How to build an autonomous winter greenhouse. Frame and glazing

Many gardeners dream of a greenhouse that will function even in winter. After all, growing and harvesting greens, berries and enjoying the beauty of flowers is pleasant and useful. But building a winter version is expensive. There is a way out! Make a winter greenhouse with your own hands!

Most energy efficient design

An excellent solution is the “thermos”. She is endowed with a huge number of positive qualities. The main thing is significant savings and heat conservation.

It operates 12 months a year. It is not afraid of frosts and northern winds, and is capable of supplying not only food, but also becoming a source of income. She has the following positive qualities:

Fresh vegetables will delight you all year round.
Works in any climate.
Excellently transmits sunlight, distributing it evenly over the entire area.
When high-quality insulation is used in construction, the sun's energy is converted into heat and can be retained for a fairly long period of time.
Savings on utility bills.
Thanks to its design, you can grow vegetables, perennials and exotic fruits, grape bushes.

Important!

“Thermos” - almost everything is in the ground, but there is no shortage of lighting in it. Thanks to the huge window openings there is always a lot of light inside.

Energy saving materials

To preserve heat in the thermos design, the following materials are used:

foil with a reflective surface;
natural wood;
polycarbonate sheets;
expanded polystyrene.

A metal or wooden frame is used for the main structure. When building a greenhouse of this type, gardeners use gable or model ones. In order for the lighting to be excellent, it is necessary to make the northern wing of the roof higher than the southern one.

A more detailed description of the materials is in the table.

Construction Materials	General characteristics
Wooden slats, metal profiles	For the construction of a roof frame. It is easier to make a frame from slats than from a profile. When using a metal profile, you will need to weld the elements together. But unlike wood, the strength is much higher.
Expanded polystyrene, mineral wool	The thermos is insulated with these materials. Here only you can decide which material is best to use.
Sand, cement, crushed stone, metal reinforcement	For the construction of greenhouse foundations and walls
Thermal blocks	They are light weight and have a cavity inside. They retain heat excellently. Concrete is poured into the void. They act as formwork. They are used to build walls.
Film with reflective light and thermal insulation effect	Helps increase light intake and additionally protects against heat loss.
Polycarbonate	Covering material.
Fastening materials	Nails, screws, washers and bolts.

Thermos project - greenhouses

When building this greenhouse with your own hands, you need to go through several stages step by step.

Perform preliminary design. That is, they draw up a drawing and design of a winter greenhouse with their own hands. They calculate how many building materials and fittings will be needed for its construction.
Construction of a pit, which must be at least two meters deep. At the same time, its bottom and walls are leveled. Afterwards the foundation is poured. For this purpose, concrete or concrete blocks are used. This stage is considered very important, since it is the foundation that is responsible for the thermal insulation of the greenhouse. In order to pour concrete, it is necessary to install wooden formwork.
Construction of walls from thermal blocks. The load-bearing part is reinforced concrete. An expanded polystyrene layer and thermal insulation blocks are placed inside. Fixing with each other occurs with cement mortar.

Greenhouse insulation

The main thing in the construction of a winter greenhouse with heating is to follow the sequence. We have already talked about the construction of a pit and the construction of a foundation and walls. Now let's move on to more complex processes.

Insulation

The main thing is to install a thermal insulation film on the walls inside. If the climate in your region is particularly harsh, then you can use foil thermal film. Laying is done in 2 layers.

Installation of heating equipment

An excellent solution to fully heating a greenhouse would be to install a “warm floors” system. It can be installed directly into the ground, but in order to avoid damage it is poured and reinforced. Warm soil is not enough for good plant growth.

The best heating system

To create an optimal temperature regime for plant growth, it is necessary not only to heat the soil, but also the air inside the greenhouse. When choosing a heating system, pay attention to:

What size is the greenhouse?
How much money can you spend?
Regional climate.
Growth conditions.

For heating a winter greenhouse “thermos”, a stove is an excellent option. An ordinary “potbelly stove” is used as a heating device. It is very simple to construct it with your own hands. For this you will need:

metal sheets made of heat-resistant material;
cast iron, steel and ceramic pipes of equal diameter;
metal rods and corners;
plumb line with tape measure;
device for cutting metal products;
welding machine;
bolts, couplings;
calcined brick;
limestone or clay solution.

Important!

One stove – a “potbelly stove” – heats an area of about fifteen square meters. A gap of at least 30–40 centimeters is left between the stove and the walls. For polycarbonate greenhouses, the distance is at least 60–80 centimeters.

The process of assembling or installing a heating system

The “potbelly stove” is one of the oldest and well-known heating systems. It includes a firebox, chimney, and chimney in its design.

Installation of the furnace begins with the foundation. It makes its operation less fire hazardous and increases its service life.

Do you think it’s difficult to set up a winter greenhouse? I won't lie to you, this is true. First you need to prepare the foundation, install a reliable frame, and cover it with a double layer of polycarbonate. And that is not all. Next, you should equip heating, irrigation and additional lighting systems. If you are still full of enthusiasm, I will tell you where to start building a winter greenhouse, what nuances to consider, what to pay attention to. I give everything I know from my experience, as well as examples from other gardeners and agronomists.

What is a winter greenhouse?

It is clear that a winter greenhouse is fundamentally different from a summer one, although its essence remains the same - it should be warm and even hot in the greenhouse.

The very principle of arranging a winter greenhouse is different, it is a much more complex structure, often even equipped with electronics, and you certainly won’t get by with constructing a primitive frame and covering it with film, although something similar will still have to be done.

A winter greenhouse is necessarily a permanent structure that has a foundation that can withstand powerful wind and snow loads. A winter greenhouse can be a full-fledged separate structure or an extension to the wall of a house or other building.

What to grow?

In fact, you can grow anything in a heated winter greenhouse. These can be not only traditional vegetable crops, but also green crops, berries, ornamental crops and various kinds of exotic crops, and, of course, flowers.

It is clear that certain cultures require different conditions.

For example, lettuce and green crops will require a minimum of heating, a minimum of light, but if we are talking about cultivating tomatoes, then more reliable heating and maximum light are needed.
Do not forget about the proximity of crops, for example, tomatoes and cucumbers are not good neighbors, they have different requirements for moisture, light and temperature, so it is permissible to grow them only in large greenhouses, where their placement can be differentiated.

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Video review of a winter greenhouse for growing flowers

Foundation for a winter greenhouse

Typically, a winter greenhouse is placed on one of two types of foundation - on strip foundation on either foundation made of individual blocks . You can install a greenhouse on a columnar foundation or on slabs, but this does not happen very often.

It is advisable to insulate the foundation on the north side.

Foundation preparation

Usually the foundation is prepared like this:

To begin with, the area around it is removed with turf to a width of approximately 0.5 m and formwork is made from boards.
Next, a layer of sand is poured, which acts as an equalizer.
After this, insulation is laid (polystyrene will do this role perfectly).
And finally, the blind area is filled with concrete over the laid out reinforcing mesh, or the second option is to lay the paving stones on a layer of laid sand.

Video on how to make a foundation for a greenhouse

Winter greenhouse frame

There are no special differences in the frame with a regular summer greenhouse. Often two types of frames are used to build a winter greenhouse - either metal or wood.

What kind of frame should I make?

The shape of a winter greenhouse largely depends on what the frame itself is made of, the climate conditions of your region, and also on preferences, because some people like one shape, others a completely different one.

Typically winter greenhouses are:

arched,
single-pitched,
gable.

Arched greenhouses, of course, cannot be made of wood, or rather they can, but making such ones is extremely difficult and expensive.

Typically, arched greenhouses are metal, but lean-to or gable greenhouses are often wooden, although, of course, there can be exceptions.

Wooden frame

Oddly enough, but wooden frames are sometimes given greater preference. Why?

