How to choose a greenhouse and when it is better to install it. It is better to put a greenhouse in the fall When to put a greenhouse
WHAT TIME OF THE YEAR IS IT PREFERABLE TO INSTALL A GREENHOUSE?
Many people think that it is better to install a greenhouse in the spring when the need arises. But by postponing the installation until spring, you are doing what most gardeners do in our country. In the spring, in the very season, a queue forms behind the greenhouses, you have to order and wait a long time when they can bring it to you, plus it takes time to install it, and at this time it is expensive every day, as the seedlings outgrow, and there is no way to plant it in the ground because for possible frosts. Some have to wait until June for installation, when there is almost no need for a greenhouse.
To date, many different options for designs and shapes of greenhouses are offered, we suggest considering the most reliable and durable from our entire range:
1. Polycarbonate greenhouse "Usadba Zinc Reinforced", 3 meters wide, the length of the greenhouse can be any multiple of 2 meters. The frame of the greenhouse is made of a profile 30*30 mm, the distance between the arcs is 50 cm - this provides the maximum snow load for the northwestern region.
2. "Country Strelka", produced by the company "Volya". Reinforced frame and swept shape can withstand the load of snow cover of 450 kg per 1 m 2 of the horizontal surface of the earth, which corresponds to 2.25 m of freshly fallen and 1.1 m of packed snow. Also
Why is it good to put up a greenhouse in autumn or winter?
- You almost do not have to wait, you can choose any day convenient for you.
- At this time, there are almost no plants left in the garden and you can not be afraid that during installation you will not be trampled on plantings around the greenhouse.
- In early spring, in the installed greenhouse, the ground begins to warm up earlier, which means you can start using the greenhouse earlier.
- If you postpone the installation of a greenhouse until spring, then you need to take into account that the price of a greenhouse in the spring season will be higher, since in spring, as a rule, prices for metal and polycarbonate begin to rise, and hence for greenhouses.
An experienced gardener, ending the season, begins to prepare for the next. If in the future you have to install a greenhouse, then it is wiser to do this in the fall. Consider the best options for durable structures and what you need to know when buying.
Why is it better to install a greenhouse in the fall
Practice shows that the spring routine is always voluminous and associated with planting. Not everyone has free time for construction. Therefore, it is better to implement an idea with a greenhouse in advance. Autumn is the best time to install a greenhouse.Firstly, after harvesting, you can work freely without fear of damaging the beds.
Secondly, in the spring you will not have time to mount it by the time of planting, as the ground will be frozen and you will have to wait until it thaws and dries.
Third, in a greenhouse installed in the fall, the earth will have time to warm up in the spring before planting seedlings.
Fourth, autumn installation allows you to make beds and paths in the greenhouse, and completely prepare the soil for planting.
And yet, in the midst of the spring hype, there are problems with the purchase and delivery of a greenhouse, and prices often rise with increased demand.
How to choose a good greenhouse
Today, the most reliable shelter for plants is a polycarbonate greenhouse. In practice, not all options sold will last a long time. You can buy a one-piece design, collapsible options or separately frame + polycarbonate. In this case, you need to take into account several factors from which your structure will be durable and will allow you to receive generous harvests.Sturdy frame
The most important for the greenhouse is the frame. The integrity of your entire structure depends on it. Cheap options are not guaranteed to withstand loads, so savings are inappropriate here. Often after winter snowfalls, you see a deplorable picture: the roof has collapsed or deformed under the weight of snow. This usually happens during a thaw, when the snow mass is saturated with water and becomes excessively heavy.
To prevent this from happening, choose a reliable frame. It is advisable to take from profiled solid pipes from 0.8 mm 20x20, galvanized steel profile from 0.7 mm. The profile section is not less than 20x20. The distance between the roof arcs should not be large. The optimal span does not exceed 1 meter. Bearing arches / arcs - from 3.5 cm, section 20x40 mm.
Choosing polycarbonate for the greenhouse
Its long service life and your collection of vegetables depend on the quality of the material. Cheap options will quickly begin to collapse, darken, become brittle and soon you will have to change the coating. After two years, you will notice clouding and deformation. Negative processes occur in the material from the action of ultraviolet rays, so buy polycarbonate with protection. Ask the seller if a protective UV layer has been applied.
