Harvest all year round: how to make arcs for a greenhouse with your own hands?

A greenhouse is a type of greenhouse for low beds. Seedlings grown in such conditions grow and survive better. Plants after transplantation quickly harden and get used to the new soil - so many gardeners are thinking about arranging their own greenhouse. However, the cost of ready-made greenhouses is too high, which is why the question is brewing, how to make arcs for a greenhouse?

Design requirements for greenhouses

Small greenhouses are designed for seasonal use. Frame (arc) materials should be:

• lungs;
• durable;
• easy to install and maintain.

Arcs can be round, oval, rectangular, and even triangular. What can be used to make arcs for a greenhouse: plastic, metal or wood. Each of the options has both advantages and disadvantages.

When assembling a greenhouse, you need to understand that it needs a ventilation system. The abundance of moisture will create an environment for the development of bacteria, and the excess heat will heat the sprouts. The height of the greenhouse should be 2/3 of the width.

You can calculate the arc for the greenhouse using the table:

A reliable frame will serve the summer resident for a year. The number of arcs is calculated based on the length of the greenhouse - there must be a distance of at least 50 cm between the sections.

Tools and materials for work

Farmers even take willow branches as the basis of the frame. Sometimes used wood window frames, PVC hoses, tubes are used. Arcs are made of metal wire or tube, angle. Plastic is used as a template, the same wire - everything that is easy to bend and hold its shape. The contour is drawn even on the ground or asphalt.

If the arcs will be made of a dense PVC profile, then for bending, prepare:

• construction hair dryer;
• connecting corners;
• screws;
• corners for joints;
• self-tapping screws;
• thermal washers;
• crosses.

Before you make arcs for the greenhouse, you need to prepare materials:

• washers, nuts and bolts;
• screws;
• corners;
• plates;
• metal cutting tool;
• pipe bender, burner or other tools that allow you to achieve the desired shape from the fittings.

Greenhouses, regardless of type and shape, require a plastic film - it collects heat, retains moisture and creates its own climate inside. Pulling agrofibre on the base is allowed.

Plastic arches

This is the easiest and cheapest way to set up a greenhouse. Plastic arches for greenhouses are durable and lightweight, quick installation, long service life. The material will not harm plants due to environmental safety.

However, light weight is both an advantage and a disadvantage. Strong gusts of wind can blow away the greenhouse and damage the seedlings. Plastic is not as strong as metal - it can be easily damaged.

Manufacturing process:

1. On the prepared area, pins are dug into the ground - they are located parallel to each other at a distance of 50 cm.They should rise 15-20 cm above the surface.It is recommended to prepare pins 50-60 cm long in advance.
2. The ends of plastic arcs are put on the pins (on each on both sides). In the role of the base, wooden sticks, stakes, reinforcement or the same PVC profiles, only of a smaller diameter, can be used.
3. The number and length of pipes are calculated in advance.It is easier to take a ready-made template, but if necessary, it is not difficult to draw up a section scan yourself. The number of branches is calculated from the rule - no more than 50 cm of the distance between them.
4. To increase the stability of the base, a pipe is tied along the entire length (on top of the arcs) of the greenhouse. For the same purpose, you can install transverse jumpers (from fasteners and clamps). This will increase the strength, but the structure will not be so easy to install - this is the main advantage of plastic greenhouses.

If, nevertheless, there is a need to achieve maximum stability of the frame (it is installed permanently, in a windy region), then you will have to buy very thick plastic arches.

To bend them, you need a building hair dryer - the tubes are heated to give the desired shape. Temperature - 170 degrees Celsius. When the plastic cools down, the arcs will not lose their shape, but will be fixed.

Wooden arches

It is allowed to take a tree as a basis. Willow or walnut branches are suitable for work - they are strong enough and bend well. Among the advantages of using a tree are ease of assembly, environmental friendliness of materials and cost (usually summer residents find branches on their site, and do not spend money on them).

Disadvantages:

• wood quickly collapses in a humid environment;
• water and heat accumulate inside the greenhouse;
• rodents and insects will not disregard the material.

Wooden arcs are easy to make: the ends of the branches are bent and stuck into the ground, and a canvas (film or fiber) is pulled over them from above. The material is fixed with weights (heavy stones or bricks are placed at the edges).

