The technology of arranging a buried greenhouse. Underground greenhouses: types, pros and cons Underground greenhouse for year-round gardening project

An underground greenhouse has a number of advantages. If you understand the features of its construction in the ground, you can enjoy fresh fruits and vegetables all year round. What should be an earthen greenhouse, and how to equip it competently in Siberia and other regions, read on.

The greenhouse design according to Scottish or Dutch technology is strikingly different from the most common specimens in modern gardening. Nevertheless, the buried greenhouse was used even in the days of pre-revolutionary Russia. The thing is that this greenhouse has more than enough advantages. Consider the most significant advantages of a greenhouse structure:

equipping a greenhouse with a heating system is not always a must. Even during the period of severe winter frosts, the temperature in the greenhouse will be at least +10 ° C;
in the summer, vegetables and other crops growing in an earthen greenhouse will not suffer from the harmful effects of ultraviolet rays, since they are much more reliably protected;
a greenhouse equipped underground is appreciated by experienced gardeners not only because of its strength. From a financial point of view, this is the best option;
growing flowers and vegetables in an earthen greenhouse is a profitable business that can be done all year round.

A do-it-yourself greenhouse underground is a profitable investment of money and effort, both for an experienced and a novice gardener. However, consider the fact that such a structure requires serious preparation, it is rather difficult to implement this project. This moment is the only significant minus of the earthen greenhouse.

Design features

Do-it-yourself underground greenhouses must be properly planned. It is this moment that will ensure the durability of their use. First of all, calculate the depth of the building. Remember: in no case should you dig a hole under an earthen greenhouse if the groundwater that lies too close does not allow it. Otherwise, the operation of the greenhouse will be short-lived. But it is not worth placing a greenhouse on the surface either. It must be equipped below the freezing level of groundwater.

Experts distinguish two main types of construction: buried and underground. Of course, with an underground greenhouse you will have to tinker much more thoroughly. For example, in this case, you will need to carry out special passages to the front door or a ladder. However, this classification of greenhouses is not over. They are also divided depending on the presence or absence of a design slope. Greenhouses are horizontal and inclined.

Separately, you should decide on the dimensions of the future earthen greenhouse. Some gardeners prefer trench-type greenhouses (when the length of the structure is several times greater than its width) and pit (when the dimensions differ insignificantly).

Learn the key features of the construction of an earthen greenhouse, and you can enjoy vegetable wells of vitamins all year round.

How to build with your own hands

A greenhouse in the ground will serve you for many years, if you correctly approach the process of its construction. The first thing to take care of is choosing a place suitable for building a greenhouse. In this case, be sure to take into account the characteristics of the soil and the depth of groundwater.

When you finally figured out all the points that interest you, you need to draw up a project on which you will work. A do-it-yourself recessed greenhouse must have waterproofed and well-insulated walls - this is another key condition for the success of your work. It is recommended to build the structure in stages.

foundation pit

If the topsoil periodically heats up or cools down depending on the time of year, then at a depth of 2 m the temperature regime practically does not change and is about +5-10 °C. That is why it is desirable to build a greenhouse at this level. The pit needs to be dug to a depth of about 2.5 m. As for the length of the future greenhouse, it's up to you to decide. But its width should be no more than 5 m.

The thing is that with large parameters, the reliability of the structure will suffer, and you will have to think much more seriously about insulation. Digging a pit can be done with your own hands if you plan to build a miniature greenhouse. Otherwise, it is better to order an excavator for this purpose.

Foundation and walls

A greenhouse built in the ground can be effective without a heating system. However, your key task is to take care of pouring the foundation and erecting insulated walls. It is better to use concrete as a basis, and the walls must be sealed with a layer of roofing material. The ground wall in height, as a rule, is no more than 1 m. Most gardeners use thermal blocks, bricks or cinder blocks.

Roof installation

A year-round dugout for growing flowers and vegetables must have a roof. It can be single-sided or double-sided. Wooden blocks are used as the basis. In order for them to last a long time, be sure to treat them with antiseptic agents. Rafters, as a rule, are used for the construction of a gable roof.

As for the main roofing material, in most cases it is sheet polycarbonate. It has a lot of advantages: excellent resistance to low temperatures and other adverse external factors. If you prefer to cover your own earthen greenhouse with polycarbonate sheets, then you will need a metal frame. Another important condition: the roof must be opened if necessary. Thus, you will ensure the presence of natural ventilation.

