water supply directly to the roots creates advantages in terms of reducing its evaporation losses, improving the quality of moistening the root system and maintaining soil structure.
For rack greenhouses, liquid is sprayed over large areas, since it is impossible to water each pot on an industrial scale.
Arrangement of a polycarbonate greenhouse inside. Photo of watering plants using capillary mats
Modern methods of watering require significant investments. Of great interest is a new and very economical method of moistening the soil using a capillary mat. It is a synthetic felt that allows you to absorb and hold up to 3 liters of water per 1 square. m square. Cassettes and pots with plants are placed on it, to which moisture is gradually given off. To protect against soil contamination and root sprouting, the mat is covered with a porous film. Thus, the greenhouse is made of polycarbonate inside. A photo of watering using a capillary mat is presented below.
The advantages of capillary mats are as follows:
- low cost of material and process;
- continuity and uniformity of watering;
- protection against damage to seedlings and plant diseases;
- durability of material of mats;
- simple solution with fertilizer plants.
The basis for capillary mats are ordinary wooden pallets. They are installed in a row on bricks, and flat slate sheets are laid on top, which are fastened with screws to the side rails, and then covered with plastic wrap. Its edges should be raised in the form of sides and fixed with a stapler on the rails. The capillary mat spreads on top of the polyethylene base down and is also attached to the slats. Its edges should not protrude beyond the film. On top of the mat is a perforated protective coating.
The capillary mat is spilled with water until, when lightly pressed, water emerges from it. If puddles form on top, excess water drains.
Pots and cassettes with drainage holes are installed on the bottom of the protective coating. Water is added when moisture ceases to protrude when you lightly press it with your hand.
Capillary mat can be made independently. To do this, put on a pallet of plastic film a thick synthetic winterizer and soak it. Then a perforated black film is laid on top. The holes in it are made with the help of a home-made “hedgehog” from cardboard with stuffed with small nails.
The synthetic winterizer should not be overdried, otherwise then it will have to be moistened with water for a long time.
Ground greenhouses inside, arrangement with beds: photo
The method of equipping the greenhouse inside depends on whether the owner wants to divide it into beds or install racks on which seedlings or plants will be placed in pots. If it is a soil type, then a breakdown is made into beds. They are planned depending on growing technologies and types of crops. Moreover, their width should not exceed 1.2 m in the middle and 0.6 m at the edges, so that you can easily reach plants without stepping on the ground. Soil compaction leads to poor circulation to the roots of the air.
Let's figure out what the greenhouse inside should be. An arrangement of three meters wide is designed for no more than 2-3 beds. One of the aisles is left at least 50 cm wide, and the other is smaller. This will create ease of maintenance. You can make transverse passages on the beds if you put boards on the soil.
The arrangement of the greenhouse inside with a width of 3-5 m differs only in the number of beds. The wider the room, the more beds.
In a large greenhouse, many different crops have to be planted. Heat-loving plants are located on the sunny side, for example, tomatoes. If cucumbers are planted nearby, they should be fenced off with plastic wrap to create increased humidity. Tomatoes stick to pollen at high humidity, which negatively affects yield.
Track device
The tracks must be made non-slip and so that water does not accumulate on them. Concrete, clinker bricks, blocks, paving slabs are used for hard coatings, and fine gravel, sand, and pebbles are used for soft ones. A hard track will be preferable since the material will not stick to the wheels of the cart and shoes.
Concrete pouring is convenient, but it does not look very impressive. As a decoration, small pebbles can be pressed into the surface or faced with ceramic tiles. A track laid out of clinker bricks, pavers or paving slabs will be beautiful and reliable. Materials should be selected frost-resistant. They are placed on sand or mortar.
A very spectacular track with a filler. To do this, it is laid out with brick or poured with concrete in the form of a box in which grass or manure is laid, and then covered with a wooden lid. It must be strong enough to function as a track. Thus, additional heating of the greenhouse is created, the compost necessary for fertilizing is obtained and space is saved on the site.
On the sides of the beds are fenced with durable material: galvanized, boards, brick, concrete. The tree rots quickly and can last only one season. Aluminum sides are sometimes supplied with the greenhouse and last for decades. Polymer coated galvanized iron borders are prefabricated structures that are also durable.
For convenient maintenance of the greenhouse, paths are also made outside.
Soil preparation
What else does the greenhouse equipment inside? Arrangement with beds involves creating them raised to a height of 20-60 cm. The easiest way is to install a fence of boards with a width of 25 cm. They are placed on the edge and fastened with pegs on both sides or nailed to the supports. More thorough constructions are created by laying out of bricks. This is more convenient to do before the erection of the greenhouse.
The high bed contains a lot of fertile soil. It does not scatter throughout the greenhouse and warms up well.
The soil should be light and with good ventilation, without weed seeds. Soil is prepared under the guise of vegetables that will be planted in it.
For pepper and tomatoes, soil is mixed with humus and sand in equal proportions and 100 g of chalk and ash are added to a bucket of the mixture.
The following soil compositions are prepared for cucumbers and zucchini:
- 6 hours of soil + 4 hours of humus;
- 4 parts of soil + 3 parts of humus + 3 parts of peat.
Organization of a shelving greenhouse
For the cultivation of seedlings or seedlings create rack designs, occupying a maximum of several rows of free space.
Rack installation
When using multiple levels, plant characteristics should be considered. They must be heat-loving and at the same time well withstand small shading from ceilings and shelves. Photophilous plants grow well on the upper shelves, where the illumination is higher than that of the earth itself.
The arrangement of the greenhouse inside with your own hands includes the creation of shelving. Their width near the wall should be no more than 95 cm, and in the center - 1.5 m. The height is selected according to ease of use, for example, according to the level of the kitchen working surfaces. At a height with plants, working is much more convenient compared to beds, where you have to constantly bend down for weeding, top dressing, watering, cultivating and other agricultural activities.
Shelving options are as follows:
- dimensions and shape (rectangular, polygonal, dome);
- dimensions;
- frame materials, shelves and supports.
Due to the high weight of pots with plants and boxes with seedlings, racks must be strong and stable.
Materials of construction must withstand significant stresses and prolonged exposure to moisture. Wooden structures are popular because they have the lowest price, and the material is easiest to process. The racks are made of timber, and the shelves are made of boards 4 cm thick and up to 20 cm wide. Aluminum alloys, plastic or painted steel profile are also used for the frame. With high quality coatings, structures are used for a long time and do not require special attention.
There are always more problems with wood due to its decay in a humid environment. It has to be constantly treated with special compounds and painted. It is more convenient to use metal and plastic, but the cost of materials is much higher.
The width of the paths is selected similarly to soil greenhouses.
Germination of seeds is carried out in one of the corners, where the backlight and glass insulation are installed.
Shelf greenhouses are equipped with a quarantine zone where several pots with purchased plants can be placed, fenced with glass or transparent film on all sides. A room aquarium with a volume of at least 100 liters is well suited for this. He is put on a shaded place for a couple of weeks.
Below you can see the arrangement of the greenhouse inside (photo) with a quarantine zone.
Pots with plants should be periodically ventilated, taking out of the greenhouse.
To store preparations and equipment in the greenhouse, a vestibule or cabinet under the shelves is made.
Conclusion
In addition to the main structural elements of which the greenhouse is built, the arrangement inside requires additional equipment for heating, ventilation, water supply, beds or racks. Industrial designs include automatic humidity and temperature control systems. For small greenhouses on the plot there are simpler solutions.