There's nothing like freshly harvested, home-grown greens, and you can achieve this cheaply by building a foil greenhouse yourself. Additionally, you can use plastic wrap to make your own greenhouses that can extend the growing season in colder climates. One way to build a greenhouse out of plastic sheeting is to use wooden stakes or metal and plastic tubing to support the roof over garden beds or flower boxes. Follow the steps and tips described below to realize such a DIY project for your garden without much effort.
Before you build a foil greenhouse yourself
Building a greenhouse doesn't necessarily have to be a daunting or expensive undertaking. The premise for using a greenhouse can also be quite simple. The main purpose that such a garden accessory should serve is to grow plants during seasons or in certain climates that are otherwise inhospitable to germination and growth. In addition, one shouldGreenhouse your garden plantsgiving them every chance to thrive while protecting them from harsh weather. Greenhouses typically have windows or walls made of plastic or glass to retain heat. These allow you to grow plants indoors that would struggle to thrive outdoors.
Since foil is also transparent and can act as a heat store, the material can easily be used as a cost-effective alternative when building greenhouses in the garden. So if you use it to build your own foil greenhouse, it can be a permanent or mobile or temporary structure. Since it is covered with a translucent material, sunlight can penetrate unhindered and warm the interior.
However, on warmer days, ventilation is most often required to adjust the temperature accordingly, just as some type of heating system is needed on cold nights or cool days. Now that you know the basics of using a large or small greenhouse, it's time to find out how to build a foil greenhouse yourself.
Choose the optimal location for the greenhouse
Finding the right position for the greenhouse is crucial for garden plants you grow this way. As a rule, the north-south direction should ensure maximum sunlight and the best air circulation for the plants. Ventilation of the greenhouse is an important factor because when temperatures rise inside, a lot of moisture accumulates and evaporates into the air.
Keeping condensation trapped in the greenhouse can lead to mold growth on your plants and cause plant diseases. As for the canopy, you can orient it in a west-east direction for minimal wind load. If you build a foil greenhouse yourself, you should also anchor it well, especially if it is in a windy place. In any case, a solid foundation is essential, even if your greenhouse is in a protected location.
Additionally, you should consider both morning and afternoon sun when choosing the location for your greenhouse. Ideally, it will receive sunlight throughout the day, but morning sunlight on the east side should be sufficient for most garden plants. Deciduous trees could also be a disruptive factor if they shade the location in question. Therefore, try not to locate your greenhouse near evergreen trees as they do not lose foliage and will cast a shadow on it in fall and winter. This can affect the required amount of sunlight.
Gather the materials and plan the dimensions of the structure
You can either purchase a prefabricated kit or design the structure blueprint for the structure yourself. Here you will find exemplary instructions that allow you to build a simple structure with wood. A popular variant, for example, is a tubular frame with a curved roof, which makes indoor gardening easier. The frame consists of tubes that you can cover with a simple film or double UV protection. This usually has a thickness of 0.15 millimeters and can be achieved with a plastic film.
In addition, an air-filled double layer can significantly reduce heating costs. However, you should also keep in mind that you will need to replace the film occasionally. The use of fiberglass inConstruction of a greenhousecan accordingly extend the service life. So, to make this project easier, you can have your chosen materials such as wood or tubular frames pre-cut. To better plan dimensions, you can group lengths of posts for each side and label them. This way you will know exactly where you will use them. If you build a foil greenhouse yourself, it can be designed in any size you want. Here is an example guide for you to follow.
Use wood and build a simple foil greenhouse yourself
To ensure that the construction process goes smoothly, you should work with the appropriate protective equipment. It is best to wear safety glasses, gloves, earmuffs, knee pads and a mask, while also following the instructions for the product or equipment. Otherwise, you can follow the below steps using the tools needed to build such as:
- Socket wrench approach
- wood drill
- Jigsaw
- Tape measure or ruler
- Nail gun
- Kreuzschlitz
- Spirit level
- Stahlwinkel
- Utility knife
- tape
Materials needed
- Fixations for the film
- Wooden slats measuring 70 mm x 35 mm
- 125mm long screws
- Wooden slats measuring 200 mm x 50 mm
- 4 1.6m x 1.2m hardwood sleepers
- 1,6 m x 70 mm x 45 mm Dachlatte
- 1,6 m x 70 mm x 35 mm Dachlatte
- 1,6 m x 50 mm x 25 mm Dachlatten-Binder
- 9 1.5 m x 90 mm decking boards of your choice
- Nails for the nail gun
- 4 swivel castors, 2 lockable and 2 non-lockable
- self-drilling roofing screws with washers
- 2 medium sized door hinges with screws
- Transparent polycarbonate sheet as a roof or film
- Clear plastic film and screws
- screw studs
- Riegel
Construction instructions for the base and door of the greenhouse
- First, take the four 1.6m x 1.2m hardwood sleepers and make them into a rectangle. Make sure the edges are flush and then pre-drill the holes with the 5mm drill bit. Attach the frame with the 125mm screws.