Warming and heating

No matter how hard you try to build a thermos greenhouse, in the northern regions of the country this is often not enough for its full functioning. If severe frosts are not uncommon for your region, it is better to take care of its insulation at the design stage of the greenhouse. Most gardeners purchase foil penofol. Its thickness is insignificant, while it is resistant to moisture, and it will not be difficult for you to mount it. In order for the use of penofol to bear fruit, be sure to ensure that all joints are sealed with aluminum tape.

Greenhouse gardening has many advantages, sometimes gardeners do not even worry about having a heating system. However, in some cases, you can not do without it. You can heat the lower greenhouse using the following devices:

heat guns;
heaters with infrared rays;
cable that emits heat;
water heated floor.

Whatever type of heating of an in-depth greenhouse you prefer, it is better not to save on this moment and do everything with high quality. So you will be sure of the reliability of the greenhouse and its durability.

Video "Unique 3-storey greenhouse"

This video shows a unique greenhouse with three floors, which was made by craftsmen from the Urals.

The greenhouse thermos perfectly performs its functions even at the lowest temperatures, therefore it can be used in some of the northern regions of the country. This feature was known even in Tsarist Russia, even then southern crops were grown underground.

Today, do-it-yourself thermos winter greenhouses are built by homeowners who have decided to turn to the experience of their predecessors. Let's look at what kind of greenhouses they are, on what principle they work and are built.

Earth greenhouse thermos

Underground greenhouses are suitable for growing not only annual crops. Perennials, including low-growing hybrid trees, feel great here.

Greenhouse thermos: what is it, on what principle does it work

Ordinary greenhouses are characterized by diurnal temperature fluctuations: during the day it is higher, at night it decreases, and in the early morning it is the lowest. This does not happen in a buried greenhouse, since the earthen walls work like a thermos - hence, in fact, the name of buildings of this type came from. This effect provides significant savings in resources used for space heating. Less heat loss - less heating required.

It may seem that because of the walls that go into the ground, the thermos greenhouse receives less sunlight. This is wrong. Although its roof is not entirely flat, 99% of the sun's rays get inside through it, which is quite enough for the normal development of plants. At the same time, the roof area is not so large that heat losses through it are significant.

Winter greenhouse thermos, photo of the aerial part

Earthen thermoses greenhouses are of two types:

Underground. The walls are completely recessed underground, often to a depth of 2 m. They have a large area, they can even be used for year-round maintenance of perennial heat-loving plants. The maximum depth depends on the level of groundwater.
Buried. The pit has a depth of 40-60 cm, the walls rise to a height of 50-110 cm above the ground. This is the easiest option, but the building will have low heat-saving properties.

Note: the slopes of the roof of the greenhouse, deepened into the ground, are very gentle. This can create problems in winter when there is a lot of snow. You should carefully monitor the surface of the roof, clean it in time so that deformation and collapse of the frame do not occur. On the other hand, the low landing of the building in the ground makes it invulnerable to wind loads.

Thermos greenhouse, in-depth design drawing

Construction of a thermos greenhouse: digging a pit

Its energy efficiency directly depends on the depth of the excavation of an earthen greenhouse: the deeper, the better. It is difficult to say the exact figures now, since the depth of freezing of the earth varies across the country. However, if we talk about the middle lane, then the optimal depth of the thermos is 2-2.5 m. At this level, there are practically no seasonal temperature fluctuations. The minimum level at which the walls of the trench greenhouse maintain a positive temperature (+4 - +10 degrees) is 1 m. This must be taken into account when drafting.

Now the length and width of the greenhouse pit, buried in the ground. In length, an earthen greenhouse can be anything - everything is limited by the amount of free space on the site. It is not recommended to make a width of more than 5 meters. This is due to the fact that too large a roof area leads to significant heat loss through the roofing material. Heating costs can increase so much that the very point of organizing a greenhouse underground will disappear.

Note: the thermos greenhouse should be oriented from west to east. So the plants will be provided with the maximum amount of sunlight, heat.

