Forgotten old - underground greenhouse. How to make a warm underground greenhouse with your own hands Do-it-yourself greenhouses in the ground technology

One of the best, as well as rational options in the matter of construction is considered to be an underground greenhouse similar to a thermos.

It implements the idea of preserving the heat of the earth itself. After all, it is no secret that at some depth the average temperature indicator almost does not change throughout the year, remaining almost constant there in winter and summer. The use of this factor in allows you to get huge savings in funds that go to heating in the winter, such a greenhouse is easy maintenance and a stable microclimate in its interior.

Tools and materials

Before starting the construction of the greenhouse, it is necessary to dig a pit, at least 2 m deep - only there the soil has the same temperature throughout the year.

cement;
sand;
shovel;
container;
Master OK;
plaster;
Styrofoam;
thermoblocks;
polycarbonate;
thermal insulation film;
protective impregnation for wood;
nails;
hammer;
dye;
self-tapping screws;
scotch.

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Greenhouse technology

Underground greenhouses involve the preparation of a pit. The deeper the future greenhouse will be located, the warmer the structure will be. The temperature practically does not change at a depth of 2-2.5 m from the surface of the earth.

Such a greenhouse can have any length, but the width of the structure should not exceed 5 meters. If this value is exceeded, light reflection and heating will be much weaker than necessary for plant comfort.

If possible, underground structures should be oriented to the east-west, in this case one of the sides of the greenhouse will be maximally illuminated by the sun, while the reverse side should be carefully insulated using mineral wool or foam.

Underground structures must have aligned edges, since the foundation is to be poured, which can be replaced with concrete blocks laid out around the perimeter, on these blocks, and the frame of such a recessed type greenhouse is installed.

After the foundation is ready, you can proceed with the construction of the upper part of the structure, which will be made up of thermal blocks installed on a concrete base, they are fixed on a metal frame. The roof on the greenhouse must be installed from polycarbonate, it must be installed on a metal frame with a crate.

The next step will be the insulation of the structure. After that, the inside of the walls should be covered with a thermal insulation film, it will be able to keep the heat inside. And in those regions that are characterized by a particularly cold climate, it is preferable to use foil thick thermal film, strengthening it in a couple of layers. However, such wrapping will need to be applied only for the winter. It is desirable that the greenhouse be equipped with heat accumulators, which can be water bottles, as they heat up quickly enough, cooling slowly. You can put an ordinary barrel of water. Such a greenhouse can also be heated using a floor heating system - an electric cable located under the soil. It will be important to protect it from damage that can be caused by garden tools during work. This can be done using a regular mesh, you can protect the cable using concrete. can be installed under tiles, and plants can be grown in flowerpots and pots.

To heat the greenhouse, a combined heating method is used, which helps to maintain an optimal balance between the temperature of the earth and air.

However, buried greenhouses are usually heated in a combined way, in which soil and air heating systems are used. It is important to remember that the plants will feel comfortable in the soil, which has a temperature of 25 ° C, while the air should have a temperature of 25 to 35 ° C, and the optimum humidity must also be observed.

The next step will be the construction of the roof. Polycarbonate will become a universal coating for such a greenhouse. Sheets of this material can be up to 12 meters in length, without forming unnecessary joints, which will exclude the penetration of drafts. To reduce heat loss through the roof, double-coated polycarbonate can be used. To do this, you need to use two 4 mm polycarbonate sheets, connecting them with a special profile gasket. In order to achieve snow melting on such a surface, it is possible to equip a thermal circuit that will work on a timer.

Details of rafters must be well treated with protective impregnation. Their connection to each other should be made in half a tree, nailing the jumper in such a way that the distance in the lower part is equal to the limit of 3-5 cm.

A support is assembled from the rafters. Jumpers from the rafters should be removed. After that, a ridge beam should be inserted under the rafters, front supports should be installed under it, the height of which will be 88 cm. The extreme rafters will have to be nailed to the ridge beam using nails 20 cm long.

Then, between the flashings and the rafters, it is necessary to install jumpers - on the burs and the front support. After the roof can be painted using white paint. After the paint has dried, you can proceed with the installation of the roof, which will close the greenhouse. Strengthening polycarbonate to the greenhouse should be done with wood screws, you should first drill holes in it.