Wood is cheaper and in terms of strength it is practically not inferior to much more expensive and more difficult to install metal.
A wooden frame heats up much less strongly than a metal one, and in winter wood practically does not give off heat, which cannot be said about metal.
What speaks in favor of the wooden frame is that since we are placing the winter greenhouse on a full-fledged foundation, therefore, the tree will not have direct contact with wet soil and will last much longer, so is there any point in paying more?

It is clear that when building a greenhouse, snow and rain loads must be taken into account; a lot depends on the length and width of the greenhouse.

Plastic frame

As for the frame made of low-density polyethylene (HDPE, polypropylene pipes), such structures can only be erected for the warm period of the year. But in winter, especially in regions with abundant rainfall, it is not advisable to use such greenhouses - they will simply break under the weight of snow.

How to install the frame?

First, you need to secure the bottom trim to the foundation using anchor bolts.
Next, install the vertical posts on the trim using bolts and welding.
Then connect the vertical profiles with a horizontal lining along the top.
And finally, install the frame on a pitched or other type of roof.

How to make a wooden frame for a winter greenhouse with your own hands

Material for winter greenhouse

In the past, even winter greenhouses were actively lined with plastic film. Of course, glass was also used, but film was more accessible and cheaper, and it was used quite often. Now both film and glass are actively becoming a thing of the past, and they are being replaced seriously and for a long time by cellular polycarbonate.

It is interesting that even glass, which for a very long time was considered almost an ideal shelter for a greenhouse, is very much inferior in thermal conductivity to cellular polycarbonate, although, of course, glass outperforms cellular polycarbonate in durability, but it is more dangerous, and the price of glass over the years only growing.

Winter greenhouse "Thermos"

As for cold regions, winter greenhouses rule the roost here, which the locals call "thermos" . The essence of this greenhouse is simple: it is not one layer of cellular polycarbonate, but two, with air between them. It turns out to be a kind of window “plastic bag”, only made of polycarbonate.

Typically, the thickness of the outer layer is about 0.6 cm, and the inner layer is about 0.4 cm.
You should know that the thicker the sheets of cellular polycarbonate, the lower the thermal conductivity will be, which means that there will be less heat outflow if the ends are insulated from the entry of cold air.
In the case of arched greenhouses, however, you should not lay too thick polycarbonate sheets; it may simply break or the bending force will be critical and it will break much earlier than its service life.
Of course, price also plays a role; thick polycarbonate sheets, say thicker than 1.5 cm, already cost quite a lot of money. So you shouldn’t take risks and overpay - 1 cm, no more.

Construction of a gable polycarbonate greenhouse on a foundation

Heating a winter greenhouse

First, the greenhouse needs to be made as airtight as possible so as not to heat the street.

- Insulate all cracks, make the windows and doors hermetically sealed!

Soil thermal insulation

Such a structure requires thermal insulation of the soil; this is done as follows:

To begin with, mark the areas where the beds will be located in the future.
There it is necessary to make a pit about 60-70 cm deep; river sand (7-8 cm) must be placed at the base of each pit.
You need to lay insulation boards on top, pour expanded clay (12-15 cm) onto them - expanded clay also serves as drainage and will save polystyrene from a sharp shovel when you dig up the beds.
The last layer is laid with fertile soil or a composition for a warm bed.

Types of heating for a winter greenhouse

There are 4 types of heating:

air,
contour,
subsoil,
combined.

Air heating

This heating option is simple and straightforward - air is supplied through air ducts located at different heights and heated by a heating device located in the greenhouse itself.

Circuit (water) heating

Its essence is to create a thermal contour located at the edges of the structure, but with a large area in the middle of the structure. Typically this method involves the use of water.

To build contour heating, radiator systems with pipes should be installed.
The boiler itself, which heats the structure, can be installed both in the greenhouse itself and outside it.

The entire configuration consists of

heating boiler,
heating circuit made of pipes,
radiators,
registers,
expansion tank,
and circulation pump.

This configuration is very complex in terms of layout and is expensive. Therefore, it is often installed only in large-area and free-standing greenhouses.

Subsoil heating

It is typically used in areas with mild climates that do not experience excessively harsh winters. If you combine subsoil heating and a “thermos” structure, then such a greenhouse will need minimal heating.

Typically, such a greenhouse is equipped with a water-heated floor or electric heating circuit using heating mats.

Combined heating

Typically, this option combines the use of air and contour heating with subsoil heating. This option is suitable specifically for crops that have specific requirements for soil temperature.

An example of contour heating of a greenhouse using water

How to heat?

What to use as an energy carrier? Usually, electricity comes first - a fairly cheap and accessible energy carrier, heat loss when using it is minimal, including when there are night tariffs.

The next most frequently used gas is main gas, it is even less expensive, but its disadvantage is that gas is not available in all regions.

The choice of heating option depends both on the region and on the crops that you plan to cultivate.

For example, when the structure is intended for the cultivation of green crops, then heating the soil will be sufficient.
But if you plan to grow tomatoes, peppers, cucumbers, then you need to provide a stable microclimate, constant heating and lighting.

Electricity

This type of warming is realized in two ways, for example,

using a heating cable that needs to be laid in the soil,
or use electric heaters or convectors for heating, as well as infrared heaters or lamps, and of course an electric boiler.

The heating cable is placed directly into the ridges; this warms the soil and protects it from freezing.

Conventional systems or radiator systems are placed along the main walls of the greenhouse; they protect the room, preventing cold air masses from penetrating.

Infrared heaters are interesting because they do not heat the air, they heat the surfaces on which the rays fall.

Their influence warms the soil and plants, as well as paths, fences, equipment, and irrigation systems.
Such heaters are usually placed, clinging to the frame of the greenhouse.
The spectral composition emitted by them practically corresponds to the spectrum of sunlight, and therefore it is very useful for plants.

Stove

Solid-state stoves in terms of combustion are also in demand, because the need for regular loading has practically disappeared, because they produce long-lasting boilers.

The maximum available stove is in which logs or other things are burned.
The furnace is placed in the coldest part of the structure and, thanks to natural convection or using air ducts, the greenhouse is heated.
Air masses should be distributed in different ways, such as natural convection, using fans or using air ducts. You can burn with logs, brushwood or various waste from the woodworking industry.
It is appropriate to warm the greenhouse in the evening or when it gets cold outside.

Advantages of heating with a stove:

quick start of the stove and its warming up,
affordable fuel,
elementary installation and simple operation,
the ability to manufacture various stoves from bricks or metal by welding.

Minuses:

impossibility of automating this type of heating,
the presence of a person in the process of heating the greenhouse.

Infrared heating of a greenhouse video

Lighting in a winter greenhouse

Speaking of lighting, in winter the days are as short as possible, in the north it is critical. Therefore, additional lighting with lamps is strictly necessary.

It is better to use lamps that generate the spectrum of light necessary for plants:

arc tube sodium lamps,
or LED lamps.

Additional lighting in a winter greenhouse video

Watering in a winter greenhouse

Watering should be regular, the plants should have enough moisture, and there should not be excessive watering.

To prevent the soil from becoming oversaturated with moisture, it is necessary to provide for the presence of windows in the greenhouse. It is best to place them in the roof of the structure, or, even better, to build forced ventilation with a recuperator. This is, of course, expensive, but quite reliable.

Direct watering can be done:

from a watering can,
by installing sprayers on booms or hanging tubes,
by placing an insulated underground water supply system,
by laying out dropper tapes.

An example of an irrigation system in a winter greenhouse for growing flowers

Almost every gardener, even a non-professional, has a greenhouse on his property. Here the gardener can grow seedlings or full-fledged vegetable crops. But in the cold season, such a culture room will definitely not save you. That is why many gardeners, especially those who grow crops for subsequent sale, are thinking about creating a winter greenhouse.

Features of greenhouses and their types

Greenhouses can be different: capital and seasonal, large and small, home-made and factory-made. The main goal for its creation is to obtain environmentally friendly vegetables and fruits as early as possible, and of the best quality possible.