You need to know about another function of cellular polycarbonate - light transmission, buy at least 85%. This is important for the development of horticultural crops. The best option would be a material whose name contains the word BIO. This means that there is a coating capable of converting ultraviolet light into a red light spectrum, which has a positive effect on plant development.
Weather and installation
If you plan to assemble a greenhouse yourself, take into account the state of the weather. It is impossible to carry out work at negative temperatures, as the material loses its elasticity and becomes brittle.
Assuming installation on the foundation, start work in advance in order to be in time before frost. Concreting is not carried out on cold days. When mounting polycarbonate, choose a calm day, otherwise it is difficult to keep a 6 or 12-meter sheet under the pressure of the wind.
How to choose the right place
The main rule when locating a greenhouse is a place with good lighting. The side of the greenhouse should face south, this will help warm up better.
Do not install the structure close to a fence or buildings - this will interfere with the free flow of snow, large layers can damage buildings and coatings. In the spring, snowdrifts do not melt for a long time, which will adversely affect the heating of the soil.
Maintenance in winter
Wet snow tends to stick, so in such weather a pressure layer can form on the roof. Cleaning the snow mass will help to avoid deformation of the frame and the destruction of polycarbonate. To do this, you need to enter the greenhouse and knock on the cover from the inside with your hand - the snow will fall. It is not recommended to scrape using a shovel, sticks, hard objects.
Do you want to install a greenhouse? Do you prefer structures made of cellular polycarbonate? Can't decide when is the best time to build a greenhouse - autumn or spring?
Most manufacturers claim that installation can be carried out at any time. And this is true, because polycarbonate has excellent performance characteristics. However, the question of when to install a greenhouse remains very relevant for many.
In the spring…
Most summer residents and farmers believe that such a structure is best mounted in the spring. The strong arguments in favor of this decision are:
- favorable weather;
- clean, untouched by weeds and unnecessary plantings, plot;
- the ability to plant plants immediately after the installation of the structure.
However, keep in mind that it is in the spring that the summer season begins. And the fact that there is no greenhouse on the site, many remember at the last moment. Manufacturing companies receive a lot of orders, a queue arises, prices rise on a wave of excitement. As a result, those who ordered a greenhouse in the spring may not receive it on time. The time favorable for planting vegetables or seedlings will simply be missed.
...or in autumn?
Installing a polycarbonate greenhouse in the fall has its advantages. At this time of the year, the place where the structure will be mounted is not occupied by anything. Manufacturers receive fewer orders, so they won’t have to wait long for them to be filled. Prices for polycarbonate structures tend to be lower in autumn as demand falls. The crop is harvested, and gardeners can take a break for now, without burdening themselves with worries and thoughts about when it is better to install a greenhouse. For those who want to save money, this is the best time to purchase and install this facility.
Most importantly, by installing a greenhouse in the fall, you definitely will not miss the beginning of the summer season. You can plant the plants in early spring, as soon as the ground in the greenhouse warms up.
Do not worry that the winter weather will spoil the newly installed structure or shorten its life. A frame made of steel pipes can withstand serious loads, and polycarbonate itself is an excellent material, it is stronger than glass and film. Protecting the ground from freezing is also not difficult. As soon as snow falls, it should be scattered inside the structure. It will reliably close the soil from frost, and in the spring it will provide the soil with the necessary moisture.
The choice is yours
When it is better to install a polycarbonate greenhouse - everyone decides for himself. Nothing bad will happen if you install in the spring. You may be lucky, you will find a company that will make the structure quickly and inexpensively. You will not miss the beginning of the summer season and you will be able to get a good harvest this year. But, mindful of the need to prepare a sled in the summer, it is still better to purchase and install a polycarbonate structure in advance.
Many people think that it is better to install a greenhouse in the spring when the need arises. By postponing the installation until spring, you are doing what most gardeners do in our country. Therefore, in the spring there is a queue, you have to wait a long time, and at this time it is expensive every day, as the seedlings outgrow, and it is not possible to plant it in the ground due to possible frosts. Some have to wait until June for installation, when there is almost no need for a greenhouse.
Why is it good to put up a greenhouse in autumn or winter?
- You almost do not have to wait, you can choose any day convenient for you. At this time, there are almost no plants left in the garden and you can not be afraid that during installation you will not be trampled on plantings around the greenhouse.
