Building a greenhouse at home will not take much time, but in the future it will bring a lot of benefits and joy in operation. So that you have vitamins all year round, you can build a greenhouse at home and you will be able to grow any fruits and vegetables even in cold weather. In winter, our body needs vitamins and beneficial microelements more than ever, which can be obtained from fresh vegetables, fruits and herbs.
You can design it according to your taste and preference, so that the home greenhouse will fit perfectly into the interior of your room. In addition to food, you can grow flowers in such a greenhouse, which will add color to your home.
There are 3 types of greenhouses:
- The most popular - home greenhouse is a greenhouse made of a metal frame with a transparent coating of polyethylene film.
- Another type is window frame construction, also easy to use.
- Third type - 3-tier greenhouses for balconies.
The size of a greenhouse at home, the number of tiers depends on your desire and the size of the room.
At the moment, a large number of stores offer ready-made greenhouses, but if you don’t want to spend money on them, you can build a greenhouse yourself in your apartment.
Where to start construction
If you are wondering how to make a greenhouse, you need to carefully approach the search for a solution. The main thing that needs to be done during construction is to decide on the place where you will install the structure so that it has enough light and heat. Such a greenhouse at home will add even more comfort and coziness. It will complement the plants on the window.
How to build a greenhouse and what is required? Materials required for construction:
- Glass. Its size depends on the size of the future greenhouse.
- Fluorescent lamps.
- Rack. It should be made of wood or you can just take ready-made wooden beams. The size of the rack depends on the size of the future structure as a whole.
- Small plastic boxes for planting.
- Film. It should be transparent.
- Cardboard signs on which you will write the name of the planted plants.
- Gloves for work.
- Suitable soil.
- Fertilizer needed for your planting.
- Drainage.
- Seeds and seedlings.
- Hammer, nails, small tools for construction.
- Pencil and paper for planning.
- Construction stapler.
These are the tools and materials that will be needed during construction.
Greenhouse construction process
How to build a greenhouse? First, you need to draw in detail your future building and decide what size it will be. Expect that it should be located closer to the light. If you buy additional lighting, it should be located where it will look harmonious and not interfere with your movement.
After the drawing, you can begin building the shelving. Using a hammer and nails, build a structure that in the future will be the greenhouse itself.
Then cover the back of your structure with transparent film, attaching it with a stapler. You can use glass instead of film; the choice of material depends on what you have available.
Once the backsplash is installed, attach one light to each shelf of your greenhouse. In this way, you will provide the plants with additional heat and light, which will have a positive effect on their growth. Fluorescent lamps are freely available, so purchasing them is not difficult.
After all the work done, the greenhouse in the apartment is ready and you can start planting. Having finished planting the plants, it is necessary to cover the front part with film or glass to ensure the necessary conditions. But if the lamps are of sufficient quality and work well, the front part may be open. The main thing is that there is sufficient air circulation inside the structure and the required temperature is maintained. Now you know how to make a greenhouse, and you can familiarize yourself with the rules of planting.
How to plant plants
The soil for planting is prepared as follows: It is necessary to lay out a small layer of sand in the planting boxes, the next layer will be drainage so that the plants can “breathe”, and only then the soil itself is laid out. Sometimes a small layer of ash is placed on top of the sand to protect the soil from the formation of mold.
The choice of drainage depends on the plants being planted. For some species, moss is used as drainage.
After preparing the soil, you can place the seeds in the ground. They must be soaked in advance. Boxes with seeds are installed in a convenient order. After this, you can install small signs or make notes on the boxes with a marker about plant varieties, so as not to confuse the watering and fertilizing conditions in the future.
Greenhouse in an apartment (video)
Pros and cons of a home greenhouse
Like any design, an indoor greenhouse has its positive and negative sides.
Advantages of a greenhouse made independently:
- building a greenhouse on your own allows you to calculate the dimensions of the room and conveniently arrange each box of seedlings at your discretion;
- the greenhouse in the room is easy to use; growing your favorite plants in it is much more comfortable than in a garden bed on the windowsill;
- self-production will also allow you to use the design that suits your interior;
- convenient storage and neat arrangement of each type of plant, in contrast to a greenhouse on the windowsill;
- availability of your favorite plants all year round.
Negative sides:
- A building made on your own requires a lot of patience; you need to think through all the details of the design depending on the climate in your apartment.
- Electricity costs. An indoor greenhouse will have low energy costs if it is located correctly, but in poor lighting there will be high electricity consumption.