Currently, there are many greenhouses of various designs. It is very difficult for a beginner to decide what to choose and where to start construction, how to calculate the area of the greenhouse in order to get the planned harvest, whether it is necessary to create a foundation and what kind, how to carry out heating, and also which roof is best to install.

Main types of premises

Winter greenhouses differ from each other in many ways. For example:

You can also distinguish buildings by architectural features. All designs are divided into:

Whatever the configuration, you need to remember that a greenhouse in winter is a good structure with additional lighting and heating. It must be said that its construction costs quite a lot. On the other hand, having spent once your efforts and money, you will enjoy delicious and high-quality products for many years throughout the year, and not just in the summer.

The result of your work will directly depend not on the weather and soil on the site, but only on your efforts and skills.

Disadvantages and advantages of the structure

The thermos greenhouse is especially popular among domestic gardeners, primarily because it helps to obtain a high-quality harvest while minimizing maintenance costs (heating and lighting inside). The greenhouse received its name because it is a structure that is completely isolated not only from the weather outside, but also from the cool soil.

Main advantages:

The greenhouse also has its disadvantages. Main disadvantages:

difficulty in construction and high financial costs;
To do this, you need to have at least basic abilities and understanding of the heating system, communication lines and ventilation.

It should also be noted that this design has many more advantages than disadvantages, so today this option is considered the best for all-season growing of vegetables, fruits, and herbs, not only for the family, but also for sale.

Selecting a site for construction

When choosing a place to create a greenhouse, you must first of all take into account three features. These include:

If, to protect against strong winds, you decide to create an additional fence or hedge from a plant, then you must take into account that the fence should not be located too close to the building. For example, with a greenhouse ridge height of 2.5 meters, the distance from the fence to the building should not be less than 7-8 meters.

This is due to the fact that the wind flow, having encountered an obstacle, most often rises and simply goes around the fence. This means that as a result you will get an area of turbulence that will constantly take away heat from the structure. The narrower the total distance from the building and the fence, the stronger the turbulence. The best option for protecting the building would be a hedge 15-20 meters from the greenhouse.

What material to use

Before you start building a winter greenhouse, you need to decide on the material for the covering and frame. A capital winter greenhouse with your own hands should be more durable, so when choosing material for the frame, you can limit yourself to scrap metal or wood. It is prohibited to use bars and profiles that cannot even support their own weight. Vertically, the supports and beams of the roof must be with a reserve, and also withstand snow masses.

If we talk about what is better to choose, wood or metal, then there is nothing complicated here. Metal lasts longer, but wood is easy to work with and can be quickly repaired. The main thing is that wood does not heat up in hot weather. The microclimate inside a wooden greenhouse is preserved much better than in a metal structure.

It is allowed to use film to cover a winter greenhouse, but it will have to be changed quite often. And although it costs less, it will require 2-3 times more than for a simple greenhouse. Eternal glass also has its disadvantages: heavy weight, increased fragility.

Start of construction

Everything is clear with the differences between winter buildings and their main features. Next comes the process of building the premises. It is quite obvious that construction begins with planning and drafting. Before you start building the main frame, laying the foundation and doing other work on your own, you need to have a clear idea of what needs to be done. Modern technologies help to significantly simplify the construction process itself, but without drawing up the correct drawings it’s still impossible. To better understand how to build a winter greenhouse in which the soil will constantly warm up, you need to study the main stages of construction:

Building construction technology

A do-it-yourself winter greenhouse is a fairly pressing issue for those who want to eat fresh vegetables even in winter. If you approach this process consciously, study all existing projects, building materials from which the greenhouse is built, then you can build it yourself, without turning to professionals for help.

The frame of greenhouses is most often created from wooden beams or a metal profile, although it is also allowed to use metal pipes or a plastic profile for this. Metal is considered more durable and strong, but wood provides a good microclimate and makes construction much easier with it. Before you accurately decide on the material, it is best to know what crop the greenhouse is being created for. Cucumbers, for example, require high humidity, which reduces the use time of the wooden frame.

For walls and roofs, a special film, glass or polycarbonate is used. If we take into account the low temperatures outside, the pressure of snow, which falls a lot in winter, then using the film there are more difficulties than savings. Glass will be used well in any weather, but its weight, increased under the pressure of the snow mass, must also be taken into account when creating the frame to prevent snow cover.

Transparent and lightweight multilayer polycarbonate has also proven itself well; it should be taken with a thickness of 10-16 millimeters. When choosing polycarbonate, you must remember that if its thickness is 10 millimeters, you need to take sheets with a width of no more than 105 centimeters, and if 16 millimeters, then no wider than 140 centimeters, thereby ensuring normal structural strength.

Mandatory a solid foundation is being built for the winter greenhouse, then they create a frame. Upon completion of construction, a heating system is installed. If you create a lean-to greenhouse that will be adjacent to a country house, then its heating can be created as a continuation of the heating system.

To calculate the amount of heat, you need to find the total difference between the thermal conductivity index and the glazing area. The difference between heating a room and a greenhouse is significant - in a greenhouse it is important not only to set the optimal air temperature, but also the soil temperature. Polycarbonate greenhouses running on biofuel are considered very reliable. When choosing a heating device, aluminum convectors are most often used; it is believed that they can distribute heat evenly throughout the greenhouse.

At the bottom of the pit you need to lay layers of sand, and then turf soil (or simple turf laid with stones up), then humus. After laying all the main parts of the heat accumulator and installing pipes for the ventilation system, you need to lay down a polyvinyl chloride film so that the soil does not interfere with work. You need to make special holes in the film for pipes, and attach it to the walls using a construction stapler. After this, a fertile layer of soil for the beds, as well as an infertile one, is poured into the greenhouse, which can then be covered with tiles for the paths.

Every summer resident strives to grow as many fruit crops and ornamental plants as possible and at the same time achieve an enviable harvest. The most suitable periods for this are spring and summer. However, if you want, some of them can continue to be grown even in the cold winter. To do this, it is enough to think about heating the greenhouse in winter and implement it correctly.

Numerous crops can be grown throughout the year, regardless of the geographical location of the region. To do this, it is recommended to build a spacious greenhouse that will be heated during the cold season, creating a very favorable microclimate for plants.

Introductory video review

If you build a greenhouse over a heating main, heating issues will probably be resolved involuntarily, but in suburban conditions it will not be easy to find such plots of land. The way out of the situation is to install one of the types of heating:

Electric heating
Air heating
Biological heating
Solar heating
Water heating

Electric heating

If we consider options for heating a greenhouse in winter, we can note the predominance of electrical systems. Among the many methods, gardeners usually choose one of the following:

Electrical cable
Heating mats
Convection units
Heat pumps
Infrared heaters

One of the simplest and most popular methods is heating greenhouses using a convector. It is an installation with spirals inside, through which the air is heated. Air flows are distributed evenly throughout the greenhouse, but the warmest masses accumulate at the top. It is recommended to use the convection method in conjunction with the biological ones discussed later, since it is not capable of warming up the soil on its own.

Using heating mats or electric cables are very effective and inexpensive methods of heating a greenhouse during the winter. Their main advantage is the possibility of installation in those areas that the summer resident needs (outside the greenhouse, between the rows, etc.). The option when heating elements are located directly in the ground is popular. However, if you make a mistake with the temperature, you can overheat the plant root system.

Despite their efficiency, heat pumps for heating greenhouses are not widely used. The reason for this is the high cost of installing the necessary equipment. If the greenhouse is small and is being built for personal purposes, you should not expect a return on investment.

A very interesting and popular option for heating greenhouses is the installation of infrared heaters. If the system is designed correctly, it will be possible to warm up individual parts of the greenhouse in which the plants grow. With some effort, the entire area can be divided into zones, setting in each of them a temperature suitable for a particular crop being grown.

Of course, heating a greenhouse in winter has one significant advantage - the possibility of using them together with temperature sensors. Having made the correct settings, a constant desired air temperature will be maintained inside the greenhouse. The market offers numerous additional equipment designed to normalize the climate inside.