- First, you can assemble the subfloor by placing the 1.5m x 50mm x 2 lengths and 1.2m x 50mm x 2 lengths for it on the inside of the floor frame. Then attach this to the floor frame using the nail gun. You should also add two equidistant joists and secure them with the nail gun for additional support.
- Now you can attach the caster wheels by first turning the frame over and then using the 125mm screws to secure them in each corner of the frame. It is best to attach the two with stoppers to diagonal corners to improve stability if you build your own foil greenhouse.
- After that, attach the first piece of wood flooring with the rib side down and flush with the edge. Then use a scrap of wood as a spacer and lay down the next panel. Attach it with the nail gun and repeat this process until you finish the floor. The gaps in the ground help you with drainage.
- Make a rectangular frame with 2 x 1.6 m long and 2 x 1.2 m long wooden boards. Then connect this again to the nail gun.
- Once you've figured out how big the greenhouse door should be, you can measure and mark where the screw studs will go. Remember to consider the width of the third bolt that you will be attaching the door hinge to.
- Lay out the frame for the door using 2 x 670mm lengths, 2 x 1.2m lengths, 1 x 1070mm length for the center and 3 x 315mm lengths. Before attaching, make sure the wood is flush with the frame.
- Then repeat the previous steps to build the back and side frames for the greenhouse. Please note that you do not have to include the door in the frames.
Build the cover and roof for the foil greenhouse yourself
Once your structure is complete, you can wrap it in plastic wrap. Fasten the plastic as best as possible and secure it with a hammer and the fixings. Cut off any excess plastic with the utility knife. It is best to attach the fixation to the inside of the frame so that the finished greenhouse looks better. You will need to repeat this process for each of the four frames.
- First, you can attach the hinges and latches to the door by screwing the hinges into the side studs. Then attach the screws to the bracket and to the door.
- You can then attach the frames to the base, although you will need help with this. It is best to use two people to attach the sides, back and front to the base frame and to each other using the 125 mm screws. Also make sure all frames are flush with the edges of the base and the other frames before attaching them.
- Next you can attach the roof battens, for which you need a slight slope on the roof. So attach the wooden slats of different widths in descending order. Starting at the front, attach the 70mm x 45mm x 1.6m batten, then the 70mm x 35mm x 1.6m batten and then the 50mm x 25mm rough head.
- First, measure the length of the roof for the greenhouse. Leave a little extra space at the front and back for drainage. Transfer these measurements to the foil. Mark the line with tape as this will help ensure a clean, straight cut.
- Clamp the film or polycarbonate sheet to the top of the greenhouse to ensure it does not move. This allows for a smooth, straight cut. When cutting, use the jigsaw with metal blade on medium setting and don't forget to wear appropriate protective equipment when cutting.
- Now attach either the polycarbonate roofing or the film to the greenhouse with screws or clamps. Screw several of them so that it fits more securely.
- Now you can position your plants in the right places and fill the foil greenhouse with them.
Tips for ventilation and heating a greenhouse
Make sure your greenhouse has easy side or roof venting. You should be able to open these occasionally to adjust the ambient temperature. They should ideally be between 10 and 21 degrees Celsius, depending on the plant variety. In addition, the internal temperature may rise by 10 to 15 degrees before venting. A fan is another good option when building a greenhouse. This can push the warm air back down around the base of the plants. However, the sunlight penetrating the structure should be the best and most affordable option for poly greenhouse gardening.
However, the sun only provides about 25 percent of the heat you need, so you could also consider other heating methods. Solar heated greenhouses are not economical because the storage system requires a lot of space and does not maintain a constant air temperature. A tip to reduce fossil fuel consumption when building a polycarbonate greenhouse yourself is to fill black planters with water to retain heat.