After the above work, a corner made of roofing iron should be installed on the roof along the ridge bursa, using a gasket made of high-quality insulation. And at the ends of the structure, the polycarbonate should be left unscrewed until the roof is attached to the corner supports.

The inside of the greenhouse is made completely airtight, sealing the seams of the foundation and masonry of thermoblocks with mounting foam.

The joints of polycarbonate sheets with the roof and with each other must be glued using transparent adhesive tape. After the roof can be installed on the greenhouse, it can be fixed to the walls using nails and staples. This should be done on both sides.

After that, triangular polycarbonate sheets can be sewn on top of the staples.

It is important to make the greenhouse airtight, without drafts. To do this, the seams in the foundation and masonry of thermoblocks should be removed using plaster, you can also use mounting foam. The roof should also be devoid of gaps. You can finish by conducting electricity, installing heating appliances and automatic irrigation. The lack of lighting will be filled with LED lamps.

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Design features of the greenhouse

The foundation of a buried greenhouse should have a block or monolithic tape. The depth for its laying should be equal to 400 mm or more. The recommended foundation cement is M300 or M400. With all the obvious advantages, such greenhouses also have significant drawbacks, among which are the significant labor costs that are noted during the construction of the structure, as well as the impossibility in the conditions of sites that are characterized by a high level of groundwater and a high risk of seasonal floods.

The guide and rack profiles for drywall can be used in greenhouse construction in areas that are characterized by mild winters with little snow. This is due to the qualities of the material, including: strength; ease of installation; light weight; low price; wear resistance.

The design may have a supporting frame with a gable roof, in which transoms are provided for ventilation. If the greenhouse will have a compact size (up to 4 m in length), it is allowed to limit itself to only one transom, which is preferable to be made not on the roof surface, but on the wall, which is located on the opposite side of the entrance. Such greenhouses often have vertical posts, a ridge beam and rafters, the material for which is a CD profile with a section of 60x27 for drywall. This material can be successfully used in sections for diagonal ties. Horizontal components should be made using a UD profile, which should be properly sized. The step between adjacent sections should be 1000 mm.

Cellular polycarbonate must be overlapped, which can be a maximum of 30 mm, due to the susceptibility of this material to thermal expansion. The holes and seams of the joints to strengthen the plastic to the frame must be treated with a sealant, which will help prevent water and dust from entering the internal space of the honeycomb material.

The main drawback of this design is that the profile does not cope well with the load in the form of a snow cap. Therefore, such a roof should be strengthened with additional pillars-supports.

In order for such a design to meet all the requirements of reliability, it is recommended to use a reinforced profile as the material that will form the basis of the frame, the thickness of which should be equal to 0.6 mm or higher. It is perfect for the manufacture of corner posts and strapping circuits. To save money, all other elements of the frame can also be made from a thinner profile, the thickness of which can be equal to 0.5 mm.

The temperature of the soil at a depth of several meters remains almost the same all year round. Naturally, it decreases in winter, but it is not subject to such strong fluctuations as the atmospheric one, and does not fall below zero. The thermos greenhouse deepened into the ground allows the most efficient use of this effect.

It makes it possible to significantly reduce the cost of heating a greenhouse facility and, despite the Russian winter cold, grow citrus fruits and other tropical plants year-round.

A variety of greenhouse structures in Russia have been used for more than a century. The laurels of the inventor of the underground greenhouse with a thermos effect are attributed to Anatoly Vasilievich Patiy.

Back in the Soviet years, this scientist became interested in growing lemons in greenhouse conditions. Over the past half century, he has worked out the technology of cultivating citrus fruits in the middle lane and brought out several of their varieties. It was he who proposed the modern design of the Thermos underground greenhouse.

However, underground greenhouses for year-round gardening were known in Russia even before the October Revolution. They successfully grew pineapples and other heat-loving plants exotic for our country. And they did it on such a scale that they even managed to export products to European countries.

The modern interpretation of this structure involves the use of cellular polycarbonate. But otherwise, it almost completely repeats the well-proven design, buried in the ground by 2–2.5 meters.

