Everything has already been invented and tested, it remains to repeat: greenhouse-geocell

How to make an original and functional greenhouse. Personal experience

Greenhouses are purely functional premises, used for their main purpose, and aesthetics is the second thing. In any case, for most of their owners, a rectangular or arched shape is sufficient. But if you approach the matter just from an aesthetic point of view, then the greenhouse can turn into a decoration of the site, around which the entire landscape concept will be built. And the functionality will not suffer from this at all. Member of our portal with a nickname MikeHNT he did so, and now his greenhouses are pleasing to the eye, and they regularly carry out their service.

Functional non-standard

About your own greenhouse MikeHNT I thought about it more than once, and he worried him from a practical point of view - he was tired of wasting time in a summer cottage on the purchase of “tomatoes-cucumbers”. But by the time I was ripe for the implementation of the idea, I realized that just a greenhouse is not needed, but a difficult greenhouse is needed.

MikeHNT

Standard polycarbonate greenhouses are boring, you don't want to mess around with glazing either. I asked for the keyword “geocell”, carefully studied the results in a search engine, found interesting pictures, a calculator for calculating the elements of a geocell, looked at how and from what such structures are built. I decided that this is it - the very thing you want.

And I wanted to find a solution to three problems arising in connection with the choice of such an original form:

• how and from what to build the base;
• how to assemble a hemisphere directly;
• what and how to veneer and seal it.

As a result of reflection, I decided:

• concrete foundation;
• wooden frames and metal connectors;
• sheathing made of cellular polycarbonate with glued joints on the front side.

In the process of studying the forum, in order to acquire skills in plant growing, it turned out that the desired vegetables do not get along with each other and they must be planted separately. But this did not become a reason for abandoning the idea, on the contrary, it led to the decision to build two greenhouses - with a radius of 2.5 and 3 meters.

Assembling frames

Although there is a sphere assembly technology that allows you to get by without special connectors, MikeHNT preferred the classic version and ordered fasteners from a specialized organization. The connectors came in May, and the idea was realized MikeHNT started in early June, having gone on another vacation, and hired two assistants to speed up the process. The guests from the sunny fraternal republic were not masters of geospheres, but they burned with enthusiasm to expand their horizons. Since it was problematic to explain in words what the sought-for icosahedron is, the task was set visually - by means of a box of matches and a set of plasticine.

The frame of the spheres is made of a wooden bar (45 × 45 mm), sawn into the appropriate components, from which, according to the markings, the base of the sphere - a circle - was first laid out. Hollow metal racks (square tube) were used as supports, in these racks fixed pieces of timber, elements were attached to the bars on perforated metal plates the bases of the spheres.

The assembly of the segments of the sphere, called "helicopters", did not cause any particular difficulties, the winter preparatory process and the presence of plasticine-match visual aids affected. First, they assembled a large sphere, the assembly of the second one took even less time - they had already “filled our hands”.

The top is reinforced with additional triangles so that the sheathing can withstand the snow load.

In each of the spheres, a frame for an entrance with a door was also mounted.

Foundation and beds

The metal supports were concreted into the foundation tape, which was also used as a fence for future beds. The result is a concrete form that is both the foundation and the curb. After dismantling the OSB formwork, the mold was filled with imported chernozem, and the frames of the spheres were covered with protective impregnation.

Frame cladding

The frames of the spheres were revetted with cellular polycarbonate, 4 mm thick, in one layer, since about winter application is not yet in question, but after five years, which the manufacturer guarantees to the casing, everything can change. The base, with concreted supports, was also closed along the entire radius. Almost all the trimmings went to this "skirt". For ventilation in each area on the second tier - two vents. All joints of the JV sheets installed in a special profile were glued - we used aluminum tapes based on bitumen and aluminum tape to find out which of the materials will cope with the sealing of joints better. As shown by field tests, the bitumen coped with it, the adhesive tape not only begins to come off in a couple of days, but it also stratifies. Therefore, all seams were glued with bitumen tape to seal the roof joints.

The end of the work coincided with the end of the vacation, but they managed to "populate" the spheres - not only with the planned cucumbers and tomatoes, but also with other garden plants purchased as seedlings.

Exploitation of greenhouses, or "there was no sadness ..."

MikeHNT

During operation, it turned out that when growing plants in a greenhouse, it is necessary to take into account a lot of nuances. They need water. A lot of water is bad. Few- too bad. It is also necessary to ventilate, but everyone is different. Pests still appear. Fertilizers are also not superfluous. Again, sometimes you have to weed. In spite of everything, the cucumbers are braided, the tomatoes are tied up, the corn is pounded, the peppers are yellow, and the cabbage is growing.

As it turned out, construction and planting is just the beginning of a project that requires further development. In order not to walk on the dug-up soil to the greenhouses, not to drag meters of hoses and not wander in the dark, we had to make improvements:

• A pipe filled with water and an electric cable were brought into the spheres by underground method.
• The paths were laid with a tile finish.
• We smashed the lawns.

The algorithm for arranging green lawns was learned on our own forum, only now in the discussion section of lawns. It includes several stages:

• primary plowing with a cultivator;
• removal of rhizomes and debris;
• backfilling of black soil with sand and secondary processing with a cultivator for mixing;
• leveling and rolling;
• backfill with lawn mixture (Jacklin seed bluegrass and Pennington red fescue);
• long watering (almost a month, since August turned out to be dry).

But the result is pleasing.

Watering in greenhouses is organized according to the drip type - perforated hoses are laid between the plants. The lawn is watered with portable fan nozzles, when laying out of the ground in several places, cranes were specially brought out, pipes were laid under the paths.

Several seasons later from the "launch" of greenhouses MikeHNT also happy with my idea and its implementation. Some changes have been made over the years. The spheres have acquired "collars" - flower beds of cut stone, in which flowers and herbs are planted. In the same way, they made a group of flower beds nearby.

In winter, the spheres do an excellent job with snow loads - most of the cover immediately slides to the base. As a result of these slides, the bitumen tape deteriorates, but it is not so problematic to re-glue several pieces every couple of years.

The strawberries, which were introduced to the main inhabitants, have taken root perfectly - they begin to bloom at the end of April, fruiting at the end of May.

Thanks to “collars”, plants in greenhouses have no problems with pollination - bees fly to the scent of herbs and do not forget to visit vegetables.

As planned, the greenhouses are mainly grown for tomatoes, cucumbers and peppers.

And in December, when there is snow on the street, there are still green strawberries in an unheated greenhouse.

Based on our own experience MikeHNT advises making spheres at least three meters in diameter - such a greenhouse is more spacious, especially for grown vegetation. His greenhouses not only supply the family with fresh vegetables and berries, but also served as a starting point for decorating the site, becoming its highlight.

IN author's topic - not only details, but also links to calculators for calculating geospheres. How to grow vegetables all year round - in the material about winter greenhouses. Another interesting example of the original approach is vegetable garden in a box. In the video - about a piece of Japan, which you can settle in your garden.