As you can see, this type of design does not have any particular disadvantages. If you approach the construction in advance and wisely, you can build a greenhouse with your own hands without problems and special costs.
DIY greenhouses are very easy to use and will bring joy to their owners all year round.
Gallery: greenhouse in the house (15 photos)
Related posts:
No similar entries found.
Greenhouse cucumbers are elastic, aromatic, so nice to see them on the table all year round! If you create the necessary conditions, you can grow these vegetables in a greenhouse even in winter frosts. They will not only saturate your diet with vitamins, but can also be a good help for your home budget.
Conventional greenhouses covered with film or polycarbonate are not suitable for growing vegetables throughout the year. The temperature in them in winter frosts inevitably drops below zero, and heating such greenhouses can go broke.
A permanent greenhouse, in which a stable microclimate can be achieved even in winter, has some features:
- capital, usually strip foundation;
- double glazing or cellular polycarbonate coating with a thickness of at least 6 mm;
- systems that provide the necessary temperature, lighting and humidity conditions.
Year-round greenhouse - photo
The design of the greenhouse can be different, and it usually depends on the region. So, in temperate latitudes and in the south, it is enough to install an ordinary gable greenhouse with double frames on a concrete or brick foundation. It is oriented from west to east so that the midday sun illuminates one of the slopes.
In the northern regions, for better thermal insulation and savings on heating, some techniques are used: burying the greenhouse in the ground, installing a main heat accumulator wall, and a vestibule.
Requirements for the microclimate in a greenhouse
To understand which greenhouse will create the best conditions for growing cucumbers, you need to consider the characteristics of this plant. They need the following mode presented in the table.
Such conditions can only be created in a greenhouse equipped with heating and lighting. A ventilation system is also needed to regulate humidity.
Various greenhouse designs
The choice of design determines the illumination, thermal insulation and the total cost of materials and construction of the greenhouse. The most popular options are economical to build and operate.
Gable greenhouse on a strip foundation
A simple design that can be installed anywhere, regardless of the location of other buildings. It is placed on a solid, shallow strip foundation made of concrete, blocks or bricks.
A greenhouse with a gable roof usually has a rectangular shape, its width is at least 3 meters, the length is arbitrary, but it is considered advisable to construct a greenhouse of at least 30 square meters. Such a structure has a more stable microclimate, and it is suitable for growing cucumbers for sale, which will recoup the costs of its construction.
The frame of such a greenhouse is made of metal or wood, with wood being preferable since it does not heat up in hot weather and does not form cold bridges in cold weather. To avoid rotting, the wood is treated with an antiseptic or paint.
The walls of the greenhouse are made transparent - from glass or polycarbonate, or combined, in the lower part they are made of wood with insulation, and at the top - glass. The roof must be transparent to receive maximum sunlight.
Wall insulation is carried out using polystyrene foam or expanded polystyrene - they are not afraid of moisture, have high thermal insulation qualities and a low price.
To cover the roof and upper part of the walls, it is better to use cellular polycarbonate, which has a two-layer structure - it retains heat better than glass.
In a budget option, you can also use plastic film, but it will quickly crack from exposure to bright winter sun and frost. The film coating must be two-layer; only in this case will thermal insulation be ensured.
Recessed gable greenhouse
In the northern regions, to reduce heating costs, the greenhouse is buried 0.5-1 meter into the ground. Installation of such a greenhouse is possible only in areas with low groundwater levels, otherwise it will flood.
The design of a recessed greenhouse is generally similar to a conventional gable one, but the role of blank walls in it is played by the foundation, which in this case should be buried below the freezing point of the soil - usually 0.9-1.3 meters. It is made of concrete or brick with double-sided waterproofing. An insulated blind area around the greenhouse will prevent the walls from freezing, and the soil temperature will increase significantly.
To prevent cold street air from entering the greenhouse when the doors are opened, it is equipped with a vestibule. It can accommodate racks for boxes, tools, planting material for storage, as well as microclimate systems.
Greenhouse extension
An economical and convenient option that allows you to connect the greenhouse to a common house water heating system. The role of one of the walls, usually the northern or western one, is played by the blank wall of a house, garage or other heated building. The remaining walls and roof are usually made transparent to improve illumination. The entrance to the greenhouse can be either separate or from the house - this will eliminate the need to add a vestibule.
Greenhouse-attic
The attic floor of a garage or utility room can also be equipped as a greenhouse for cucumbers. In this case, the role of beds is played by large boxes or boxes filled with soil. The ceilings must be thoroughly waterproofed.
