Polycarbonate greenhouse beds

Every summer resident wants to grow early greens, berries and fresh vegetables on his site. Climatic conditions are not always conducive to this. Therefore, polycarbonate greenhouses are now very popular, which provides optimal sunlight, warm air and heat retention in the soil. The rich harvest that can be grown in such greenhouses will be the reward for the labor invested.

It is necessary to think in advance, even at the first design stage, how the beds will be located in the polycarbonate greenhouse. When planning the placement of the beds, it is necessary to take into account such points.

1. Orientation to the cardinal points. The penetration of sunlight into the greenhouse directly depends on this moment. Tall crops should be located from north to south, undersized crops from east to west.
2. The width of the beds. This size depends on the width of the greenhouse. The optimal bed width is 90 cm, and in narrow greenhouses the bed can be made 45-50 centimeters wide.
3. Passage between the beds. It should be at least 45-50 centimeters.

Polycarbonate greenhouses are planned so that as much of the usable area as possible is usable. Therefore, they use not only low beds, but also racks of various designs.

Polycarbonate greenhouses are available in 3 meters wide, 4, 6 and 8 meters long. The most popular are greenhouses measuring 3x4 meters. The height of the greenhouses is 2.1 m. The location of the greenhouse from east to west is optimal.

Convenient width of aisles between the beds is 45-50 centimeters. This distance allows you to work normally with plants. You can sit down and not damage the shoots. If a wheelbarrow is used in the greenhouse, then the width must be 90 centimeters. The width of the ridge is recommended to be no more than 1 meter, otherwise, when working with plants, you will have to step on the ground, and this will damage the plantings.

There are several rules for placing beds in a greenhouse. And these rules apply to greenhouse designs of all sizes. It is important to choose the correct height of the beds, and this depends on the type of soil.

1. Low beds - their height is 10-15 cm. They can be built on fertile soils, provided that the groundwater is low. In this case, filling the boxes with special soil is not provided.
2. Medium beds - height from 25 to 30 cm. Used for plants with shallow roots, with low soil fertility.
3. High beds - up to 60 cm high. They are used in areas with low fertility or marshy soils. Recommended for plants with long root systems.
4. Boxes 80 cm high - are installed for growing early plants, they warm up quickly, plants can be planted in them early enough.

There are several options for arranging the beds.

The American doctor D. Mitlider spent 50 years experimenting on the layout of the beds. And this is what he concluded: the ideal width for the beds is 45 cm, and the distance for the passage between them is 90 cm. Landings are placed in only two strips.The edge of the garden bed is decorated with a side up to 10 cm high.

This arrangement allows the plants to be saturated with sunlight, ventilate and not interfere with each other. The beds must be correctly positioned, strictly in the direction from north to south. It is necessary to make the surface perfectly flat, without steps and slopes. Due to regular watering and correctly selected fertilizers, a good harvest is obtained.

The optimal size of the box for plants: width - 1.5 m, height - 40 cm. Such beds need to be watered vigorously, but their great advantage is that they warm up quickly, and they are not afraid of pests. These ridges are optimal for drip irrigation. The pipe is installed in the middle of each ridge and the water spreads evenly.

If the soil is unsuitable for growing plants or the level of groundwater is high, high beds are installed in the greenhouse. Each strip must be fenced with durable material, and covered with fertile soil inside. A common option for a high ridge is a rack, which is easy to make with your own hands. The racks are built in different sizes and shapes, depending on the planted plants.

It is convenient to arrange low-growing plants in several tiers, therefore it is important to optimize the space above the floor. Since the lower tier is little illuminated by sunlight, it is often used to store equipment. At a distance of 70 cm from the floor, they arrange suspensions for pots, shelves for boxes, frame systems. When installing the racks, take into account the height of the plants and boxes.

The main requirement when decorating high beds is the penetration of light and air to the plants. Optimizing the space inside the greenhouse allows you to arrange planting in a convenient and affordable way. When using tall beds, it is convenient to tie plants.

What can high ridges be used for?

1. For growing strawberries and legumes on shelves or hanging pots.
2. For planting vegetables and berries in a frame in which pots, plastic bottles, pipes and gutters are fixed.
3. For placing seedlings on racks, inside which shelves with sides are attached. It is also possible to install pots with herbs on them.

Many summer residents want to increase the period of growing crops. For this, warm beds with thermal cushions are used. The temperature inside the greenhouse becomes higher, the air and the ground warm up well, as the organic "pillow" generates a lot of heat. This allows plants to be planted earlier than traditional beds. "Pillows" are made from various raw materials. They are of several types.

When forming such a "pillow" use horse, cow, pig or sheep manure. When warming up, the temperature of the manure reaches 50-70 degrees, and then 15-20 days it keeps at around 30 degrees. For a more intensive decomposition process, a third of sawdust with straw is added to the manure.

This requires:

• put a 15-centimeter layer of sawdust on the bottom of the bed;
• then lay out a layer of manure with a height of 30 cm;
• seal thoroughly;
• spill boiling water;
• withstand two days;
• fill up fertile soil (soil mixture consisting of sod land, peat, humus and sawdust, or ready-made soil).

Here, the basis is the simplest raw materials that can be easily found at any summer cottage. The "pillow" is made of several layers:

• waste of boards, twigs, bark, hemp, that is, finely chopped wood;
• food waste, weeds (without seeds), tops;
• paper, sawdust, fallen leaves, rags;
• accelerators with urea.

The "pillow" is tamped and covered with a dark film for warming up. Withstand 7 days. After these actions, the soil is laid out on the "pillow" with a layer of 30 cm and the seedlings are planted. Plants are very comfortable in a warm bed.

Technical equipment can also be used to equip warm beds. It is used when there is not enough biological heating. Pipes are laid into the greenhouse through which warm water passes. The water comes from the heating boiler. Or the pipes are replaced with a thermal cable that heats the greenhouse.

The beds must be fenced with high-quality fencing. This creates even edges, prevents soil shedding and allows for more yield. Fencing also protects plants from rodents and weeds.

Fencing methods are different.

1. Finished aluminum sides. They are durable, their resistance does not depend on heat and humidity. They can be selected for the required size. Service life is about 20 years. Ease of installation, durability and aesthetic appearance have won the recognition of greenhouse owners.
2. The sides are made of boards. Most frequently used. The boards are connected and attached to pegs that are driven into the ground. The method is simple, but short-lived, since in a warm microclimate the boards quickly rot, they are enough for one season.
3. Bumpers made of slate and other building materials. Often used by thrifty owners. Remains of slate or sheets of metal profile are cut into strips according to the required dimensions and placed along the edges of the beds. Such sides are durable, but traumatic, you can cut yourself on sharp edges. The height of such sides can be made up to 50 cm.
4. Glass bottle rims. Bottles, pre-filled with water, are half-buried in the ground. A double effect is created. The bottles serve as a fence, and the water in them, heated during the day, warms the soil at night. For better heat transfer, dark glass bottles are suitable.
5. Concrete sides. First, the formwork is mounted, into which liquid concrete is then poured. Strong, durable and beautiful. Just take into account that such sides are not understandable. Therefore, when it is necessary to change the seasonal soil, it will need to be thrown over such a fence.

For information on how to make beds in a greenhouse, see the next video.