Do-it-yourself construction of a thermos winter greenhouse, ready-made pit

Construction of walls and roof of an earthen greenhouse

It is impossible to leave the walls earthen, they must be closed with brickwork or a reinforced concrete belt should be made around the entire perimeter. This work has two goals:

Prevention of shedding of earthen walls.
The organization of a reliable support for the roof, which is usually assembled from a professional pipe, weighs a lot.

The roof frame, as mentioned above, is more often mounted from pipes. You can use a beam, but in this case you will have to install additional support pillars in the center of the thermos. The roof structure can be gable or arched - it all depends on personal preferences. For a gable, we must make reinforcing braces, the arched arches must be double. So the frame of the winter greenhouse in the ground will be able to withstand significant snow loads.

Roof frame assembly

For your information: polycarbonate is usually taken as a roofing material. Theoretically, glass can be used, but there is a chance that it will not support the weight of a snow cushion in winter. Polycarbonate is taken thick, 16 mm. You can put it in two layers at once. The light transmission capacity of the thermos greenhouse roof will decrease slightly (10%), the structure will experience additional load. However, the energy efficiency will be greatly improved.

We make an earthen thermos greenhouse with our own hands, the video shows a story about the use of fixed formwork made of polystyrene:

Thermal insulation and heating of an earthen thermos greenhouse

First you need to treat the walls with a hydrophobic composition. It can be a bituminous mixture or any other. We fill large gaps with mounting foam. Next, we cover all surfaces with foil polystyrene foam - it will serve as a heater, the shiny side will reflect heat into the room. It is impossible to use mineral wool here, since in case of accidental ingress of water, it will lose its heat-preserving properties.

A greenhouse in the ground without heating will not fully function, therefore, a warm floor is made for heating. It can be water or electric - it all depends on the technical capabilities. At the bottom of the pit, a sand cushion is poured, a system of water pipes or electrical cables is laid out. Reinforcing mesh is placed on top. The floor is poured with a cement-sand mixture (3/1). The organization of heating the greenhouse with air underground is usually not required.

Wall insulation with polystyrene foil

The underground greenhouse is, perhaps, one of the undeservedly neglected facilities for year-round growing vegetables. An underground greenhouse has a number of undeniable advantages that allow them to be used even in very cold regions. The situation has changed somewhat recently, when the arrangement of a buried greenhouse is gaining popularity again, which is associated with the expansion of country estates. In the modern market, you can purchase ready-made equipment for such structures or order its turnkey production, however, a do-it-yourself greenhouse is a completely achievable option.

Buried greenhouses use the thermos effect, which acts at a depth: at a depth of only 1 m, the temperature fluctuation in winter and summer is approximately from 3 to 14 degrees, and already at a depth of 2.2-2.4 m, the temperature is almost constant all year round. Thus, the temperature regime is provided by simple penetration into the depth of the soil, and the problem arises in maintaining this temperature from influence from above and providing irrigation.

The following facts can be safely attributed to the advantages of an underground greenhouse:

weather independence and year-round operation,
efficient use of solar energy and high efficiency,
the possibility of efficient use of solar energy for additional heating, the possibility of growing various (including exotic) plants.

The disadvantages include increased labor intensity of manufacturing and the need for a reliable ventilation system during maintenance of the structure.

Structure design

When constructing an underground greenhouse, it is necessary to take into account the main parameter - the level of penetration. It depends, first of all, on such soil characteristics as the depth of groundwater and winter freezing. In the presence of high-lying groundwater, the construction of an underground greenhouse is generally doubtful, but in general, its deepening should not reach the main occurrence of water. The opposite requirement arises during winter freezing - fruit-bearing beds should be located below the level of seasonal freezing. The depth of the greenhouse is selected between the level of groundwater and the level of soil freezing.

According to the depth of the arrangement of the greenhouse, 2 main types of construction are distinguished:

underground;
buried greenhouse.

Underground option provides for a depth that allows the maintenance of the garden completely underground, i.e. it provides for the presence of stairs and passages where a person can be located without bending. The recessed type is based on a depth that allows maintenance without stairs, from the ground, and the care of the garden is done when the roof is raised.

The second important parameter is the availability of areas and relief characteristics. In this regard, greenhouses can be horizontal, when the height of all walls is approximately the same, and inclined, built on a slope. In the latter case, it is important that the slope is directed to the maximum penetration of sunlight. According to the occupied area, greenhouses can be of a pit or trench type. trench greenhouses have the form of an elongated trench, i.e. considerable length with a minimum width.

