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The arc greenhouse is in great demand as it is suitable for greenhouses and open ground. The factory design is made in lengths from 4 to 10 m, which allows you to choose the right model for the size of the site. For home gardening, greenhouses made of arches with covering material you can buy ready-made or do it yourself.
The design of the arc greenhouse and its purpose
The arc greenhouse is an arched frame covered with a special material. A non-woven fabric or film is used as a cover. The distance from the ground to the top of the arc is considered the height of the greenhouse. This indicator varies from 0.5 to 1.3 m, depending on the type of plants grown. The optimal width of the arc greenhouse is taken from 0.6 to 1.2 m. The length of the structure depends on the distance between the arcs, as well as their number. Factory-made models are in great demand, the length of which is 4.6 and 8 m.When making a shelter for a garden bed from arcs with your own hands, you can make any length. However, an oversized design is less stable in the wind, especially if it is made on PVC arcs.
These photos show for what purposes arc greenhouses are used:
- In cold areas, under cover, thermophilic crops are grown throughout the season. The dimensions of the greenhouses are selected taking into account the fact that the plants will grow and they should have enough free space. The covering material on the arcs is fixed with special clamps so that the canvas can be easily lifted for convenient access to the garden.
- A temporary shelter is used to adapt the planted seedlings to outdoor temperatures. The canvas protects plants from night frosts and the scorching sun of the day. For these purposes, a prefabricated greenhouse is suitable, which is easy to install on the street or in a greenhouse. After adaptation of seedlings, the shelter is dismantled.
- On the street and inside the greenhouse, greenhouses are used to grow radishes, seedlings of cold-resistant crops, as well as early green salads.
- Prefab shelters are convenient for temporary installation in seed beds. For example, grains of carrots or parsnips germinate for a long time, and under a temporary shelter the process is accelerated twice.
- The use of a prefabricated greenhouse helps to save the plantings from massive pests. The timing of their appearance is different for each culture, so collapsible shelters are used periodically, but throughout the season.
- Ripe strawberries are enjoyed not only by children, but also by birds. Prefabricated greenhouses installed above the garden help to save the crop. To provide air access and allow bees to pollinate strawberry flowers, the ends of the frame are only half closed.
Factory greenhouses are assembled from arcs with covering material quickly and easily. Pegs are included. They are simply driven into the ground and arcs are attached to them. The covering sheet is fixed with plastic clips. Some models are made with sewn-in arcs inside the non-woven fabric. The assembly of such a greenhouse, in general, is not difficult. It is enough to stretch the structure along the bed and drive the arcs with pegs into the ground.
Arcs and other elements for prefabricated greenhouses
A factory greenhouse made of arches is completed with arches of a certain size and the required amount, which depends on the dimensions of the structure. However, each item can be purchased separately and not as a set. This allows you to make a shelter of suitable size for your area.
Separately sold prefabricated greenhouse arcs are made of the following material:
- Metal arcs are made of elastic wire with a cross section of 5–6 mm, covered with a PVC sheath.
- Another type of metal arches for a greenhouse are arches made of steel tubes with a cross section of 10–12 mm. For protection against corrosion, the arcs are covered with a PVC sheath.
- The cheapest are plastic arches for a greenhouse, made of a pipe with a diameter of 20-25 mm.
To determine which arc is better to choose from, it is necessary to consider the property of each material. Metal is a durable and reliable material. PVC sheath protects the arch from corrosion, which significantly increases its service life. Metal arcs are easily stuck into the ground, and you can not worry about them that the edge will bend during installation.
The plastic pipe is quite flexible. This allows you to give the arch the required width and height, guided by the dimensions of the beds, as well as the growth of plants. It is difficult to stick a plastic pipe into the ground, as there is a risk of breaking it. Such arcs are attached to pieces of reinforcement driven into the ground or factory-made pegs on sale.
The covering sheet is fixed to the arcs with plastic clips. Similarly, they can be purchased separately according to the number of arcs purchased. To fasten the covering cloth to the ground, special pegs with clamping rings are purchased.
Overview of popular prefabricated greenhouse models
A ready-made greenhouse made of factory-made arcs is designed for certain dimensions of the garden bed. The set includes frame elements and fasteners. Many kits come with a greenhouse-sized canvas. It is impossible to independently change the distance between the arcs in the finished greenhouse, especially if they are sewn into the canvas. Now we will look at a photo and a brief description of popular models of factory greenhouses.