Air heating of greenhouses

Air heating methods are among the most primitive, but they still have not lost their popularity. The simplest option for its implementation is to lay a pipe through the greenhouse, one end of which will go outside. A fire will have to be lit under it, and heated air will flow through the pipe into the greenhouse.

It will not be possible to maintain the temperature constantly in this way, but you can quickly warm the plants in the event of severe and unexpected frosts.

Heating units with a fan are among the cheapest and most compact. They allow warm air masses to be distributed throughout the greenhouse as evenly as possible. With their help, summer residents not only heat greenhouses, but also have the opportunity to dry the air in them, recreating a favorable microclimate for planting.

Biological heating

Most of the considered types of greenhouse heating in winter are not able to simultaneously heat the air and soil. To keep the root system of cultivated crops warm, it is recommended to resort to biological methods.

Biological heating methods are based on the decomposition of organic substances. This process is always accompanied by the release of carbon dioxide. The most widely used method for achieving this goal is horse manure.

The advantage of a biological solution to the problem is that it is accompanied by a process of evaporation, while simultaneously moistening the soil. The number of waterings will be significantly reduced.

Sunny

Without using special equipment, it is almost impossible to achieve a favorable microclimate inside a greenhouse. However, in areas where the sun shines throughout the year and the temperature does not drop too low, natural solar heating may be an option.

One of the prerequisites is that the roof of the greenhouse must be transparent so that the sun's rays can freely pass inside. The latter will heat up the plants and soil, and in turn they will heat up the surrounding air.

In addition to the above conditions, it is necessary to adhere to other features when organizing solar heating of the greenhouse in winter:

The greenhouse should be located in the brightest place on the site, which is not covered by shadow most of the daytime
To prevent the wall covering from cooling quickly and spontaneously, it is necessary to choose a location with a minimum amount of air flow
It should be borne in mind that the temperature inside will reach its maximum only around the evening.
The best form of greenhouse is arched
In order for the soil to warm up better, it is recommended to make the greenhouse as low as possible

Natural solar heating is the simplest, most beneficial and cheapest. A significant disadvantage is considered to be low efficiency, especially in cloudy or cloudy weather.

Water heating for a greenhouse

Most often, summer residents set up water heating for the greenhouse in winter, which anyone can do on their own. At its core, it will resemble a classic home heating system, when a heated coolant fluid circulates through pipes and radiates its heat.

To implement this method, it is necessary to select the most suitable location for the heating installation (it can be a boiler, stove, etc.). They can also be located in a separate room, but not far from the greenhouse.

It is necessary to determine the type of coolant circulation:

Natural circulation is the simplest method, when the heated liquid rises through a pipe to an expansion tank located above the boiler, and from it flows at a slope naturally into the pipe lines
Artificial circulation - it is similar to natural, but the movement of the coolant is carried out due to the installed circulation pump

It is recommended to give preference to the second method, since it ensures a higher speed of liquid movement through the pipes and does not allow it to stagnate. You should not fill the lines with ordinary water - it will probably freeze soon. The best option would be diluted antifreeze.

Video guide

Heating a greenhouse in winter can be organized in any convenient way. Moreover, each summer resident is able to do all the work independently, without the involvement of a specialist and with minimal initial costs.

For those who are going to make a greenhouse for the winter for the next few years, it is recommended to combine 2-3 methods, turning on biological heating. This will allow you to definitely warm up the greenhouse from the ground to the top and protect yourself in case situations arise when one of them is ineffective or for some reason is impossible.

The procedure for building a winter greenhouse with heating with your own hands - from the selection of materials to installation

Each owner of a plot of land has his own motivation for erecting a winter greenhouse on the site. The general procedure of work (choosing a location and materials, drawing up a drawing, and so on) is not much different from building any other structure with your own hands - a private house, a garage or a summer kitchen. But since we are talking about a winter greenhouse, and even with heating, then we should understand in more detail all the nuances of its installation.

Further, only the features of such construction will be outlined and practical recommendations will be given. The reader who does not know what, for example, a foundation strip or grillage is, should first familiarize themselves with this information in the “Construction” section.

You should not be distracted by such details as the shape of the greenhouse (one-, two-, three-slope, arched, combined or other), its dimensions (including height) and so on. All this is at the discretion of the owner, since much depends on what the greenhouse itself is being built for (growing something for oneself or for sale) and what crops are supposed to be planted in it. Therefore, it makes sense to consider only the nuances of installing its components - the foundation (base), frame structure, its covering, utilities (lighting + heating).

What to consider before starting construction

A special feature of a heated greenhouse is that such a building is mounted as a stationary, non-removable structure (unlike a polycarbonate greenhouse). Therefore, a correct approach to choosing a location for a capital structure is required, which cannot, if necessary, be dismantled and moved to another segment of the territory.

Light mode

The greenhouse should be located and oriented to the cardinal points so that during the day it is illuminated as much as possible naturally.

Rose of Wind

Heating is installed in greenhouses, which are usually used year-round. Therefore, you should think about organizing a fence from the most problematic direction. It may be necessary to install wind protection on several sides. If you think everything through carefully, you can quite significantly reduce heat loss and save on heating costs, not to mention increasing crop yields.

We should not forget about air turbulence. The smaller the interval between the fence and the wall of the greenhouse, the higher it is. Consequently, it will be necessary to “heat” more intensively, since the extraction of heat from outside will increase. The dimensions of the building also matter. If we focus on the average indicator, then the optimal distance between the fence and the greenhouse is about 6 - 7 m (with a ridge height of 2 - 2.5 m).

Ease of access to the greenhouse

This will greatly facilitate both the construction process and vegetation care. If possible, you should also take into account the specifics of laying communications - lighting, plumbing, heating (if it is not autonomous) - in order to minimize costs.

Heating option

Its design (scheme) largely depends on the scheme by which heating of the greenhouse is organized. This will be discussed in more detail below, but it should be noted that if the boiler is installed inside the building, it will be necessary to provide not just a vestibule, but a separate room with the appropriate dimensions. The linear parameters (cubic capacity) of the mini-furnace must correspond to the power of the installed unit.

Features of the selection of materials and installation of the greenhouse

Foundation

Its depth depends on the characteristics of the soil, the configuration of underground aquifers and the presence (efficiency) of a drainage system on the site.

Tape

This is the most popular type of foundation in the private sector. But given the cost of materials (primarily cement) and the low weight of the greenhouse, whether it is worth constructing a foundation of this type is a big question. In addition, if the site is already planted, then it is extremely undesirable to carry out extensive excavation work (there is a high risk of damage to the root system of the plantings) or is not possible everywhere (due to utility lines laid across the territory).

Conclusion - if local conditions allow, then it is advisable to use a shallow strip foundation.

Columnar (pile)

Under a greenhouse is a more suitable option. And if pipes are used as supports, then soil excavation will be reduced to drilling holes at the designated points. With screw piles it’s even easier.

You will need to install a grillage. What is the point of heating a building under the floor of which “the wind is blowing”? By the way, if necessary, you can lay some kind of insulation in the space between its bottom and the ground, for example, fill in expanded clay. But mineral wool is not suitable, as over time it will absorb moisture and begin to deteriorate.

Frame

In general terms, the choice of materials for the “skeleton” of the greenhouse is large, but for capital construction it is somewhat narrowed. Building walls made of brick or concrete blocks is not a cheap pleasure. We will look at simpler technologies.

Wood

It should not be used unambiguously. There are several reasons. Firstly, it dries out, which means heat loss will increase. Secondly, the need for regular treatment with special preparations and painting is an unattractive prospect. In addition, it costs money and time. Thirdly, not all vegetable crops like “close proximity” to a tree. Experienced gardeners often cite cucumbers as an example. Fourthly, there will be problems with glazing, as well as ensuring its tightness throughout the entire life of the greenhouse.