Required Tool

When building an underground greenhouse with your own hands, you need to take care of such a tool in advance:

Bulgarian;
perforator;
electric drill;
shovel of shovel and bayonet type;
hammer;
vibrator for concrete;
construction mixer for concrete mix preparation;
hacksaw;
scissors;
hacksaw for metal;
putty knife;
Master OK;
paint brush;
roulette;
level
plumb line

How to build an underground greenhouse

Any construction begins with site selection, soil parameters assessment and project development. It is necessary to take into account the supply of communications - watering and lighting. The most common option is an underground greenhouse such as Walipini, built on the basis of a rectangular pit with subsequent overlapping with glass, transparent sheet or film plastic.

An important condition is the arrangement of walls, providing for heat and waterproofing.

In general, construction is carried out in several stages:

The first step is digging a pit.The optimal depth of the pit is 1.9-2.2 m. The length depends on the availability of the area, and the width should not exceed 4.8-5.2 m. It is desirable to orient the greenhouse in the east-west direction. The sides of the pit are aligned as much as possible for high-quality wall construction.
The next step is the construction of the walls of the greenhouse.The walls of the pit or the foundation of the structure, as a rule, are made by pouring concrete with reinforcement with a steel bar. Roofing material waterproofing is laid between the soil and the wall. After the construction of the underground part, above-ground walls with a height of about 0.6-1 m are erected. It is recommended that they be laid out from thermal blocks, but bricks, cinder blocks, etc. can be used.
An important stage of construction is the insulation of the structure.The entire surface of the walls is covered with a waterproofing film and thermal insulation. The most commonly used mineral wool or expanded polystyrene. Modern materials that can be recommended for arranging greenhouses include heat-insulating polymer films with a layer of foil. The use of foil will make it possible to accumulate heat due to the reflection of sunlight. The floor of the greenhouse is equipped with heating if it is necessary to grow heat-loving plants. As a rule, pipes for water heating are laid for these purposes, and the water is heated naturally from the sun's rays.
The fourth stage of construction is the construction of the roof.The most widespread in modern greenhouses is sheet polycarbonate, which combines good thermal insulation properties, is resistant to external factors, has good frost resistance, and most importantly, perfectly transmits solar radiation. Typically, sheets of such plastic are used with a thickness of 3.5-4.5 mm. Sheets are mounted on a metal frame. An important condition is to ensure the possibility of lifting the roof for natural ventilation.
The final stage is the arrangement of the interior. Naturally, a fertile layer is created, and beds are formed. An irrigation system is provided depending on the type of plants grown. All seams are sealed to prevent drafts and moisture seepage.

The underground greenhouse is beginning to gain popularity, as it has a number of undeniable advantages. It is able to provide the cultivation of vegetables, berries, flowers all year round. You can build such a greenhouse with your own hands.

How to build an underground greenhouse (video)

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The underground greenhouse is known to few. Modern gardeners annually seek new methods and technologies that are different from traditional ones. Summer residents who live in cold climates are trying to use the most unusual approaches that help extend the growing season and reduce the cost of building materials and heating. The category of rather interesting developments in this direction includes the option of the so-called underground or buried greenhouse structures.

Features of the building

Buried greenhouses are among the best and most rational options in the field of capital greenhouse structures and are considered to be very promising. Such a greenhouse-dugout perfectly corresponds to the idea of thermal preservation, which, thanks to optimal depth indicators, is stable throughout the year.

The use of such a thermal factor when constructing a greenhouse in the ground contributes to huge savings in heating costs during the cold season. In addition, structures of this type compare favorably with structures of a similar purpose by their ease of construction with their own hands, ease of maintenance and a stable microclimate, which is most significant for the growth and fruiting of crops.

Most popular options

The most popular alternative for expensive and energy-intensive glass greenhouses is the underground greenhouse "Walipini", which came to us from the Indians inhabiting the cold mountainous regions of South America. The Walipini greenhouse facility uses natural resources to provide stable heat and quality lighting all year round.

