What to replace a greenhouse with - three affordable options

Proper care is very important for plants, especially at the early stage of their development. Spring return frosts can ruin the future harvest. To prevent this from happening, greenhouses are built. In addition, vegetables ripen in them earlier than in open ground.



Currently, the market offers a huge variety of greenhouses of different shapes and sizes, made from all sorts of materials. From portable structures, they have practically moved into the category of stationary structures with a complex irrigation and heating system.

The acquisition of such a necessary object in the household can hurt the family budget. Meanwhile, there are affordable options to replace the greenhouse.
 

A good alternative to expensive polycarbonate greenhouses can be mini-greenhouses and garden tunnels covered with non-woven fabric or polyethylene film. They are mainly used for growing heat-loving crops, such as tomatoes, peppers and cucumbers. They also protect seedlings, early greens and herbs from wind and bad weather.

Unlike greenhouses, which are most often heated, the air inside greenhouses is heated by accumulating solar heat. And although some winter-hardy crops can be grown in them until late autumn, such as, for example, lettuce or beetroot, these structures are not suitable for overwintering vegetables.
 

Mini-greenhouses and film tunnels can be easily made by yourself. So, to build the first ones, as soon as the snow melts, put arcs of reinforcement on the beds and stretch a film or non-woven fabric over them. Some gardeners do not even put arcs, but simply cover the beds with agrofibre or film.

Thanks to such a cover, the soil warms up two weeks earlier than without it, and the temperature inside is 10 ° C higher than outside. However, this simplicity has its downside: in warm weather, the greenhouse must be opened so that the seeds do not die from the heat.

For growing early vegetables, it is better to use polyethylene garden tunnels, in the construction of which arches and arcs made of plastic pipes are used (you can cut gymnastic hoops in half), on top of which a film or spunbond is stretched.

For greater efficiency, a layer of manure can be placed in the bed under the tunnel, covering it with 30-40 cm of fertile soil. This "biofuel" will warm the soil, which will allow you to grow good seedlings and get an early harvest.

Film tunnels can be high and low. The former protect plants from over-watering and low temperatures in spring and autumn, the latter heat the soil and provide the necessary microclimate for growing vegetables.
 

Warm beds can also be a good alternative to a greenhouse; it is enough to cover them with polyethylene or non-woven material from above. Due to the heat that is released during the decomposition of organic matter under the soil layer, a favorable microclimate is created for the growth and development of plants.

However, warm beds can be built not only in open ground, but also in closed ground. Then the vegetables planted there will ripen faster.

There are three types of warm beds: recessed, high and hilly. The principle of their construction is almost the same: the bed is raised above ground level, sides made of wood or other materials are installed along its perimeter, and it is filled with organic matter and fertile soil.

A high bed is best suited as a replacement for a greenhouse: arcs can be installed along its sides, which can be covered with film or spunbond in cool weather.
 

It is recommended to lay warm beds in the fall in September-October, so that the organic remains laid in them rot by spring.

For early spring plantings, make a compost bed 50-60 cm high, because the higher it is, the better the plants feel on it. The fence should be 10 cm higher than the fence itself. An open place with at least 5 hours of sun per day is best suited for such a bed.

Around the perimeter, install a frame knocked together from boards or other material. On the bottom, regardless of the type of structure, lay a fine metal mesh to protect the plants from rodents and moles. Then fill the bed layer by layer.

In the first drainage layer 10-15 cm wide, place branches, chips, crushed tree bark or fallen leaves. Then - organic matter: manure, compost, bird droppings or a mixture of organic fertilizers. The third layer is drainage again, followed by organic matter with the addition of complex mineral fertilizer. Lastly, lay fertile soil on the bed, the layer of which should be at least 20 cm.

The composition and sequence of layers can change. The main thing is that there is drainage at the bottom.

To allow the layers to settle, water the prepared bed generously and leave for several days. Then cover it with a dark, dense material (black agrofibre is suitable), under which the soil will warm up. In this form, the bed can be left until spring.

For ease of installation of the arcs, attach boards with pre-drilled holes to the edges of the frame.

Other types of warm beds can be built using this principle.
 

A simple structure such as a cold frame is also suitable for germinating seeds, protecting cuttings and seedlings from low temperatures. It is mainly used in early spring to help plants adapt faster.

Early vegetables and greens are also grown in such frames, and they can also be moved from place to place. Therefore, they are often placed directly on flower beds in the garden, and then moved to another in accordance with the planting schedule.

It is not difficult to build a cold frame with a transparent cover made of film, glass or polycarbonate. Knock together a box from boards 40-50 cm high, attach a lid to it. Often such a structure is made from window frames that remain after installing double-glazed windows.

The lid for the box can also be made from polycarbonate, simply cutting it to the required size. It doesn't even need additional fastening: it's simply placed on top.

Place the cold frame on a sunny bed, arranging it lengthwise from east to west. You can also make it warm for growing seedlings, radishes and early greens. To do this, place a twice as large layer of biofuel from manure and plant residues under the fertile layer of 20 cm.

Straw bales can also be used as a frame, if, of course, space allows. This material retains heat and moisture well. Window frames or polycarbonate can serve as a cover for such a structure.

Winter gardens and orangeries can be a kind of replacement for a greenhouse, and seedlings are generally grown on a windowsill. But whichever option you choose, follow the rule of an experienced gardener: make your alternative greenhouse a little larger in size: in a short period of time you will find something to fill it with.