If you own a small farm or a backyard garden, it’s only natural for you to want to optimize crop production. One of the best ways of achieving this without engaging in activities that will impact negatively on the environment is through the use of DIY greenhouse.
In today’s article, we are going to have a look at what greenhouses are and how you can construct a simple, homemade one for your sustainable garden or farm.
What is a greenhouse?
Greenhouses are structures with transparent walls constructed with either plastic or glass. They are designed to provide protection for tender crops against harsh weather conditions.
In cool climates, greenhouses are useful for growing and propagating plants because they allow sunlight to enter and prevent heat from escaping. While in warm climates, greenhouses help regulate temperature and all for year-round growth. Hence, if you live in an area with four different seasons per year, your crops will do just fine.
In today’s article, we’ve outlined step-by-step procedures for you, with the assistance of family and friends, to construct a simple green house.
Steps to construct a DIY greenhouse
1. Choose the right location
The first thing to do when you want to construct your greenhouse is to select a spot for the building. The ideal location should be flat and well drained. It should also be well exposed to morning and midday sunlight. If there are trees in the area, ensure they do not cast a shadow over the area.
Also, as you might require heat and ventilation to optimize temperature, choose a location where electricity is easily accessible.
2. Choose the frame style for the greenhouse
In choosing a style for your frame, measure and mark out the dimensions of the selected area. This will help in determining how big your structure should be. Most greenhouses are 8 by 6 feet large.
If you have little or no experience in building construction, you can just get a pop-up greenhouse kit from stores.
You can look up greenhouse plans on the internet or buy them to assist in choosing a frame. If the location you’ve chosen is against a building, you can construct a greenhouse that will lean against the wall. If there’s no support, choose a rigid style frame that will require a solid foundation.
If you’re planning on building an enormous greenhouse, you’ll need the help of family and friends.
3. Choose a cover for your greenhouse
Once you’ve successfully constructed a frame, the next thing to do is to choose a cover material. You can use either UV-stabilized polythene, hard double-walled plastic, fibreglass or glass.
Since we’re constructing a simple homemade greenhouse, it is advisable to use polythene or plastic as glass requires professional handling.
4. Construct the greenhouse
Firstly, you have to dig the foundation for your greenhouse. Any wood you are going to use for construction should be treated to prevent attacks by insects.
Ensure the wood is firmly set in the ground so as to prevent collapse of your greenhouse. Seal the covering to the frame as tightly as possible, using either nails or glue.
Set up fans and vents in your greenhouse to assist in temperature control. You might also consider installing a backup electric heater as solar energy might be inadequate to run your greenhouse.
Place thermometers at strategic locations inside and around your greenhouse so you can monitor temperature fluctuations.
Once you’ve completed the above steps, you are now the proud owner of a greenhouse. You can then proceed to move plants in pots into your greenhouse.
To give you inspiration to begin and complete your big greenhouse project, we’ve gathered images of stunning DIY greenhouse.
Check my other articles on DIY’s.