The simplest type of greenhouse located in the ground is a rectangular recess, in which plastic or film is used as a covering. The insulated air space created under such a coating contributes to the formation of an ideal microclimate. Such buried greenhouses are quite easy to do with your own hands, and the sun's rays, penetrating deep into the greenhouse, favorably affect garden crops. Greenhouses buried in the ground consume much less energy compared to ground-based greenhouse structures. The most effective models are underground greenhouses with a length of six meters, equipped with plastic wrap and PVC pipes.

Main advantages

Greenhouses, buried to a sufficient depth, have some advantages, which makes them in demand not only among experienced summer residents, but also for beginners:

in winter, temperature indicators can be more than ten degrees, provided that there is no additional heating of the greenhouse space;
on hot summer days, most plants need coolness, which freely occurs in this type of greenhouse underground;
it is absolutely easy to make a construction with your own hands, and classic schemes and drawings for construction are more than available;
trench greenhouses are ideal for year-round cultivation of not only vegetables, but also many berry crops;
the low cost of construction is due to the ability to use an affordable and budget option for building and finishing materials.

Thermos greenhouse: recessed structure (video)

Necessary materials and tools

To equip a full-fledged, which is a recessed structure, you should use a standard set of building materials and tools for performing this kind of work:

ready-mixed cement or cement;
when replacing the cement mixture with cement, sand should be used;
shovel and bayonet shovels;
a container or any convenient container for diluting the working solution;
construction trowel;
plaster mixture;
sheet foam;
standard thermoblocks;
sheet polycarbonate or high-quality polyethylene film;
film for thermal insulation works and construction tape;
protective impregnating composition for wood lumber;
galvanized nails and screws;
hammer and pliers;
wood frame paint.

Installation steps

When performing a recessed greenhouse structure with your own hands, you should carefully take all measurements and carry out all work in accordance with the planned plan and completed drawings. The standard design is built in several successive stages.

Digging a trench or pit in accordance with the markup, followed by pouring the foundation. To this end, the perimeter of the dug trench should be laid out in blocks, followed by pouring concrete or cement mixture.
Removal of the formwork, followed by the erection of the walls of the greenhouse structure with your own hands from a material with positive thermal insulation characteristics. The best option is the use of hollow polystyrene-based thermoblocks. All wall masonry should be reinforced with metal.
The process of wall insulation, in which block joints must be carefully coated with a high-quality waterproofing solution, and all cavities must be filled with special mounting foam. To achieve the maximum insulating effect, a foil thermal insulation film is fastened to the inner wall side.

For the purpose of year-round heating, it is advisable to think over the installation of underfloor heating under the screed, as well as pay attention to the artificial lighting device in the greenhouse structure. At the final stage, the roof frame is built under the covering material.

If the construction of the underground greenhouse is done correctly, then the built structure must have the following parameters and qualities:

the presence of a bucket shape like \__/;
a slight elevation of the northern wall above the southern one;
slope indicators - no more than forty degrees;
strong and heat-insulated walls;
the presence of high-quality drainage ditches;
reliable roofing.

Greenhouse without heating (video)

If all the above requirements are met, the durable construction of the greenhouse, made by oneself, will work on the principle of a thermos and delight the owners with a consistently high yield all year round.

One of the best, rational methods in the construction of capital greenhouses is an underground thermos greenhouse. It implements the idea of using the natural energy of the earth for heating and keeping warm. After all, it is not a secret for anyone that at depth the average temperature changes little during the annual cycle. It remains almost constant there both in winter and in summer: fluctuations are only a few degrees. The use of this fact in the construction of a greenhouse gives tremendous savings in heating costs in the cold season, facilitates maintenance, and makes the microclimate more stable. Such a greenhouse works in the most severe frosts, bringing a good profit, allows you to produce vegetables, grow flowers all year round.

A properly equipped buried greenhouse makes it possible to grow, among other things, heat-loving southern crops. There are practically no restrictions. Citrus fruits and even pineapples can feel great in a greenhouse.

But in order for everything to function properly in practice, it is imperative to follow the time-tested technologies by which underground greenhouses were built. After all, this idea is not new, even under the tsar in Russia, buried greenhouses yielded pineapple crops, which enterprising merchants exported to Europe for sale.