Greenhouse Patia with earthen walls

Design features of underground greenhouses

The underground greenhouse of Anatoly Patiy, which allows the cultivation of vegetables and fruits all year round, is located in trenches up to 2.5 m deep. The main part of the structure is in the ground, and only the roof is visible above its level.

For the arrangement of the underground part is used:

brick;
beam;
slag concrete;
stone;
thermoblocks;
foam blocks.

The roof of the thermos greenhouse is covered with polycarbonate. This modern plastic material is ideal for greenhouse structures and surpasses polyethylene film in all characteristics. In some moments it is inferior to glass, but it is much cheaper and lighter than it.

Film roof in thermos greenhouse

Thermoblock walls

This greenhouse design belongs to capital buildings. For it, you will have to dig a deep enough pit and pour a solid foundation. However, all costs are paid off with fresh fruits and vegetables grown year-round.

Underground greenhouse construction technology

The arrangement of a thermos greenhouse is a full-fledged construction. This is not wrapping metal arcs with polyethylene film, as in the case of a small greenhouse. Here you will have to dig the ground (even with the involvement of an excavator), pour the foundation base, build walls and put up a roof.

Digging a pit for a structure

The deeper into the ground, the warmer the greenhouse. During the year, the surface air temperature in Russia fluctuates over a wide range. The surface soil also cools and heats up following cooling. But already at a depth of two meters, the soil temperature practically does not change and remains within 5–10 degrees plus all year round.

Scheme-drawing of the greenhouse "Termos"

The pit breaks out at least 2.5 meters. It is at this depth that a constant temperature is maintained. If the greenhouse is deepened into the ground by a smaller footage, then the effect of the thermos will be less effective.

Recommended by an expert gardener! You can dig any trench under the thermos greenhouse in length, but the width should be limited to five meters. If the greenhouse structure is made wider, then the insolation characteristics will deteriorate, and the need for additional heat will increase.

Preparation of a pit for a greenhouse

The pit is made rectangular in shape with a west-east orientation so that one of the sides of the underground greenhouse faces south towards the maximum sun. You'll have to dig a lot, but it's worth it. However, for large volumes of excavation, it is best to order an excavator. This will be faster and more reliable.

Foundation and walls

The foundation is poured in the form of a tape around the perimeter of the greenhouse. In fact, this is a full-fledged strip base made of reinforced concrete with a thickness of 30–50 cm, depending on the size of the thermos greenhouse and the building material for its construction. The floor in the center should remain earthen.

A century ago, the side walls were made of wood. Today, in addition to timber, brick is also used. However, a more practical option is gas silicate blocks made of cellular concrete. They have excellent thermal insulation characteristics and low weight, the foundation can be made less powerful.

Snow depth map in Russia

The main thing in the walls of an underground greenhouse for year-round gardening is the level of elevation above the snow cover of at least half a meter. It is necessary to find out in advance this parameter for a particular area. In some areas, the walls will have to be built high.

Even in a snowy winter it is warm in the greenhouse

Installation of a polycarbonate roof

Supports are placed in the center of the room, and then a ridge beam is laid on them along the entire length of the greenhouse. Next, the transverse beams are mounted and sheets of cellular polycarbonate are stuffed onto these rafters.

Thermos greenhouse: inside view

The polycarbonate coating should be attached to the beam using special thermal washers with rubber seals. This is the only way to protect polycarbonate from damage. With sudden changes in temperature, it expands and contracts a little, and if it is rigidly fixed with self-tapping screws, then gaps will inevitably appear at the attachment points.

Advice! In cold regions, to increase thermal insulation, polycarbonate can be laid on the roof of the greenhouse in the ground in two layers. The coating will become less transparent (by 10-15%), but heat loss in winter will be reduced significantly.

The use of a greenhouse in winter has an important nuance. Due to high-quality thermal insulation, the snow on the greenhouse roof does not melt and closes access to the sun's rays. In order not to darken the greenhouse, the slope must be made steep. Then the snow from the polycarbonate will simply roll off without lingering on it.