Metal

If you use aluminum samples, the weight of the structure will be insignificant. The difficulty lies elsewhere - in its assembly. Not everyone can bend a metal profile correctly; experience is required.

Plastic

For a small greenhouse with heating, this is the best option. Pipes can withstand significant loads, easily change geometry, are inexpensive - there are enough advantages. The only question is how to securely secure such a frame to the foundation?

Tape - rods (from small-diameter pipes, rods or something similar) are embedded into it according to a pre-designed pattern, onto which the plastic is placed.
The pillars are the same. To ensure strength, a solution is poured into the supports. This is where pieces of smaller cross-section pipes or thick fittings are installed.

If a boiler is mounted in the vestibule of the greenhouse, then there must be a wall (partition) with a door between it and the main room. Part of the roof (above this utility room) is covered with opaque material.

Sheathing

There is no point in talking about materials such as polyethylene film or glass. In the first case - due to a short service life and large heat losses. In the second - due to the complexity of installation and high cost. You should pay attention to polycarbonate. But since we are talking about heating, then you need to choose cellular polycarbonate.

There are several advantages of such a greenhouse covering:

acceptable price;
light weight;
strength;
ease of attaching sheets with your own hands;
good light transmission and heat conservation;
excellent maintainability.

Engineering systems

Arranging ventilation and lighting is not that difficult. It is only necessary to provide for the ability to control light and air flow. How to do this - manually or install automation - the owner decides for himself. The same applies to the water supply system. Some will make a branch from the main line and extend a separate line to the greenhouse, while others will be quite happy with collecting water with a bucket from a well located next to the building. But it’s worth talking about heating in particular.

Greenhouse heating options

Actually, this is the most important point in the entire process of constructing a winter greenhouse. It is the constancy of temperature and uniform heating of the building that is the key to high productivity. What to choose as a source of thermal energy can only be decided by the owner himself, since even hypothetically it is impossible to take into account all the nuances of construction and the capabilities of the owner of the site, especially if the work will be done with his own hands. But a short overview of the options would be appropriate.

With this type of heating, the air inside the room is heated. The peculiarity is that the further away from the heat source, the lower the temperature. This option is suitable either for small-sized greenhouses, or, if necessary, to heat the room in sectors. For example, when zoning space in the case of planting different types of crops with different temperature requirements.

Water heating

If the greenhouse is being built as an extension to a residential building or is being built near it, this is the best option. Stretching pipes is not a problem. The only difficulty is whether the heating boiler can handle the additional load. Here you will have to think about what is more economically profitable - to look for another engineering heating solution (also money) or to purchase a boiler of greater power.

It is worth thinking about how to lay pipes inside the greenhouse yourself. There are several schemes, and the feasibility of implementing one or another depends on the characteristics of the building (primarily dimensions) and the crops grown.

Along the walls, around the perimeter. Maybe with the installation of radiators.
In the ground (inside the beds).
Under every level. This is done if crops are grown in containers located on racks.

Heating cable

It is used instead of pipes and laid according to similar schemes. There is no need to monitor such heating, like, for example, a stove - everything is done automatically. The only condition is that there should be no problems with power supply, which is typical for suburban areas.

IR heating

An economical and efficient way to heat a greenhouse. Electrical energy consumption is minimal. The main thing is to correctly arrange (mount) the heat sources, since such products are produced in different designs, even in the form of films. All the pros and cons of infrared heating are described in detail in this article.

These are not the only options for electrical appliances. You might think about purchasing air heaters (but they dry the air), oil radiators - there is a choice.

Heating with biofuel

On many sites this heating method is positioned as the most economical. But if you carefully read the technology, a number of questions arise. For example, where can a city dweller get manure, sawdust and the like? How long is one bookmark enough? Plus, there are strict requirements for air humidity, aeration and a number of others. It turns out that such heating is quite a troublesome task. So it’s not for everybody.

Conclusion

In principle, there can be no specific recommendation for the construction of a winter greenhouse. The information provided is sufficient for the reader to make a choice of the most suitable project and option for the interior arrangement of the premises. Everything can be done with your own hands if you approach the issue thoughtfully and in a businesslike manner.

Greenhouse for winter growing vegetables

A winter greenhouse is a useful structure for a plot of land that allows you to grow garden crops all year round. It is used both for personal needs and for growing fruit plants for sale.

The most versatile material for constructing greenhouses is polycarbonate. It is this that allows the use of the latest construction technologies, design developments and technical equipment for greenhouses.

Polycarbonate retains heat well and allows enough sunlight to pass through

Design differences between summer and winter greenhouses

The purpose of greenhouses is the same for any season - they are designed to protect plants and transfer them enough heat for growth and development. However, in terms of design, winter greenhouses differ significantly from summer buildings:

Materials used for cladding the frame are resistant to loads, temperature changes and weather conditions. As a rule, this is glass or polycarbonate. In summer greenhouses there is enough durable film.

Summer greenhouses warm up well during the day and the air does not have time to cool down overnight. In winter greenhouses, a heating system is required to maintain a comfortable temperature for growing.

Winter buildings require insulation to avoid drafts and loss of thermal energy from the heating system.

Summer greenhouses are often made in the form of arches; winter greenhouses require a gable roof so that snow does not accumulate on it.

Thus, summer greenhouses work exclusively due to natural factors - long daylight hours, solar heat, and a natural ventilation system. And in order to grow plants in winter, the necessary climatic conditions are artificially recreated in the greenhouse.

For light-loving plants it is necessary to create additional lighting

Polycarbonate in the construction of winter greenhouses

The use of polycarbonate in the construction of winter greenhouses is due to its strength and light transmission qualities. The advantages of this material are the following:

resistance to mechanical damage;

good aesthetic characteristics;

light weight of the structure - suitable for any frame;

conducts sunlight well;

ease of processing and installation of sheets;

the material can withstand heavy loads - important when there is a lot of snow in winter;

tolerates strong heating and cooling, does not deteriorate under the influence of UV rays.

All these factors make polycarbonate an ideal material for the construction of winter greenhouses. It perfectly protects plants from snow and frost and allows you to maintain the correct microclimate in the building.

In a greenhouse, heat-loving plants are not afraid of early frosts

Greenhouse design options

The construction market offers a huge selection of shapes and sizes of greenhouses. Therefore, customers always have the opportunity to make it to suit their own needs. When choosing a design, it is worth considering the type and number of plants that you plan to grow in the greenhouse.

A heated winter greenhouse can be quite long or wide. For private land plots, there are standard dimensional grids for turnkey structures.

The base of the greenhouse is usually rectangular or square. The roof is made in various forms:

The main condition for the roof of a winter greenhouse is the presence of a slope so that snow can slide off it under the weight of its own weight and not accumulate on the roof. It is also recommended to make vents in the roof to ventilate the structure.

Vents in greenhouses are most often located at the top point of the roof.

Greenhouses, as a rule, consist of one “room”, but experts recommend organizing a heated dressing room. This is done so that with frequent use in winter, the plants do not suffer from the penetration of cold air from the street.

On our website you can get acquainted with the most popular small-scale projects from construction companies presented at the exhibition of houses “Low-Rise Country”.

Stages of construction of polycarbonate greenhouses

The construction of a winter greenhouse made of polycarbonate is a rather complex technological process. It consists of several stages that affect both the construction of the structure itself and its internal equipment.

Foundation

A polycarbonate winter greenhouse has a heavy structure and will require laying a foundation to give it stability. It can be one of three types:

The latter option is most often used in the construction of permanent greenhouses. Laying a strip foundation is carried out in several stages:

marking the construction site, digging a trench approximately 1 m deep;

laying waterproofing at the bottom of the trench;

installation of reinforcement to strengthen the foundation;

filling the trench with gravel-sand-cement mortar;

laying heat-insulating material on a dried strip foundation.

After preparing the foundation, anchor bolts are installed into it for subsequent fastening of the frame. Sometimes a layer of brick is laid on the foundation, in which case the fasteners must pass through the masonry and penetrate into the foundation.