- In early spring, in the installed greenhouse, the ground begins to warm up earlier, which means you can start using the greenhouse earlier.
- If you postpone the installation of a greenhouse until the spring, you risk that the price of it may rise, since in the spring, at the beginning of the construction season, as a rule, prices for metal and polycarbonate, and hence for greenhouses, begin to rise.
Cellular polycarbonate is a unique material that can be used all year round, so we install greenhouses both in autumn and winter.
How to properly position the greenhouse?
First of all, the greenhouse should be located in a well-lit place. Sunlight should hit it as long as possible. It is best if the greenhouse is located sideways to the south, since the side surface area is larger than the end face area. You should not place a greenhouse if it is gable or arched, close to buildings or a fence. In winter, this will prevent the snow from melting and can lead to the destruction of the greenhouse. And also a large mass of snow next to your greenhouse in the spring will melt for a long time, cooling the soil and preventing it from drying out.
What maintenance is needed in winter?
The soil is inhabited by a variety of microorganisms, both harmful to your plants and beneficial. The soil in the greenhouse in winter is not covered with snow and freezes heavily. This disturbs the biological balance and after a few years can lead to loss of soil fertility. Therefore, we recommend throwing snow into the greenhouse in winter. In spring, it will melt very quickly, much earlier than on open ground, but in winter it will not allow the ground to freeze deeply.
What coating maintenance is required in winter?
We do not install greenhouses with weak frames. Therefore, snow should be removed from our greenhouses only in exceptional cases. It's best to just tap the inside of the polycarbonate with your fist. Good polycarbonate, and we use only proven brands, it will not harm at temperatures up to -30. It is not recommended to scrape snow or ice from the outside with hard objects. You can scratch the polycarbonate and thereby reduce its light transmission and break the UV protection.
How to balance the difference between night and day temperatures?
If you want to extend the growing season and use your greenhouse in early spring and late autumn (which is what a greenhouse is for), then the problem of night frosts will definitely confront you. During the day on a sunny day, the temperature in the greenhouse, even with a negative outside temperature, can reach 20 or even 30 degrees, and at night it can drop to negative values. Therefore, I would like to stock up on warmth during the day for a cold night. To do this, you need to bring water into the greenhouse. Water is an excellent heat carrier and retains a lot of heat. Place a metal barrel of water in the greenhouse, or better yet, place plastic water bottles between the plants. Some of our clients dig them in along the path and get neat borders and a heat accumulator.
How and how to shade the greenhouse in hot weather?
On a hot summer day, when the temperature outside exceeds 30 degrees, and the sunlight makes the heat deadly, the temperature inside the greenhouse can go over 50 degrees. This can lead to the death of plants. Therefore, there is a desire to shade the greenhouse. This can be done in many ways. You can throw some covering material, such as gauze, over the greenhouse and attach the edges to the ground so that it does not blow away in the wind. You can fix such material inside. But there is a simpler and more original way of shading, which we saw in Turkey. It is necessary to “whitewash” the greenhouse by spraying it with chalk solutions. But you can not use any substances that can damage polycarbonate. When the heat subsides, you can clean your greenhouse by spraying it with a hose.
Why and how to use tables in the greenhouse?
The table in the greenhouse allows not only more convenient work, but also allows you to take the plants out earlier in the greenhouse. In the spring, when the seedlings outgrow, and the boxes occupied all the window sills, I want to plant the plants in the greenhouse. But the ground is still cold there, at night the temperature drops below zero. If you put a heater in the greenhouse, it "burns" the seedlings and does not heat the soil.
Tables in the greenhouse allow you to solve all these problems. If the seedling boxes are on the tables and the heater is on the floor, then the warm air heats the soil much more efficiently, and the plants are far from the hot air coming out of the heater. In addition, the higher the plants stand, the warmer they are in the air. So you can heat the greenhouse less.
The time will come, and you will transplant the seedlings from the boxes into the ground, and you will dismantle the tables and take them out of the greenhouse until autumn or next spring.
And why is it necessary to till the soil after harvesting in the greenhouse?