For some reason, the construction of such greenhouses has not found wide distribution in our country, by and large, it is simply forgotten, although the design is ideal just for our climate. Probably, the need to dig a deep pit and pour the foundation played a role here. The construction of a buried greenhouse is quite expensive, it is far from a greenhouse covered with polyethylene, but the return on the greenhouse is much greater.

From deepening into the ground, the overall internal illumination is not lost, this may seem strange, but in some cases the light saturation is even higher than that of classic greenhouses. It is impossible not to mention the strength and reliability of the structure, it is incomparably stronger than usual, it is easier to tolerate hurricane gusts of wind, it resists hail well, and blockages of snow will not become a hindrance.

Construction stages

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1. Pit

The creation of a greenhouse begins with digging a foundation pit. To use the heat of the earth to heat the internal volume, the greenhouse must be sufficiently deepened. The deeper the earth gets warmer. The temperature almost does not change during the year at a distance of 2-2.5 meters from the surface. At a depth of 1 m, the soil temperature fluctuates more, but in winter its value remains positive, usually in the middle lane the temperature is 4-10 ° C, depending on the time of year.

A buried greenhouse is built in one season. That is, in winter it will already be able to function and generate income. Construction is not cheap, but by using ingenuity, compromise materials, it is possible to save literally an order of magnitude by making a kind of economy option for a greenhouse, starting with a foundation pit. For example, do without the involvement of construction equipment. Although the most time-consuming part of the work - digging a pit - is, of course, better to give to an excavator. Manually removing such a volume of land is difficult and time consuming.

The depth of the excavation pit should be at least two meters. At such a depth, the earth will begin to share its heat and work like a kind of thermos. If the depth is less, then in principle the idea will work, but noticeably less efficiently. Therefore, it is recommended that you spare no effort and money to deepen the future greenhouse.

Underground greenhouses can be any length, but it is better to keep the width within 5 meters, if the width is larger, then the quality characteristics for heating and light reflection deteriorate. On the sides of the horizon, underground greenhouses need to be oriented, like ordinary greenhouses and greenhouses, from east to west, that is, so that one of the sides faces south. In this position, the plants will receive the maximum amount of solar energy.

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2. Walls and roof

Along the perimeter of the pit, a foundation is poured or blocks are laid out. The foundation serves as the basis for the walls and frame of the structure. Walls are best made from materials with good thermal insulation characteristics, thermoblocks are an excellent option.

The roof frame is often made of wood, from bars impregnated with antiseptic agents. The roof structure is usually straight gable. A ridge beam is fixed in the center of the structure; for this, central supports are installed on the floor along the entire length of the greenhouse. The ridge beam and walls are connected by a row of rafters. The frame can be made without high supports. They are replaced with small ones that are placed on transverse beams connecting opposite sides of the greenhouse - this design makes the interior space freer.

As a roof covering, it is better to take cellular polycarbonate - a popular modern material. The distance between the rafters during construction is adjusted to the width of the polycarbonate sheets. It is convenient to work with the material. The coating is obtained with a small number of joints, since the sheets are produced in lengths of 12 m.

They are attached to the frame with self-tapping screws, it is better to choose them with a cap in the form of a washer. To avoid cracking the sheet, a hole of the appropriate diameter must be drilled under each self-tapping screw with a drill. With a screwdriver, or a conventional drill with a Phillips bit, glazing work moves very quickly. In order to avoid gaps, it is good to lay the rafters along the top with a sealant made of soft rubber or other suitable material in advance and only then screw the sheets. The peak of the roof along the ridge must be laid with soft insulation and pressed with some kind of corner: plastic, tin, or another suitable material.

For good thermal insulation, the roof is sometimes made with a double layer of polycarbonate. Although the transparency is reduced by about 10%, but this is covered by the excellent thermal insulation performance. It should be noted that the snow on such a roof does not melt. Therefore, the slope must be at a sufficient angle, at least 30 degrees, so that snow does not accumulate on the roof. Additionally, an electric vibrator is installed for shaking, it will save the roof in case snow still accumulates.

Double glazing is done in two ways:

A special profile is inserted between two sheets, the sheets are attached to the frame from above;
First, the bottom layer of glazing is attached to the frame from the inside, to the underside of the rafters. The roof is covered with the second layer, as usual, from above.

After completing the work, it is desirable to glue all the joints with tape. The finished roof looks very impressive: without unnecessary joints, smooth, without prominent parts.