The shape of an attic greenhouse can be any: arched, gable, in the form of a pyramid or a ball - the heated lower floor will provide the necessary heat, and the transparent roof will provide light. The entrance to such a greenhouse can be from inside the main room or from the street, from the balcony.
Selecting the heating type
A greenhouse for year-round use must be equipped with a heating system. It can be performed using different technologies; their choice depends on financial capabilities and personal preferences.
Water heating
The most common type of heating of residential and utility rooms, as well as greenhouses. It can be either common with other buildings or individual. Installation of water heating in a greenhouse involves the installation of a boiler: solid fuel, electric or gas.
Advantages of water heating of a greenhouse:
- efficient and uniform heating;
- radiators do not dry the air;
- heating devices can be placed at the bottom of the walls, which will create a comfortable temperature in the root zone.
Flaws:
- installation of a heating system requires costs and special skills;
- The system cannot be frozen without first draining the coolant - pipes and radiators may then leak.
Considering the cost of gas equipment, individual heating of a greenhouse with gas is advisable only if its area is large. Simple solid fuel boilers are much cheaper, but at the same time they have a low level of automation of the process, and therefore require constant presence and maintenance.
An electric boiler can be considered the best option for arranging individual water heating. The price of simple models of such boilers is low, installation is simple and does not require special knowledge, in addition, they are able to maintain the temperature within clearly defined limits. With high-quality insulation of the greenhouse, heat loss into the atmosphere is insignificant, and therefore the cost of electricity for heating will be moderate.
Modern electric boilers are very compact, suitable for any small dacha
An electric boiler can be combined with other types of heating, for example, with a solar collector, which will be discussed below.
Electric heating
Heating a greenhouse using electrical appliances is not a cheap way, but its use is very convenient. Electric heating can be performed using different electric heaters:
- heating cable;
- thermal convectors;
- infrared heaters.
The heating cable is laid under the fertile soil layer, separating it with a sand cushion. The heated soil releases heat into the air, and thus, together with natural heating methods - solar, biofuel - a stable microclimate can be achieved.
Thermal convectors heat the air in the greenhouse. Such heating is more suitable for maintaining the regime at night in the southern regions, where the sun heats the soil during the day and cooling occurs only in the dark. The disadvantage of this method is that the heating elements of the convector dry the air, which is not desirable for cucumbers.
Infrared heaters are located in the upper part of the greenhouse, and they heat not the air, but the objects and plants that are exposed to their radiation. If temperature sensors are placed at soil level, an automated heating system can be created using infrared heaters.
Biological heating
This method is suitable as the main one only for the southern regions, since at significant subzero temperatures it is difficult to heat the entire volume of the greenhouse using biofuel. In the north it can be used as a supplement to water or electric heating.
Biofuel is any organic matter that decomposes with the release of heat: manure, litter, straw, dry grass, bark, wood chips, cardboard, paper. They can be mixed in any proportions. To speed up the decomposition process, the mass is watered with biologically active solutions: “Baikal”, “Shine”. They contain aerobic bacteria, which contribute to the active decomposition of organic residues and rapid heating.
Biologically heated beds are made in the greenhouse. To do this, remove a layer of fertile soil, lay broken bricks, expanded clay, and fragments of slate on the bottom for drainage. Then large organic debris is placed, for example, bark, branches, remains of construction wood. They are sprinkled with soil, after which manure, dry grass or hay, and food plant waste are laid in layers. The layers are watered and compacted. The top layer is the previously removed fertile soil layer.
After watering with Baikal, such a bed begins to actively heat up the very next day; peak temperatures, depending on the type of organic matter, can reach 45-50 degrees.
Solar heating
Another free heating method is heating the air in the greenhouse using the sun. Unfortunately, the air does not accumulate heat well and cools quickly after sunset. To store solar heat, simple techniques are used:
- one wall in the greenhouse, usually the northern one, is made of a material that can heat up and store heat, for example, brick;
- containers with water painted in a dark color are installed in the greenhouse, and during the day they heat up very much, and during the night they cool down, simultaneously humidifying the air;
- connect the solar heating system.
The solar collector is a coil made of metal, painted black, placed in a glazed frame on the southern slope of the roof, for example, above the greenhouse vestibule. The coil is connected using pipes to a storage tank and a radiator system, and they are filled with water.
The sun heats the coil and the coolant contained in it; it enters a tank located above the collector level. From it, warm water is supplied to the heating system using a pump. Such heating can operate in parallel with the boiler.