The preparation of the greenhouse begins in the fall. After the last harvest, you need to thoroughly clean the greenhouse from plant residues, remove the top layer of soil by 5 cm, which contains a large number of pests and diseases. Remove the old twine (it is better to burn the twine for the garter). Plant residues can be placed in compost heaps, but it is better to burn them. Disinfection of the greenhouse is carried out by burning a sulfur block. Autumn digging of the soil to a depth of 25-30 cm. In autumn, it is necessary to apply organic fertilizers - humus or manure - 10-20 kg / m2. In the absence of organic fertilizers, it is necessary to apply mineral fertilizers: simple superphosphate - 20g / m2. potassium sulfate - 25-30g / m2. It is not recommended to treat the soil with pesticides.
Preparing soil mixture for seedlings!
Soil for seedlings is prepared in several ways:
- Sifted peat + sawdust in a ratio of 3:1, the finished mixture is moistened with a solution of Kemira combi at the rate of 20g per 10l of water.
- Field (turf land) + peat + sand in a ratio of 2:1:1. Before sowing, add Kemira-universal fertilizer 50 g / 10 l of soil or nitroammofoska 40 g / 10 l of soil to the prepared mixture, mix everything thoroughly.
- Field (turf land) + humus + sawdust, in a ratio of 2: 1: 1. The soil must be disinfected by prolonged freezing before use. Soil from coniferous forests for growing seedlings is not recommended.
Favorable time for watering plants in the greenhouse!
Plants in a greenhouse are best watered in the evening or early morning. Watering during the hot part of the day can cause plant burns. However, it is still more desirable to water the plants in the morning; it is better not to water at night, because. this contributes to the appearance of diseases, in particular, peronosporosis, or downy mildew.
At low daytime temperatures, cucumbers can be watered during the day, at twelve o'clock. By this time the water will have warmed up. It is best to keep the container in a greenhouse.
Tomatoes are also best watered in the morning, they do not require such warm water as cucumbers. Morning watering will not provoke excessive moisture at night. And it is harmful - all sorts of rot can occur.
Pepper does not tolerate drying of the soil, but also does not like waterlogging. It is better to water it in the morning, also with warm water. This is especially useful if the nights are cold.
When the head curl begins, the cabbage needs a lot of water. During this period, she needs three buckets per day. Excess moisture is dangerous - the root system can rot.
If you grow plants in soil without impurities, they dry out faster and need more water. The bigger and older the plant gets, the more water it needs compared to younger and immature plants. During the dormant period in January and February, your plants need less water.
A greenhouse in an unstable climate will create excellent conditions for plant growth and protect plantings from adverse climatic factors. In order for the greenhouse to produce a guaranteed high yield, it must be properly installed.
There are many different greenhouse designs. However, they all represent a metal frame sheathed with polybicarbonate. The installation of the greenhouse comes down to assembling the frame, fixing the greenhouse on the ground and covering it with covering material. If questions rarely arise with the assembly of the frame of the greenhouse, since the assembly procedure is described in detail in the instructions for any greenhouse, then installation and cladding is at the mercy of the buyer. Here the question arises: "How to properly install a greenhouse?".
When installing a greenhouse, two rules must be followed: the greenhouse must be installed on a flat base and well fixed to the ground.
An even base is necessary so that the greenhouse does not warp, the door does not wedge and the ventilation windows open well. If the site has a slope, then a foundation must be built under the greenhouse, or the installation site must be leveled.
Installing a greenhouse on the ground
Greenhouses have a large windage and low weight, due to which the greenhouse carries a large wind load. If you do not fix the greenhouse to the ground, then a gust of wind can turn the greenhouse over, and the plants in the greenhouse will die.
On a flat area, you can install a greenhouse without building a foundation, but only securely fix it in the ground. To fix the greenhouse to the ground, most greenhouse designs have special T-shaped legs 30 - 50 cm long. These legs must be deepened into the ground to the base of the greenhouse frame.
Fig.1.
At the place where the greenhouse will be installed, the locations of the legs are marked. In these places, pits are dug with a depth equal to the length of the greenhouse leg. After that, the greenhouse is set in place, and the legs are covered with earth and carefully rammed. Thus, the greenhouse will be securely held by the ground and can withstand any gust of wind.
Fig.2.
On some greenhouse designs, T-shaped legs are not provided, but there are special places for attaching the legs. In this case, the greenhouse is put in place and a metal pipe is driven into the ground near the attachment point to a depth of about 50 cm. welding.