Before you start bending wooden branches, it is recommended to place them in water for a day. This will give them elasticity and simplify the process.

If you plan to make a large stationary greenhouse, then it is better to take bars or boards for the base. It will not be superfluous to assemble a pallet under the greenhouse. The frames are made of beams (section 50x50 and higher), the frame will be rectangular. The elements are attached to each other using screws or a corner.

An ordinary board is useful as a connection - at least 20-25 mm thick. The distance between sections does not change (50 cm). The frames are fixed lengthwise using beams of a similar section or boards (20-25 mm). It is recommended to treat the material with a mixture of insects, varnish or paint before final assembly. It will take more time to assemble a wooden frame, but it will provide strength and reliability for up to 10-15 years.

Metal arches

Do-it-yourself metal arcs for a greenhouse are considered the most durable. They can be made of rigid wire (at least 4 mm in diameter), pipe, strip, angle or profile. The main feature of the metal is its high strength and ability to withstand heavy loads, extended service life and ease of maintenance.

The greenhouse can be of any size and complexity of assembly - especially if it is installed permanently. Weaknesses include the difficulty of production, the risk of metal coating with rust due to moisture.

Manufacturing process:

1. It is necessary to use an experimental method to calculate the length of half an arc.
2. Take a pipe twice as long as the size obtained earlier, cut it into two equal lengths.
3. Tees are welded to the horizontal pipe, which needs to be run on top, along the edges, and along the entire length - crosses (with gaps of half a meter).
4. The cut pieces are welded to the cross on the top pipe.
5. On the last section, where the door will be mounted, 2 more tees are attached - so that the third holes are directed downward, at the same distance from each other. Then a rack will be welded to them to fix the door or ventilation window.
6. The structure can be attached to the walls of the greenhouse, except for the extreme elements.
7. The greenhouse is welded along the entire length and connected with a transverse pipe - 2 tees for door posts were previously attached to it.

It remains only to cover the frame with polyethylene and you're done. Another easy way to make a greenhouse is to cut the wire into pieces and bend them by hand. Making a sturdy greenhouse from pipes or profiles will require a special technique - probably even welding.

The arcs are bent according to the pattern, regardless of the type of construction. The greenhouse must be of the same height and length. It is reasonable to use metal if the summer resident plans to assemble a stationary greenhouse for many years. For connection, you can use ties, corners, plates.

Arcs made of fiberglass reinforcement

Composite material serves no worse than metal. Fiberglass tubes are lighter in weight, bend easier and do not rust. From weaknesses - due to the low weight of the structure greenhouse can be thrown off by a strong gust of wind.

Arcs are easy to obtain: you just need to cut the reinforcement into pieces of the required length. The parameters are taken from a previously obtained template. It is not recommended to dig the ends of the reinforcement into the ground - it is better to make a stretcher from wooden boards or thick bars (25-50 mm). Deep holes are made in the tree 2/3 of the entire width.

Arcs made of fiberglass reinforcement are easily bent: one part is installed in the frame, and force is applied to the other end.

If increased rigidity of the base is required, then the bundle must be mounted along the entire length. For this purpose, a PVC profile with pre-drilled holes is useful.

Arcs from waste hoses

A very cheap method, but temporary, is to use an old hose that is no longer suitable for watering the beds. The structure gains rigidity due to flexible wooden branches (it is better to use willow).

The hose is cut to a specific length. Branches are threaded inside. The arcs are bent and buried in the ground. The distance between the compartments is standard - 50 cm. Then the protective film is stretched and the greenhouse is ready. The option is suitable only for arranging small greenhouses for growing seedlings and seeds.

If it is not clear how to fix the arches for the greenhouse, then for reliable fixing they can be dug in the ground. The ends are fixed on a pre-made soil tray. Fastening occurs due to self-tapping screws. Their length is 10-15% longer than the length of the reinforcement and the pallet. If the frame is fastened with screws and bolts, then their dimensions are calculated taking into account the washer under the head or bolt head.

Before making arcs for the greenhouse, prepare all the materials, process the ground and calculate the template. All that remains is to collect the greenhouse and plant the seedlings.

How to make arcs for a greenhouse from simple materials - video