Warm beds in a greenhouse: we disassemble all heating methods from organic matter to electricity

• Do-it-yourself warm beds
• Step-by-step making warm beds with your own hands in spring: basic information
• Features and benefits of smart beds for high yields
• Making a warm garden bed with your own hands in spring: a design with drainage
• Filling warm beds with fertilizers with your own hands
• Recommendations for making warm beds: video and filling table
• How to make a warm garden bed in spring: video and recommendations for growing crops
• Tips from experienced summer residents on creating smart beds with their own hands: video and technology
• The technology of creating a smart garden by Igor Lyadov: how to make beds for cucumbers
• DIY technology for making warm beds in a greenhouse
• Features of feeding warm beds and the amazing vegetable garden of Igor Lyadov
• Making warm beds in the spring with your own hands: video recommendations

Planning and preparatory work

There is no definite answer to the question - how to make beds in a greenhouse. It all depends on the gardener's plans and his budget. Perhaps there is room on the site only for a small greenhouse, or the owner will be able to build a real mini-greenhouse - the size and design of the cultivated areas in these situations will be very different. But there are several factors that affect the productivity of various crops in greenhouses, and they cannot be ignored during construction.

Greenhouse soil preparation

Usually, the layout of the beds in the greenhouse begins with the choice of a place for the installation of the entire structure. In this case, it is necessary to pay attention to the illumination of the site, its protection from the wind, the presence of a slope of the surface and the structure of the soil. The last two factors affect how the drainage system will be arranged and the composition of the soil mixture for plants.

Do-it-yourself warm beds

Step-by-step making warm beds with your own hands in spring: popular technologies. From this article, you can find out in what order the step-by-step production of warm beds with your own hands in the spring is carried out, as well as familiarize yourself with the basic rules for processing and preparing the soil, study the most popular technologies for the manufacture of structures for growing various vegetable crops, access basic information and video reviews ... The text describes in detail the method of arranging a vegetable garden recommended by Igor Lyadov.

With the help of tall beds for heat-loving vegetable crops, you can properly organize the space in the garden and get a rich harvest

Cardinal points and sunlight

When placing greenhouse beds, it is very important to pay attention to their orientation relative to the cardinal points. This is necessary to create optimal lighting for indoor plants. But the traditional direction "north-south" along the length of the bed is not suitable for all plantings. This arrangement is considered correct for low-growing plants and root crops (radishes, greens, onions, strawberries, carrots, beets), and for growing seedlings.

For tall and trellis crops (tomatoes, potatoes, cucumbers, cabbage, legumes), it is preferable to orient the direction of the rows from east to west - this way the best conditions for their growth and fruiting will be created for the plants.With such a planting, tall plants will be evenly illuminated throughout the day, they will not shade each other.

The correct development of plants depends on the quality of lighting.

Sometimes it is impossible to choose a completely open place for a greenhouse, and it is also not always possible to position it strictly according to the compass.

In this case, it is important to remember the main principle - the location of the beds in the greenhouse should be such that all plants are necessarily illuminated by the sun's rays in the morning. If the sun hits the plantations only in the afternoon, then biological processes are greatly slowed down, and as a result, the harvest leaves much to be desired.

How to choose a soil

In order for the yield to be pleasing to the eye, the following conditions must be taken:

1. Moisture permeability and breathability. So, water and light from the sun are important ingredients for plants to feed and fill with beneficial bacteria.
2. Neutralization. Any soil has its own level of acidity and alkalinity. Most plants like to be in an acidic environment, while others, on the contrary, in an alkaline environment. This option is suitable for everyone.
3. The necessary fertilizers. In addition to sunlight and moisture, plants need trace elements that promote growth. It is necessary that they can contain an easily digestible form. In this case, artificially created humus is created from nutrients.

We recommend reading:

Everything about greenhouses: purpose, use, care

Soil advantages:

1. Low price, this is important enough for those with large plots.
2. Safety. The composition of materials should include an environmentally friendly, clean and natural component that does not harm the human environment.
3. Efficiency. The fertility of the soil copes well with the tasks of increasing the yield, thereby not relying on the state at the beginning.
4. Correction of the composition, if the customer wants it. This method is able to ensure the balancing of the required substances in a certain place on the site.
5. A wide range of applications, which helps to grow vegetables, berries, flowers and other plants at their summer cottage.

Ergonomic space organization

The next step in arranging greenhouse beds is to choose their type. According to the method of organizing production areas, two large groups are distinguished:

• ground (they can also be called stationary);
• shelving (these also include suspended and vertical containers).

Formwork for areas of the first type is usually laid before the installation of the shelter frame. When pouring the foundation, they immediately decide how to place the beds in the greenhouse, and, in accordance with the plan, mark places for rows and paths, install (if necessary) equipment for heating and automatic irrigation, and lay drainage systems. A simplified (and quite budgetary) version of ground beds: a box or formwork from scrap materials is installed directly on the floor, and then filled with soil or substrate.

Racks increase the area for growing crops

Installation of shelving structures begins already in the built greenhouse. The principle of their organization lies in the arrangement of containers (boxes, pots, containers) on racks and tables in several tiers. The main condition for such an arrangement of beds in a greenhouse is that all plants must receive a sufficient amount of light and fresh air. The distance between the shelves depends on the height of the crops being grown on the shelves.