Drawing of a greenhouse in the ground for year-round gardening

The roof of the thermos greenhouse can be made of glass. But then the truss system will have to be made more durable, and these are additional costs. Cellular polycarbonate in this situation is the ideal choice.

Performance of insulation and heating

In general, the "thermos" design refers to greenhouses in the ground that do not need heating. But it all depends on the region. In cold areas, if you want a plentiful year-round harvest, you will have to insulate the underground structure with high quality and heat it well.

Foil penofol is ideal for the role of additional insulation, which differs in:

small thickness;
lack of fear of moisture;
low vapor permeability;
ease of installation.

Polyethylene and aluminum foil, by definition, do not rot, and they make a good vapor barrier for walls. Penofol is installed with the foil side inward. All joints must be sealed with special aluminum tape.

Growing lemons in a thermos greenhouse

As a heating system, it is allowed to use:

heat guns;
infrared heaters;
heating cable;
water heated floor.

The choice depends on the financial capabilities and wishes of the gardener, as well as the availability of fuel or electricity.

Five reasons to start arranging a buried greenhouse + video

Among the advantages of the underground construction of a thermos greenhouse are:

Durability and high reliability of the structure, capable of withstanding snowfalls, hurricane winds and heavy rains.
Excellent light transmission characteristics of the roof, allowing you to create simply ideal conditions for the vegetation of plants and a bountiful harvest.
High thermal insulation performance, making it possible to significantly save on energy resources.
The versatility of a greenhouse structure that can be adapted to grow a huge range of vegetable and fruit crops.
Year-round use.

Underground thermos greenhouse is universal

Due to its design, the thermos greenhouse is suitable for growing vegetables, mushrooms, berries, fruits, flowers and preparing seedlings. Even without heating, it is able to maintain optimal conditions for vegetation inside.

The polycarbonate roof allows maximum sunlight to pass through, and the insulated walls in the ground retain heat as much as possible. In the buried greenhouse, sudden temperature changes during the day and when it gets cold outside are excluded.

Among the huge variety of greenhouses, it is difficult to choose those that will allow you to get a good harvest even in winter. However, underground greenhouses, which are popular with the peoples of India, are being improved and are gaining popularity in Russian latitudes with a cold climate precisely because of their unique properties.

The essence of this design is that its main part is underground and the plants located there are provided with a favorable microclimate all year round. . The deeper the underground greenhouse is located, the more stable the temperature regime throughout the year.

do-it-yourself using improvised means, using polycarbonate, glass or film as a material. . Such a greenhouse is very economical from the financial side, and the benefits are huge.

Advantages and disadvantages

The following are the positive aspects of an underground greenhouse:

Without connecting additional heating, the temperature in winter can reach more than 10 degrees Celsius;
Natural coolness that occurs in summer for grown crops;
The conditions in the underground greenhouse allow you to grow both vegetable and berry crops;
The low cost of the building itself and the possibility of saving on heating and lighting;
Excellent light transmission, in which the sun's rays are distributed evenly.

Of the negative sides can be identified:

The complexity of making a structure with your own hands;
The need for reliable ventilation;
Possession of skills in conducting communication systems.

Building options

Depending on the depth at which the greenhouse will be equipped, you will get a buried greenhouse, or an underground one. Before starting the construction of a structure with your own hands, you should evaluate the properties of the soil: how much it freezes in winter and what is the level of groundwater. If groundwater is not deep, then it is hardly possible to build an underground greenhouse, since it should be located much higher than their level. While when the soil freezes, the depth of the beds increases. Thus, the level of deepening fluctuates between groundwater and frozen ground.

If the greenhouse will be located completely underground, then it must have stairs and walkways, as well as the possibility of full maintenance of the planted crops. And the recessed greenhouse is simplified by the absence of additional outbuildings, since the only way to provide care for the plants is to raise the roof.

Also, the choice of the type of construction is influenced by the surface topography and the size of the site. Based on this, it is possible to make the greenhouse horizontal with equal wall heights or inclined if the terrain is uneven. In the latter case, it is important that the slope be directed to the maximum penetration of sunlight, for this the northern part of the structure should be slightly higher than the southern one (by 15-20 degrees).

a greenhouse of a pit type is being built, if the site is narrow, then a trench type of greenhouse is suitable - not wide, but long.