Arrangement of a strip foundation for a greenhouse On our website you can find contacts of construction companies that offer turnkey installation services for greenhouses and similar structures. You can communicate directly with representatives by visiting the “Low-Rise Country” exhibition of houses.

Frame installation

To build a frame under polycarbonate sheets, metal profiles, pipes and corners are most often used. This choice is due to the strength and durability of the metal base compared to wood.

Installation of the frame is carried out in several stages:

securing the bottom lining to the foundation using anchor bolts;

installation of vertical posts on the casing using bolts or welding;

connection of vertical profiles with horizontal lining at the top;

installation of a frame under a pitched roof.

The integrity and strength of the entire greenhouse structure depends on the correct installation of the base. Therefore, it is carried out exactly according to the planned plan and calculations.

The finished frame for the greenhouse remains to be sheathed with polycarbonate sheets This might be interesting! In the article at the following link, read about a mini-greenhouse for your garden and home.

Sheathing the frame with polycarbonate

Polycarbonate sheets are selected and cut to fit the frame. They are attached to the profile using bolts. Installation begins from the bottom of the greenhouse from the corner joint. The sheets are constantly leveled using a building level so that there are no gaps or overlaps between them. The joints must be waterproofed from the room side so that moisture does not accumulate in them and fungus does not form. For this purpose, sealants and other building compounds are used.

Covering the greenhouse with cellular polycarbonate

Heating

The heating system in a plant greenhouse can be solved in several ways. The most budget option is to install a stove with pipes in which hot smoke circulates. Heating occurs by heating air from the chimney pipe. The disadvantage of such a system is manual control, which does not allow leaving the greenhouse unattended.

Water heating is considered a more convenient option. It can be organized by installing a gas boiler in a greenhouse, or connecting a pipe from a residential building. The air is heated from conventional radiators installed along the wall of the greenhouse. In some cases, a kind of “warm floor” is made from polypropylene tubes underground, through which hot water circulates. This allows you to warm the soil and plant roots in winter.

Another type of heating system is combined. It includes the following elements:

Infrared lamps for lighting and heating plants from above;

Polypropylene tubes filled with coolant, buried in the soil.

The joint work of these system elements allows the air to be evenly heated in the upper and lower parts of the room. Another advantage is automatic control. The system is equipped with temperature and humidity sensors and can independently regulate the microclimate in the room.

Scheme of a “smart” greenhouse heating system

Lighting

In winter, daylight hours are short, so the plants in the greenhouse do not have time to receive enough UV rays. This slows down their growth and leads to various diseases.

To improve the efficiency of the greenhouse, additional lighting is installed in it. Its level is selected depending on the crops grown in the greenhouse - for greenery and seedlings a little light is required, for berry and fruit plants it should be strong enough.

For lighting, sodium lamps are used, which provide photosynthetic irradiation, that is, they produce ultraviolet rays that imitate sunlight. They are installed directly above beds or shelves with seedlings. Sometimes ordinary fluorescent lamps are used, but they are less effective for me.

Greenhouse lighting with ultraviolet lamps

All wiring of lighting fixtures must be equipped with moisture protection, since the air in greenhouses is very humid and water droplets can settle on all surfaces.

This might be interesting! In the article at the following link, read about heating a greenhouse.

Watering

To organize watering of plants in a greenhouse that does not require manual control, it is equipped with irrigation systems. The most universal of them is drip irrigation. It consists of a reservoir with liquid and pipes stretched along the perimeter of the beds. Such a system is installed at the stage of constructing the greenhouse frame.

In some cases, sprinkler valves are mounted on top, above or to the side of plant beds. The irrigation option is selected depending on the needs of the crops grown in the greenhouse.

In order not to walk with a hose throughout the greenhouse, you can also make a water supply layout during design.

Ventilation

The greenhouse ventilation system is an important part of creating a comfortable microclimate for plants. Although a polycarbonate greenhouse is considered a winter greenhouse, it is usually used all year round. In the summer, it is very important to prevent overheating and over-humidification of the air - for this, a ventilation system is needed in the building.

In polycarbonate greenhouses, several opening window modules are made in the roof or upper part of the wall. They are equipped with automatic valves that open and close the windows depending on the air temperature. This allows you to ventilate the room and keep the plants fresh.

It is desirable that the ventilation provides for the possibility of strong and weak ventilation

Video description

How to choose the right greenhouse, watch the video:

Video description

A few more words about choosing high-quality polycarbonate:

This might be interesting! In the article at the following link, read about polycarbonate greenhouses.

Heated traditional greenhouse and its innovative design

A heated greenhouse will really enhance your yield. And its construction is simple and inexpensive. Therefore, its construction will not require special skill, but only the desire to enjoy the harvest, fresh salads and berries. Moreover, a year-round model would be ideal. However, a heated greenhouse is also a winning move.

It is only important to correctly determine the location of their placement. This will reward the owners with an early harvest and save on heating costs. Therefore, it is advisable to do it where it is as calm and sunny as possible. Often, prudent gardeners prefer to attach a greenhouse to the always warm wall of a heated house. At the same time, the costs of supplying heating to it are further reduced. Although this wall must be insulated from greenhouse moisture.

Types of heating

The biological method heats the greenhouse in winter through the exothermic reaction of biological fuel and air. For example, when rotting, horse manure retains +60ºС and retains it for up to six months. Sawdust, straw and their mixture with composted household waste are also used. This cheap way to heat a greenhouse is also the most beneficial for plants.

Technical heating is more diverse:

They prefer to heat the greenhouse with electricity Installing heaters or cable circuits along the foundation is an option for heated floors. Although excessive humidity and the high cost of electricity are dangerous here.

You can arrange stove heating yourself. For example, lay a brick firebox in the vestibule and run the chimney along the greenhouse. Then a heated greenhouse with your own hands will always be heated by carbon monoxide rushing towards the chimney. At the same time, a safe distance from the chimney to plants and walls is maintained - at least half a meter.

An improved type - greenhouses with water heating. Here, the water heating boiler and the pipes connected to it circulate heated water from above and along the walls, then again to the heater (gas, electric or stove). And the expansion tank at the highest point guarantees the required pressure.

Gas heating is efficient but energy intensive. After all, greenhouses heated with gas are heated by burning it in a boiler. Pros: uniform heating of the air, enriching it with carbon dioxide, which increases productivity.

A greenhouse heated by a home boiler is economical if it is attached to the wall of the house or close to it. By the way, insulating external pipes will reduce heat loss. It is clear that the boiler’s power should be enough for this warm greenhouse.

Construction materials

To build a greenhouse structure, you will need coarse aggregate (crushed stone) and fine aggregate (sand). The cement will also ensure the strength of the foundation. Optimally, this is a strip foundation more than half a meter deep: after all, the structure itself is light. You also need to make a heat-insulating “cushion” of expanded clay and sand.
Ceramic (red) brick is needed for the plinth above the foundation. It is usually laid out in 3 rows. By the way, moisture-resistant brick is less susceptible to deformation from steam and temperature.
Film structures retain heat poorly and are broken by wind, snow, and icing. Then the crop will die. Therefore, they prefer to cover the winter greenhouse with more reliable material. For example, double coating with an elastic special film with a guarantee of more than 8 years.
Glass is a traditional coating. Moreover, double glazing is mandatory. After all, a layer of air between 2 glasses will save precious heat and money for heating. When thinking about how to build a winter greenhouse, you also need to design ventilation transoms.
Cellular polycarbonate is the latest coating for greenhouses. This year-round greenhouse is the most reliable. Factory samples are equipped with an improved, powerful design and are easy to assemble with your own hands.

This material retains heat better, so the problem of how to heat the greenhouse is simplified. After all, heating such a polycarbonate structure is less expensive: this polycarbonate will retain heat even at -40ºС. For greater protection of plants and saving money when insulating, an additional internal insulating layer can be made from film.