Cucumbers are light-loving crops. The dim winter sun may not be enough for active growth and fruiting, and the plants will be stunted, pale and elongated. For good development, they need 10-12 hours of daylight with an illumination of at least 8000 Lux/m.
With short daylight hours and cloudy weather, plants need additional lighting. It is better to organize it using fluorescent or sodium gas-discharge lamps HPS. Illumination is calculated based on the area occupied by plants and the characteristics of the lamps used.
Recently, LED lamps for greenhouses have also become increasingly popular. They have a lot of advantages:
- low power consumption;
- minimal heating;
- long service life;
- moisture resistance, possibility of use in humid environments;
- simple selection of the spectrum necessary for the plant with a predominance of red and blue radiation.
LED lamps have only one drawback: their high price, but in a commercial greenhouse their installation will quickly pay for itself.
Choosing a location for a greenhouse
An equally important factor influencing the successful cultivation of cucumbers in a greenhouse is its correct placement. The site for building a greenhouse must be well lit. It should be located at a distance of at least 5 meters from buildings and trees.
In areas with strong cold winds, the greenhouse must be protected from the wind. This can be done either with the help of insulation or by planting windproof shrubs with a dense crown at a distance of 5-10 meters from the greenhouse.
Tip: Closer placement of shrubs is undesirable, as it will create turbulent flows that flow around the walls of the greenhouse and cool it.
For a recessed greenhouse, you should choose the highest location where the groundwater level is lowest. The greenhouse extension is usually located on the southern wall of the house, where the plants will receive maximum sunlight.
Greenhouse construction technology: step-by-step instructions
You can build a traditional rectangular greenhouse with a gable roof for year-round cultivation with your own hands. For this you will need:
- concrete and reinforcement for foundation construction;
- roll waterproofing - roofing felt;
- red solid brick for the lower part of the walls;
- insulation - polystyrene foam;
- wooden block 50x50 or 60x60 for roof racks and beams;
- cellular polycarbonate 6-8 millimeters thick;
- wood antiseptic;
- silicone all-weather sealant for sealing seams.
Greenhouse construction technology
- After selecting a location, the site for the construction of the foundation is marked. It is performed using pegs and twine. The width of the foundation must be at least 30 cm.
- Remove a layer of fertile soil and deepen the trench to a certain depth: on sandy soils - 30 cm, on clay and loam - 50-60 cm.
- The trench is filled with sand on clay soils. The layer of sand is 20-30 cm. Sprinkle it with water and compact it until completely compacted.
- Above the ground level, formwork is installed from boards 20-30 cm high. The bottom of the trench is lined with waterproofing - roofing felt.
- Two-level reinforcement is made from a corrugated rod with a diameter of 10-12 mm with dressing.
- Fill the prepared trench and formwork with concrete, level the top layer and leave to dry and gain strength for 2-4 weeks.
- Two layers of roofing material are laid on the dried foundation to waterproof the foundation from the masonry.
- The lower part of the walls with a height of approximately 0.8-1 meter is laid out of solid brick. To save material, masonry can be done with an inner layer of thermal insulation - polystyrene foam. Along with high thermal insulation characteristics, it provides wind protection.
- A strapping beam or board is placed on the walls, securing it with anchor bolts.
The racks are installed in increments of 67 cm - this ensures a tight fit of the polycarbonate and the overlap of standard sheets falls on the block.
Diagram - example of greenhouse assembly
- The top strapping beam is placed on top of the racks. To increase strength, the racks are reinforced with braces or struts.
- The gable roof of a greenhouse is also made from timber. Hanging rafters are installed on the top frame, tightening them with crossbars for strength so that they do not interfere with passage through the greenhouse.
- At the end of the greenhouse, doorways are made from timber, a frame and the door itself are installed.
- They cover the greenhouse with polycarbonate sheets, securing it with special screws with rubber sealing washers and coating the joints with silicone sealant.
Important! Polycarbonate sheets have a sun protection coating on only one side - usually there is a film with a logo on it. To avoid damage to the protective layer, the film can only be removed after installation has been completed.
After the construction of the greenhouse, communications are carried out: water for irrigation, electricity, and heating devices are connected. Fill the beds with fertile soil and warm up the greenhouse in idle mode, checking the microclimate using air and soil thermometers and a hygrometer. If it meets the requirements for growing cucumbers, you can safely start planting, and within two months you will be enjoying fresh cucumbers from your own greenhouse.