DIY underground greenhouse

For construction work, you will need the following materials and tools: cement, shovel and bayonet shovel, mortar container, trowel, plaster, polycarbonate or film, thermal blocks, nails and self-tapping screws, thermal insulation film, foam plastic, hammer, paint, perforator, grinder, drill , level, spatula, scissors.

Despite the fact that a high-quality greenhouse requires considerable effort during construction, during its operation they will more than pay off.

At the initial stage, it is important to correctly draw up a project and drawing. When planning, consider the following points:

The location of the structure relative to the cardinal points: put the greenhouse from the east to the west - this method will ensure maximum penetration of light inside;
Consider the dimensions and depth: focusing on the freezing of the soil, the depth is recommended within 2 meters, the width is not more than 5, otherwise the heat preservation will not be as effective;
A recessed greenhouse needs thermal insulation of walls and foundations, an elevated structure is insulated on the north side;
Where the structure is insulated, reflective coatings are applied;
Consider arranging lighting and ventilation, as well as a high-quality drainage system.

After the design work, you can start digging a pit in the place chosen for the greenhouse, the standard shape for underground structures is rectangular. To obtain high-quality walls, the sides of the pit must be well aligned.

The second stage is the preparation of the foundation. The trench is laid out in blocks along the perimeter and poured with concrete or cement mortar.

For waterproofing, roofing material is used, laid between the soil and the walls.

After the formwork has been removed and the underground walls have been built, work is carried out on the construction of above-ground walls from thermoblocks or bricks. Their height can reach up to a meter.

It should be remembered that the design must be of high quality insulated. To do this, the surface of the walls is covered with a heat-insulating film with foil - this modern material reflects sunlight, thereby retaining heat.

The next stage of work is the construction of the roof. It is more reliable to use modern material - polycarbonate, it is durable, frost-resistant and transmits ultraviolet light. Polycarbonate sheets are inserted into the frame of the roof and above-ground part of the greenhouse. The roof must have vents, or rise to ventilate the greenhouse. All cracks and gaps should be sealed with mounting foam.

Interior arrangement

After construction work, you should do the internal arrangement of the greenhouse. In addition to creating beds with fertile soil, you need to think over a system of lighting, watering, and additional heating. To get a rich harvest, you should not save money by purchasing material for communications.

To install lighting under the ceiling, a line is laid, constructed from fittings or boards, on which lighting structures can be fixed. For plants, LED lamps are more suitable.

If funds allow, it is possible to build additional heating for year-round crops. . The northern part of the structure is covered with a dark film, and the light does not penetrate into the greenhouse. In order for the heat from the collector to be uniform, fans are installed in underground greenhouses, from which pipes are laid to the beds.

In order to irrigate in buried greenhouses, a high-quality drainage system with ditches should be organized.

In order for enough light to penetrate into the do-it-yourself underground greenhouse and the polycarbonate is not damaged, in winter it is necessary to regularly clean snow from the roof.

A properly and qualitatively erected structure with your own hands will last a long time and will please you with a good harvest throughout the year.

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

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

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

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

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

Structure design

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

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

underground;
buried greenhouse.

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

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

Required Tool

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

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

How to build an underground greenhouse

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

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

In general, construction is carried out in several stages:

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

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

How to build an underground greenhouse (video)

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To the uninitiated, who first heard that greenhouses are being equipped underground, this fact will seem something fantastic. However, few people know that such structures were successfully used in pre-revolutionary Russia. A properly equipped underground greenhouse with your own hands is fresh vegetables, fruits and berries on your table all year round.

Pineapples were grown in thermos greenhouses in such quantities that they were enough for the needs of the imperial court and for export to Europe.

Why hide the greenhouse in the ground

Underground greenhouses, compared to conventional stationary ones, have several obvious advantages:

Saving and keeping warm. This advantage is due to the property of the soil at a depth of approximately 1.5-2 meters to maintain a stable positive temperature. Its fluctuations depending on the season are only a few degrees.
Durability and reliability. Underground greenhouses perfectly tolerate winds, even hurricanes, and are not afraid of blockages of snow and hail.
Fast self-sufficiency. Although the construction of a submersible greenhouse is an expensive and time-consuming business (digging a foundation pit, pouring a foundation, arranging a ladder), the crop obtained almost all year round pays for all costs. Moreover, with the right arrangement, almost any crop, including citrus fruits, can be grown in buried greenhouses without much effort.