Heating a greenhouse in winter with a diesel gun (video)

Heated structure design

The frame for the winter greenhouse should also be durable: made of metal or wood.

Glass, cellular polycarbonate or film are attached to it. Pipes and a boiler heat the winter greenhouses.

Already when designing, we are guided by energy saving and expediency.

Therefore, projects with a pitched roof facing south are popular. Then the sun's rays hit it almost at a right angle and heat the greenhouse as much as possible. Let the northern vertical wall be opaque, and insulated from the inside with an insulator covered with foil, which ideally reflects heat and light onto the beds.

It is better to make the frame and its racks from thin pipes: they are light but reliable. Although high-strength plastic is also good. The correct shape of the frame will increase energy savings and yield. Therefore, when building a greenhouse with your own hands, make the roof slope more than 30 degrees. Then the snow will not linger, as, indeed, on the popular arched greenhouses. After all, a snow load can destroy a winter greenhouse. Nowadays, the most in demand are frames constructed from a profile pipe by welding. The arch is formed by bending pipes with a cross section of 20x40 mm. But a year-round arched greenhouse will become stronger with corner posts made of 40x40 pipes.

Lighting affects the yield. And a winter day is 3-6 hours, and this is not enough for plants. Therefore, plant growers recommend taking care of artificial lighting that is comfortable for the crops being grown and beneficial for gardeners. The range of lamps is large: from ordinary light bulbs to LEDs. Their rational arrangement will especially increase the harvest of light-loving plants that will be close to light sources.

So, many are interested in how to build a heated greenhouse. It will increase the amount of harvest. After all, the goal is to build a winter greenhouse at a minimum cost, and the season for collecting vitamins will become endless.

Economical heating or how to keep warm in Siberia (video)

Winter greenhouses with heating

These characteristics make it possible to set up a winter greenhouse for growing flowers or heated greenhouses for vegetable crops. A winter greenhouse with heating allows you to be ahead of your competitors by almost a month when collecting and selling early vegetables in the spring.

Thanks to this efficiency, winter greenhouses are in demand not only on farms in Moscow, the Moscow region and other regions of Russia, but also on plots in country and garden cooperatives and partnerships, as well as in private house construction. This is explained by the fact that the construction and heating of a polycarbonate greenhouse in winter can be ordered from specialized enterprises or done on your own if you have the appropriate engineering and construction skills.

In any case, if you are not confident in your own skills, it is better to entrust the installation and insulation of greenhouses to specialized enterprises.

At the New Forms company in Moscow, you can select from a catalog, order production, or buy a ready-made greenhouse for the winter period with subsequent installation of a heating system. Here you can also choose the necessary types of polycarbonate and profiles from the best manufacturers in Russia and abroad for independent arrangement of polycarbonate greenhouses for winter heating. The company has its own production base, which, along with direct supplies of covering material and profiles, allows us to set one of the lowest prices in Russia for all types of products and proposed building materials for greenhouse structures of any configuration.

Types of heating

A heated greenhouse in spring and winter requires different amounts of thermal energy. Let's look at what types of heating for greenhouses exist, and depending on the location of the farm, the area of the greenhouse and the crops grown, you can independently decide which heating is better in the spring and which is better during the winter cold. But not all heating methods allow you to regulate the heating mode.

Bioheating

This is the simplest and most natural option, which allows you to increase the temperature of the organic layer of soil - the so-called warm beds. Microorganisms contained in compost or manure, which fertilize the soil, in the process of vital activity contribute to the decomposition of these organic fertilizers with the release of thermal energy. The heat generated by the layer of organic matter is sufficient to heat the root system of garden crops.

But it’s not just the root system of plants that needs a comfortable microclimate. Moreover, in those regions where spring is slightly less severe than winter, biofuel can only serve as an auxiliary form of heating.

Furnace heating system

Quite effective for a small home greenhouse, where the heat generated from the combustion of solid fuel is directed into a channel equipped in the ground under the root system. When the furnace body is heated, part of the heat enters the room. The stove is mounted with a recess in the ground. Temperature adjustment is not possible.

Water heating

Provides effective heating in winter and spring for greenhouses of any size if the power of the heating boiler is correctly selected. Depending on the type of fuel, the boiler can be gas, electric, liquid or solid fuel. The water heated by it is supplied through pipes to a pipeline installed under the ground or to radiators. It is possible to simultaneously use radiators and a piping system based on the principle of underfloor heating.

Provides the necessary general microclimate for all types of crops located indoors. Adjustment is possible depending on weather conditions.

Electric heating

Installation of resistive cables is carried out under the ground, similar to a heated floor, as well as along walls. It is possible to lay ready-made heating mats under the ground. In the latter case, it is possible to regulate heating not only by season, but also by type of crop when installing independent sensors and settings for planting zones.

Heat gun

Gas, electric or liquid fuel fan heaters of direct or indirect heating are rarely used due to high energy consumption, mainly as a backup heat source when the outside temperature drops sharply.

Heat pump

Very expensive equipment that draws heat from soil and reservoirs heated over the summer. Heat pumps as environmentally friendly heating systems are used primarily for housing, and at the same time for a greenhouse, if there is one. But at low temperatures, more efficient heat sources are needed.

Solar collector

The greenhouse provides heat only during the daytime. To maintain the temperature at night, it is necessary to have other heating sources.

Can I use IR?

Infrared (IR) heating is one of the most effective for greenhouse premises, which is becoming increasingly popular in Moscow and the Moscow region. IR ray emitters act on plants and soil not indirectly - through air, water, but directly - by being absorbed by opaque objects. Most of the heat from IR emitters instantly reaches its target - heating both plants and soil at the same time.

IR heating provides the following benefits:

uniform heating of the entire volume of the room;
avoiding dry air;
suppression of the vital activity of microorganisms dangerous to vegetable and flower crops;
transfer of heat from heated soil, plants, and the body of a greenhouse structure into the air by convection;
close to natural solar heating of plants.

Types of IR heating

If you need a structure that is heated almost naturally using the principle of solar heating, we recommend insulating the greenhouse with IR emitters. Film or tape emitters are mounted in the ceiling of the greenhouse, while case emitters are mobile, and the height of their position can be adjusted after installation on the walls.

Thanks to their spherical surface, case-based IR emitters provide greater uniformity in heating the room, while strip emitters are more economical and heat the soil perfectly and evenly. The use of these and other models of emitters allows us to solve almost all problems of the greenhouse heating system.

Depending on the energy source, IR heating can be easily installed with your own hands based on an electric, gas or liquid fuel power system.

There are no similar homemade products

Do you think that in our time, when any vegetables and fruits are available in stores all year round, the greenhouse is a relic of the past?

This means that you have never tried truly fresh, environmentally friendly vegetables, filled with the warmth of kind, hardworking hands.

A winter greenhouse is a simple but very useful structure that will allow you to enjoy fresh sources of vitamins all year round.

Distinctive qualities of a winter greenhouse

A winter greenhouse is a more durable and reliable structure compared to. Its obligatory elements are a foundation and the presence of heating.

The type of foundation depends on the type of greenhouse. For a wooden frame, a simple tie may be sufficient. For a permanent brick building, you will have to build a monolithic foundation.

The roof of the greenhouse should have a streamlined shape so that large amounts of snow do not accumulate on it.

If you plan to grow several types of plants in one building, then the right solution would be to provide internal partitions.

Building options

Today, there are many different options for building winter greenhouses with your own hands. Which one is better to choose is determined by a number of factors.

Functionality

In winter greenhouses you can grow not only the usual vegetable crops, but also flowers, mushrooms, and even exotic trees.

The construction process and internal arrangement of the future greenhouse directly depends on what crops you intend it for.

Location relative to ground level

The greenhouse can be deepened into the ground, it can be located on the surface of the ground, and in the third option, these are greenhouses located on existing buildings: garages, verandas, sheds, etc.