Video - Heating a greenhouse with infrared heaters
Video - DIY heated greenhouse, part 1
Video - DIY heated greenhouse part 2
A greenhouse house is an unexpected solution that solves many problems. Severe cold, huge heating bills, the amounts of which reach incredible heights. The choice is limited to either freezing, or moving to warmer climes, or giving half of your salary to heat the room. But don’t panic or get upset, as one couple from Stockholm (Sweden) has found a way out. They came up with an effective way to protect their surroundings - they created a cozy greenhouse house protected from the cold. A miracle greenhouse with a house inside belongs to Charles Sacilotto and Marie Granmar. The temperature in such a house in severe cold weather on the lower floors is no less than plus 2, and on the second and third floors no less than plus 15.
Greenhouse to the wall of the house: a profitable extension
A greenhouse attached to the wall of a private house or outbuilding, or to a specially built wall on a country plot is a great idea. The slope is placed at a specific angle, taking into account the climate in the region.
The supporting structure of such a roof is a semi-truss, which is covered with:
- Glass;
- Polycarbonate.
A simple roof for a greenhouse with one slope usually has a width of 3–5 m. As for the length, it depends on the size of the wall to which it is attached. The height of the wall on the side of the greenhouse can be 1–2 m, depending on the height of the plants.
Glazing in a lean-to structure is either oblique or vertical side.
You can build a lean-to greenhouse on the southern wall of the house with your own hands. The wall of the house is a good protection from the wind. Energy supply, heat supply, and water supply in a lean-to greenhouse near the wall of the house are cheaper.
Portable greenhouse Maxidom: Snail design
When the winter is cold and the summer is short, it is difficult for gardeners to do without a greenhouse structure. Only with the help of a greenhouse is it possible to grow a rich harvest. A traditional greenhouse is not cheap, it is bulky, and also not mobile, which is why it is now being actively replaced by greenhouses of other shapes and configurations. Attracts both novice gardeners and professionals, not only the affordable price, but also high-quality crop protection from frost, rain and insects.
The mobile greenhouse Snail (Maxidom) can be installed in the yard, in any convenient place. Can be installed without a foundation. Installation will not take half an hour of free time.
The advantages of a greenhouse include:
- Mobility;
- Strength;
- Easy assembly;
- Convenient operation;
- Acceptable price.
The covering material provides protection to the seedlings from precipitation, heat or frost. If necessary, you can open both sides of the mini-greenhouse throughout the day. An interesting feature of the small size of the greenhouse is the ability to use it both in autumn and winter.
House with a greenhouse in the attic
Owners of country houses are often concerned about saving space on their property. An interesting and effective solution to this problem would be to install a greenhouse on the roof of the house. Alternatively, you can mount it directly in the attic.
This solution will help the owner of a private house solve a number of problems at once:
- A greenhouse built into the attic will provide additional protection from precipitation.
- The thermal insulation of the house will increase.
- The site area will be used rationally.
- The carbon dioxide will rise into the attic, and this is important for plants.
- It is more convenient to transport boxes with seedlings.
- Savings on the foundation, communications, heating and ventilation.
- The soil is always warm, which cannot be achieved in the autumn-winter period in an outdoor greenhouse.
The greenhouse can be equipped as a second roof or as an attic. It is better if the greenhouse is planned at the stage of creating a house project.
We build from window frames: a greenhouse from an old house
Are you replacing the windows of an old building? Are your country neighbors changing their windows? Here is the answer to the question of where to find window frames for installing a greenhouse. Otherwise, it is always possible to come to an agreement with institutions where it is planned to replace windows “in bulk” or even submit an advertisement; many must respond, since usually they are simply thrown out. That is, it is not difficult to find building materials. Besides the material, it is important to know how to build. We are building on a foundation, since the frames are quite heavy.
The structure will last longer if the foundation is made from:
- Brick;
- Concrete;
- Stone;
- Tree.
Moreover, a budget option is wood beams. We must not forget about painting and fastening. It is good to fasten the window frames together using a metal corner and self-tapping screws; you can use wooden blocks or nails, wire and clamps. Depending on the desired durability and reliability, you can choose another fastening method. Installing the structure is not so difficult if you think through the work plan. Make a diagram, drawings.
It is very important to calculate and measure everything correctly. The work must proceed sequentially.
First you need to prepare all the building materials, and then build the foundation. When the foundation is ready, the window frames must be secured, preferably to a metal corner. If possible, it is better to replace glass with polycarbonate, as it is lighter in weight. Once everything is arranged, you can begin painting. The new greenhouse will be durable and functional.