Installing the greenhouse on the foundation
If the area at the installation site of the greenhouse is uneven and there is no way to level it, then it is necessary to build a foundation and attach the greenhouse to it. However, this is not quite a traditional foundation, and it carries specific functions that are necessary only for a greenhouse.
The simplest foundation for a greenhouse is made of a wooden beam with a section of 100 x 100 or 150 x 150 mm. The timber is connected to each other in half a tree. Due to the weight of the timber, the greenhouse will stand steadily. However, there will always be high humidity in the greenhouse, and with high humidity, the wood quickly begins to rot. Therefore, the wooden foundation must be treated with an antiseptic, and it is advisable to use timber from larch.
Fig.3.
The most time-consuming, but the most versatile foundation is a reinforced concrete strip foundation. For a greenhouse, a tape section of 10 x 20 cm is sufficient. Such a foundation, half buried in the ground, will protect the greenhouse from all misfortunes.
Fig.4.
The foundation for the greenhouse can also be made on a flat area. In addition to its main function, the foundation has another advantage. It prevents the penetration of weeds into the territory of the greenhouse from the outside.
In the absence of a foundation, weed control is carried out in a different way. Weeds enter the greenhouse by spreading their root systems in the surface layer of the earth. To protect the greenhouse, it is necessary to create a barrier. To do this, it is enough to dig a small ditch 20 - 30 cm deep around the perimeter of the greenhouse and bury polybicarbonate into it, with which the greenhouse is sewn up. For this purpose, you can use any non-rotting material, for example, DSP.
Covering the greenhouse with polybicarbonate
After the frame of the greenhouse is assembled and fixed on the foundation or ground, you can proceed to lining the greenhouse with polybicarbonate, which is the most versatile and durable covering material. Polybicarbonate 4-6 mm thick is used to cover greenhouses. It is sold in sheets of 6 and 12 m and a width of 2 m. For standard greenhouses, it is convenient to use sheets 6 m long.
Sheets of polybicarbonate are attached to the frame of the greenhouse with self-tapping screws. Self-tapping screws are placed in increments of 50 cm. For fastening the covering material, it is convenient to use a roofing self-tapping screw with a protective rubber washer. In this way, moisture can be prevented from entering the joint, which in turn protects it from corrosion.
Fig.5.
When lining the greenhouse, it is necessary to overlap the front and rear walls by about 5 cm. The overlap will protect the junction of the roof and the wall from oblique rain. The connection of polybicarbonate sheets is performed at the place where the arcs of the frame pass. At the same time, an overlap of one sheet on another is also 5 cm to protect against rain.
Choice of location. Orientation to the cardinal points
Most plants love light. Given that the greenhouse partially blocks the passage of sunlight, it is important not to darken it additionally. Therefore, you should choose a place for installing a greenhouse carefully.
The greenhouse should be installed away from the trees of buildings and tall shrubs. It is advisable to install the greenhouse on the south side of the site, so shading can be largely avoided.
Fig.6.
An important factor is the orientation of the greenhouse. A correctly oriented greenhouse to the cardinal points will receive uniform lighting and heat. Therefore, it is advisable to place the greenhouse with a narrow wall to the south. Thus, before lunch, the eastern side of the greenhouse will be well lit, and after lunch, the western side.
When to install a greenhouse?
The greenhouse can be installed at any time of the year. However, it is most advisable to carry out this work in the fall after harvesting and harvesting the site, or in early spring, when planting has not yet taken place.
Autumn is the most favorable time to install a greenhouse. The fact is that the soil and air temperature next spring in the greenhouse will be optimal for planting much earlier than in the rest of the area. This will allow you to plant seedlings earlier and harvest earlier.
It is not advisable to install a greenhouse in the summer, since it is unlikely that anything will have time to grow in it before autumn. Putting a greenhouse on planted beds is a risk of losing crops due to sudden climatic changes and working in close proximity to tender plants.
As can be seen from the described installation of a greenhouse is a very simple job. It is important to choose an unshaded place for the greenhouse and correctly orient it to the cardinal points. After that, securely fix the greenhouse so that it does not overturn with a gust of wind and sew it up with polybicarbonate.