According to architectural solution

Greenhouses can be: arched, horizontal, single-, double- or triple-sloped, as well as combined, wall-mounted, etc. Here everything depends on the imagination and material capabilities of the master.

By type of building materials

These can be buildings made of brick or wood, with a frame made of metal or PVC materials. They can be glazed or covered with polycarbonate.

By heating type

Types of heating in a winter greenhouse can be very diverse:

oven;
gas;
water;
electric heating.

The photo shows water heating in a do-it-yourself winter greenhouse

By planting method

Plants can be planted in regular beds or in containers, which are usually placed on special racks.

Selecting a location and preparing for construction

The greenhouse must be positioned in such a way that as much sunlight as possible penetrates through its covering and provides sufficient illumination for the plants.

In this case, it becomes possible to save money by avoiding the need to install additional lighting.

The orientation of the building from west to east will make the most of the scarce rays of the winter sun.

It is no secret that cold winds contribute to large heat losses. Therefore, by placing the greenhouse in a place protected from the wind, you can save money spent on heating.

If there is such a possibility, then a very rational solution would be to place the greenhouse near the wall of a house or some other structure. A south, south-east or south-west wall is suitable for this.

The building should not be located near trees. Their root system can destroy the foundation, and snow and fruits falling from the branches can damage the coating.

Try not to install the greenhouse in lowlands with high groundwater levels. This can cause the humidity to be too high and harm the plants.

Choosing the type of heating

Heating a greenhouse is perhaps the most difficult, costly and time-consuming issue. But the productivity of the future structure directly depends on how correctly the type of heating is selected.

There are many heating options. Each of them has both its positive aspects and disadvantages.

It is worth choosing the type of heating individually in each specific case, taking into account a number of individual characteristics: climate zone, financial capabilities, type of plants grown, etc.

Solar heating- the simplest and cheapest way. However, in buildings intended for growing plants all year round, such heating can only be used as an additional heat source in combination with the main heating.
Biological heating. This type of heating can also only be additional in winter buildings. Heat is released as a result of the decomposition of biologically active substances, or, to put it simply, due to the decomposition of manure. When manure is broken down, carbon dioxide is also released, which is very necessary for plants, and evaporation occurs, which helps moisten the soil.
Electric heating. This is the most popular and effective heating method. When installing it, you can use various electrical appliances: air heaters, convectors, cable heating, infrared heating, heat pump heating, water heating. The latter type is also classified as electric types of heating. Since the water in the system is heated by electricity.
Air heating. This is a professional type of heating, which is installed immediately when laying the foundation and supporting structures. Warm air is supplied to the middle and upper parts of the greenhouse using heating and ventilation units.
Gas heating. Heating occurs by burning gas in gas heaters directly in the greenhouse. This method requires the installation of a ventilation system to avoid oxygen burnout.
Stove heating. This is a fairly economical heating method that allows you to use various materials as fuel: wood, coal, gas, etc. Its disadvantage is the strong heating of the furnace walls.

You can find out how it is built in our material. Detailed instructions for implementing the project, photos and video materials.

Lavender is often used in landscape design: planting and care, propagation features and species composition of the plant, you can read our article.

Selecting material for tightening the greenhouse

The material for tightening the greenhouse is selected depending on the chosen design.

However, there are general requirements for all materials:

good light transmission;
resistance to various types of deformations (snow, wind, unexpected ground movements);
ability to withstand sudden temperature fluctuations;
ability to withstand the load of its own weight;
ease of operation and installation;
price;
service life;

Let's look at the most common types of coatings.

Glass - a tribute to traditions

This is a traditional material that is ideal for glazing frames made of wood or metal corners. Glass should be colorless with a thickness of at least 4 mm.

Glass greenhouse

The advantages of glass include: high light transmittance, good thermal insulation properties, long service life.

The disadvantage is that for glazing you will need to build a fairly strong frame. In addition, glass has a high cost.

Polymer films

This coating is lightweight and does not require the construction of bulky structures. They diffuse sunlight quite well.

The downside is rapid wear and formation of condensation inside the room.

Cellular polycarbonate

This is the most modern material, combining all the positive qualities of glass and film, and even surpassing them in some respects.

In the video, a winter greenhouse made of polycarbonate is the most popular option for building it yourself.

Polycarbonate building

Do-it-yourself winter greenhouses made of polycarbonate have the following advantages:

allows for high light transparency and dispersion of sunlight, which allows plants to make maximum use of solar energy;
thermal insulation properties exceed those of glass;
provides structures with both lightness, flexibility and high strength;
has a long service life.

It is quite possible to build a winter greenhouse from polycarbonate. The choice of location for construction is made according to the general rules for greenhouses.

Construction begins with laying the foundation. It can be built from timber, stone, brick or other materials. But the strip foundation is considered the most reliable and durable.

The main stages of its construction:

a trench 50 cm deep and 20 cm wide is dug around the perimeter;
wooden formwork is installed;
the bottom of the trench is lined with a cushion of sand 30 cm high;
concrete is poured.

To add strength, concrete can be reinforced.

After 3-4 weeks, when the foundation has acquired sufficient strength, you can begin directly building the frame.

A frame made of wooden beams is cheaper than a metal one. However, metal is considered more practical.

The metal profile is attached with self-tapping screws to pre-prepared fastenings on the foundation. Stiffening ribs are attached.

Polycarbonate panels are attached to the finished frame. Polycarbonate is cut with a regular saw or jigsaw. The mounting holes are drilled with a drill. Fastening is done with special self-tapping screws with thermal washers.

The final step will be to cover the joints with perforated self-adhesive tape for additional thermal insulation and sealing.

When building the frame, do not forget about doors and windows.

Be sure to consider the heating, irrigation and lighting systems before construction.

As you can see, building a winter greenhouse is not such a difficult matter. It is quite feasible for a person who knows how to hold a drill, hammer and saw in his hands, but he will still have to work hard.

But later, your efforts will be fully rewarded when in winter you will have fresh vegetables and fruits grown with your own hands on your table.

Most energy efficient design

Energy saving materials

Thermos project - greenhouses

Greenhouse insulation

Insulation

Installation of heating equipment

The best heating system

The process of assembling or installing a heating system

What is a winter greenhouse?

What to grow?

Video review of a winter greenhouse for growing flowers

Foundation for a winter greenhouse

Foundation preparation

Video on how to make a foundation for a greenhouse

Winter greenhouse frame

What kind of frame should I make?

Wooden frame

Plastic frame

How to install the frame?

How to make a wooden frame for a winter greenhouse with your own hands

Material for winter greenhouse

Winter greenhouse "Thermos"

Construction of a gable polycarbonate greenhouse on a foundation

Heating a winter greenhouse

Soil thermal insulation

Types of heating for a winter greenhouse

Air heating

Circuit (water) heating

Subsoil heating

Combined heating

An example of contour heating of a greenhouse using water

How to heat?

Electricity

Stove

Infrared heating of a greenhouse video

Lighting in a winter greenhouse

Additional lighting in a winter greenhouse video

Watering in a winter greenhouse

An example of an irrigation system in a winter greenhouse for growing flowers

Features of greenhouses and their types

Main types of premises

Disadvantages and advantages of the structure

Selecting a site for construction

What material to use

Start of construction

Building construction technology

Introductory video review

Electric heating

Air heating of greenhouses

Biological heating

Sunny

Water heating for a greenhouse

Video guide

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User comments:

The procedure for building a winter greenhouse with heating with your own hands - from the selection of materials to installation

What to consider before starting construction

Light mode

Rose of Wind

Ease of access to the greenhouse

Heating option

Features of the selection of materials and installation of the greenhouse

Foundation

Tape

Columnar (pile)

Frame

Wood

Metal

Plastic

Sheathing

Engineering systems

Greenhouse heating options

Water heating

Heating cable

IR heating

Heating with biofuel

Conclusion

Greenhouse for winter growing vegetables

Design differences between summer and winter greenhouses