Greenhouse in the basement: greenhouse in a country house
Growing cucumbers in the basement of a private house is real. By building a greenhouse, you can get juicy, natural and healthy vegetables throughout the year. How to organize a greenhouse in the basement, on the ground floor, see below. The main problem that will need to be solved is the organization of light. And if growing champignons can be done in the dark, then cucumbers need enough light.
Before building a basement you should prepare:
- It is important that the room temperature does not fall below 0.
- The basement should not be damp, no groundwater or melt water, completely sealed.
- There should be no fungus, mold, mice, or rats in the basement.
If the temperature is low in winter, the basement should be insulated. A good harvest will not grow in a leaky basement with drafts. Once the equipment is installed, you need to think about the soil. For the basement it is better to take quartz and granite gravel. The particle size should be between 5-20 mm. When the soil is prepared, lighting should be considered. For normal growth, cucumbers need 10 hours of light per day, given that a day in the basement is 18 hours.
An excellent solution is mercury lamps or standard incandescent lamps. For 1 sq. m. you need 1-1.2 kW/h. After the building with soil and light is ready, the seedlings should be prepared.
Preparation is carried out as follows:
- You need to take seeds, plastic cups, soil, sand and some peat.
- You need to make holes in the cups.
- The glasses must be filled with 2 parts of earth, 1 part of peat and sand, in a small amount. The mixture should be stirred before filling the glass.
- Next, the glasses are placed in boxes and taken to the basement.
- Before planting seeds, the soil must be watered.
- The seed is planted to a depth of 2 cm.
- Before the seeds sprout, the glasses should be kept in the dark.
- Seedlings need to be watered 2 times every 7 days.
Is it possible to build a house in a greenhouse (video)
You can plant seedlings in boxes in the basement after 4 weeks. As soon as it has become stronger, it must be transferred to a greenhouse. You need to place 4 bushes per square meter. The cups are removed, the seedlings are planted in holes and covered with soil. Further care is very simple, the seedlings should be watered a couple of times every 7 days, well lit and fertilized once a month. As reviews have shown, a greenhouse in the basement is an excellent solution and you can get an excellent harvest from the beds even in a place far from the sun.
Ecology of consumption. Estate: Scientists from the Netherlands who created an unusual greenhouse house. The essence of the idea is to combine energy-efficient technologies and a garden complex in one home.
City dwellers are often deprived of the opportunity to purchase truly fresh vegetables and fruits, only picked from the garden. And many country residents do not always have the opportunity to grow whatever they want on their plot. For example, heat-loving plant species. This is due to the limited area of the site or unsuitable climatic conditions. The solution may be to install a thermos greenhouse.
Thus, the researchers want to test the idea of building an autonomous house that can feed its residents.
For a bold experiment (its completion is scheduled for 2018), a house was built using frame technology, with a glass roof and transparent walls on the third floor.
The house is oriented to the cardinal points. The slope angle of the transparent roof is designed in such a way that the plants receive the maximum degree of solar insolation. If necessary, the windows are covered with curtains. In addition to the greenhouse, the house was equipped with a rainwater collection system, which is used for irrigation and technical needs, a solar collector, and a ground heat exchanger.
Tests have shown that the idea works, and a variety of vegetables and fruits can be grown in the greenhouse all year round. For example, watermelons, tomatoes, peppers, beets, zucchini and cauliflower.
In order to bring the experimental conditions as close as possible to the natural environment, a family of four settled in the house (based on the results of a competitive selection). According to the conditions of the experiment, people should live in their usual rhythm. Despite theoretical training and detailed instructions, the townspeople had a hard time. The lack of practical experience of life “on earth” had an effect.
So, people had to adjust their work schedule to the garden. Getting up early in the morning, distributing responsibilities, doing weeding, fertilizing, deciding who does watering and on what day, caring for plants, monitoring the operation of the ventilation system, etc.
According to Helly Scholten (the wife of the head of the family), they once left home for a few days in the summer, and when they returned, they discovered that the plants planted in the vertical garden had died due to the heat and lack of moisture.
This served as a lesson to the family and made them view the experiment not as a fun game, but as serious work that requires a lot of effort and knowledge. Things went well. Now the Dutch are fully self-sufficient in vegetables and fruits, and even have a surplus.
The project developers emphasize that although the house is experimental, the technology is being tested on it, and ways are being sought to improve the home, combined with a greenhouse. In the future, the researchers plan to put the production of house kits on stream, so that everyone can have their own personal garden. published
Join us on