Types of submersible greenhouses

freestanding;
Adjacent - most often, to any outbuilding.

Where to choose the best place to build a free-standing greenhouse

Perhaps you are lucky, and on the plot there is a natural slope from north to south, then it is best to arrange a greenhouse there. The price of construction when using the natural landscape is significantly reduced.

Advice! It is desirable that one of the sides of the greenhouse faces south - it is in this position that the maximum use of solar energy is made.

If your site is flat, then the building is oriented to the cardinal points, like ordinary greenhouses - from east to west. At the same time, you need to make sure in advance that groundwater does not accumulate at the site of the future construction, and it will be easy to drain.

Stages of construction of a thermos greenhouse

The instructions for building a buried greenhouse are not difficult, but try to correctly calculate your strength and financial resources - you may need to hire specialized equipment.

At the first stage, after choosing the location of the building, mark out its dimensions. The underground part can reach from 1.2 to 2 m, and the ground part up to 0.9 m. In length, the structure can be stretched as much as you like, but a width of more than 5 m is not practical - both reflective and thermal insulation properties are reduced.

Digging a pit. If you decide to start your own small business for growing crops or flowers, it is almost impossible to take out such an amount of land on your own with your own hands. Here, either assistants will come to the rescue, or (the fastest option) - an excavator. The edges and walls of the pit are carefully aligned.

Foundation pouring. The perimeter of the pit is laid out with concrete blocks or a foundation is poured over it.

Walling. After removing the formwork from the finished foundation, you can continue to work and begin to build walls. For walls, a material with good thermal insulation properties is purchased in advance. Thermoblocks are ideal for this purpose. Thermoblock is a hollow wall material made of expanded polystyrene.

The blocks are laid out on the foundation and reinforced with metal.

Wall insulation. The joints of the blocks are carefully coated with a waterproofing solution, the cavities are filled with mounting foam. After that, a thermal insulation film is attached to the wall from the inside.

Advice! Using foil thermal film, you will achieve a double result: you will save heat and, thanks to the reflective effect, you will use both solar energy and electric energy in the most rational way.

Heating. The simplest heat accumulator in a greenhouse can be water bottles. Because of the greenhouse effect, they do not cool down for a long time. This method of heating is at the same time cheap and the most time-consuming - after all, the cooled hot bottled water needs to be changed periodically.

Not surprisingly, the most popular heating method is the use of electricity. Underfloor heating, the same one that many are used to seeing in bathrooms, is also successfully used in buried greenhouses.

The main thing is to protect the electrical cable from moisture and from a shovel. With this mission, a metal mesh or pouring concrete into the cable will help you cope. You can even lay out the floor in the greenhouse with tiles, and grow plants in boxes, flowerpots or pots.

Roof construction. The frame on which the roof covering will be laid is usually constructed from wooden bars impregnated with an antiseptic. The roof can be both single-pitched (it is easier to assemble) and gable.

For a gable roof, a ridge beam is installed. For this, supports are placed in the center along the entire length of the greenhouse.

A number of rafters connect the walls with the ridge beam. The frame is ready and after assembly it is painted.

To cover the roof, experts recommend using cellular polycarbonate. Sheets up to 12 m long provide a minimum number of joints, and hence cold bridges. To improve thermal insulation, a double layer of material can be used.

So that when attaching to the rafters, the polycarbonate does not crack, you first need to make holes of the desired diameter for the screws with a drill. The joints between the sheets are glued with construction tape.

Note! Snow does not melt on polycarbonate, so the pitched roof slope must be at least 30 *. However, this will not free you from the need to manually remove the layer of snow from the greenhouse from time to time.

The greenhouse has been built underground. It's time to do its interior arrangement.

Internal work

We hope that the rich harvest grown in the submersible greenhouse will quickly pay for your expenses for its construction! And the video in this article will tell you some of the nuances on this topic.