Dayas
The structure of the “Dayas” garden bed shelter consists of plastic arches sewn into the canvas. Arcs with a length of 2 m are made of a pipe with a cross section of 20 mm. To install the arches, a peg 200 mm long is inserted at the end of each pipe. It is enough to stick them into the ground and tamp them well. The frame is made of sections. This design allows you to install a shelter with a length of 4 or 6 m. In the assembled state, the width of the greenhouse is 1.2 m, and the height is 0.7 m. Convenient access to plants is provided from the sides of the greenhouse by lifting the canvas upward along the arcs.
The 2.1 m wide cover sheet included in the kit is sewn to plastic arches and can be easily moved along them. Additional plastic clips are supplied. During irrigation, the beds fix the lifted canvas on arcs, preventing it from falling.
The video shows the Dayas greenhouse:
Agronomist
This model of a bed shelter is made of plastic arches for which a 20 mm pipe was used. A peg 200 mm long is inserted into the end of each pipe. The arches are made with a length of 2 m. The height of the assembled structure can be within the range of 0.7–0.9 m. The sections allow making a shelter 4 or 6 m long. Agrotex-42 is used as a covering canvas.
Early ripened
The prefabricated type of greenhouse is produced by several types of models that differ in the size of arcs: width - 1 or 1.1 m, length of arches - 3 or 5 m, height of the finished structure - 1.2 or 1.6 m. Arcs are made of an elastic metal rod, covered protective polymer shell. The product comes with 4 or 6 arches, depending on the size of the greenhouse, 1 or 3 crossbeams, clamps, pegs and fixing rings for the canvas. The frame is assembled quickly, by installing arches in the ground. The arcs are interconnected with a crossbar.
Hawk
The greenhouse model is equipped with 7 arcs made of HDPE pipes with a section of 20 mm.When assembled, the length of the shelter is 6 m, and the width is 1.2 m. The set includes 15 pegs with a length of 250 mm, clamps for the canvas and spanbond SUF-42 with dimensions of 3x10 m. The model is intended for outdoor use and inside the greenhouse. During installation, the arcs are bent to the required size of a semicircle, and with the help of pegs they are stuck into the ground. The covering sheet on the arches is fixed with clamps, and pressed to the ground with any available load.
Self-made arc greenhouse
Do-it-yourself arcs for a greenhouse are made from a home-made structure from any plastic pipe with a diameter of 20 mm. An elastic metal rod with a cross section of up to 10 mm or a flexible hose will do. In the latter embodiment, the strength of the arch is given by reinforcement. To do this, a wire with a cross section of 6 mm or a long rod from a vine is inserted into the hose.
Making a homemade greenhouse takes place in the following steps:
- Before making arcs for a greenhouse, you need to determine their size. The width of the arch will be 1.2 m. The height depends on the growing crops. For example, for cucumbers this figure is 80 cm, and for semi-determinant tomatoes - 1.4 m.
- A rectangular box is made from a board or wooden bar to the size of the garden. For work, it is better to use oak or larch. Such wood is less susceptible to decay. The optimal height of the sides of the box is 150 mm. The finished frame is installed in the place of the future garden.
- Plastic pipe arches are very flexible and can bend in strong winds. Strengthening the frame will help to cope with the problem. Two racks are installed in the center of the ends of the box made of timber with a section of 50x50 mm. They are connected together with a board. In the resulting crossbar, holes are drilled with a diameter of 2-3 mm more than the thickness of the arcs.
- Pieces of the required length are cut from a plastic pipe, and inserted into each hole of the crossbar. Now it remains to bend the arches from them and fix the ends of the pipes to the box. Fixation to the sides of the frame is performed using clamps screwed with self-tapping screws or a perforated metal tape. Alternatively, you can hammer pieces of reinforcement into the ground and put arcs on them.
- According to the size of the ends of the frame with an allowance of 200 mm, 2 fragments are cut from the covering cloth. The material is fixed to the pipe with plastic clips. Next, a large piece is cut out of the canvas with an allowance of 500 mm to fit the entire greenhouse. The material is laid out on the frame, fixing it to the pipes with clamps. The canvas can be additionally nailed to the upper wooden crossbar through a patch rail.
The covering cloth is pressed to the ground with any load without sharp edges. Otherwise, the material may tear during the wind.
The video shows the manufacture of a greenhouse:
User reviews
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