It is also possible to suspend the boxes with the substrate from the longitudinal beams of the building. Often, low-growing, early-maturing plants (strawberries, greens) are planted in a greenhouse above ground beds, increasing the number of crops and the productivity of the room. With such an arrangement, it is very important to think over the irrigation system and additional lighting, as well as take into account the proximity of various species.

Main works

The general view of a warm bed should look like this:

Step 1: First you need to dig a trench, 30 - 40 cm deep, 0.8 - 1 m wide. and length, at your discretion. We trim the bottom of the "trough" and cover it with either a film or cardboard, newspapers are also suitable, this is necessary so that weeds do not germinate.

We remove the earth in layers. If the site has not been processed, we put the top layer of turf aside, it will be useful to us. We pour the fertile soil into one pile, the rest into another.

Step 2: We lay chocks, firewood, thick sawn branches, roots across the trench, all this should not be rotten and rotten. This layer plays the role of both drainage and "long-playing stove".

On top of thick branches we lay turf (be sure to roots up, so as not to grow), then branches from cut bushes of raspberries or currants, sawdust, vegetable tops (both fresh and dry), sprinkle all this with earth, it may not be fertile, it is in further enriched, and well spilled with water.

Step 3: Now we surround our trench with a wooden box. Make the side walls of the box beveled to the south by 8 - 10 cm, this is done so that the entire surface of our garden is warmed up by the sun. From this it follows that the board on the south side will be 8 - 10 cm. already north.

We prepare two boards along the length of your bed, width, one - 35cm., The second - 25cm. and a length of 1.2 m., with a sloping top, we knock them together with nails. If a wide board is not available, using wooden blocks, we connect two narrow ones to get the desired height.

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Advice: pre-treat all wooden blanks with an antiseptic to protect the wood from decay, in addition to a septic tank, you can use hot drying oil, which must be thoroughly impregnated with our lumber.

We install the finished box in a trench, which we have prepared, pour a layer of dry leaves, and already on top of the fertile soil, mixed with compost, with a layer of at least 18 - 20 cm (10 cm is enough for cucumbers) and thoroughly moisten everything.

It is better to make warm beds in the fall, for the winter we cover them with plant waste (make sure that there are no seeds on the plants) or straw, we put a black film on top and fix it. Having done this work in the fall, you will already have a ready-made area for growing spring greens in early spring.

In the spring, we raise the film on metal arcs, but not high, by 15-20 cm., And sow greens, as the plants grow, we raise the film higher. In April, you can already sow cucumbers on such a bed and, for seedlings, cabbage, zucchini, squash, pumpkin, you can also sow there for seedlings and flowers. Later, the seedlings are transplanted to a permanent place, and the cucumbers, for example, are left in the garden, we re-sow the seeds in the vacant place.

If you make warm beds in the spring, let the earth settle for at least a week, water it more often, only then start sowing seeds or planting seedlings.

Such a warm bed "works" for up to 10 years. When decaying, firewood provides the earth with warmth; in such an environment, microorganisms multiply well, which oxidize methane to carbon dioxide, which is necessary for the development of plants. All work with such a bed, in the future, comes down to loosening the top layer when planting plants, yes, once every two seasons, renewing the leaf layer and adding fertile soil.

What to make formwork from

When building beds in a greenhouse with your own hands, a natural question arises - and from what to make the formwork? In fact, the range of materials for ground fencing is so wide that the problem lies only in the possibilities and personal preferences:

1. Wooden formwork. The most popular and budgetary option, but at the same time the most short-lived. Waste material is suitable for construction - timber, boards, pallets.Wooden boxes keep their shape well, provide free drainage, and can be carried. But the tree is highly susceptible to rotting and is an attractive shelter for pests. Therefore, even before the manufacture of the formwork, the boards must be treated with antifungal compounds and it is very desirable to soak with linseed oil or paint.

Bumpers made of wood for beds

1. Concrete or brick fence. A relatively budget option, but such beds cannot be transferred to another place. Such formwork is built in stationary greenhouses, while it is necessary to take into account all the nuances - from the width and length of the rows to the systems for removing excess water and heating.
2. Asbestos-cement slabs and slate. Despite the apparent availability of these materials, there are some difficulties with their use. Firstly, asbestos is a carcinogen, and its presence can adversely affect the health of the owner. Secondly, these materials are quite fragile and unsafe in terms of injury. Thirdly, for the installation of such formwork, additional costs will be required for the purchase of metal corners and fasteners.

   
   Slate sides for garden beds

3. Metal formwork. A relatively expensive but very convenient way to organize the space in the greenhouse. Galvanized greenhouse beds are strong and durable, easy to carry from place to place. They can be purchased ready-made or assembled by yourself.
4. Ceramics, plastic and polycarbonate. Ceramic pots and plastic containers and pipes are convenient for organizing shelving structures, and polycarbonate sheets inserted into a frame made of metal corners keep their shape well. The only drawback of these materials is their cost.

Galvanized fences are durable and easy to operate

Why do we need warm beds in a greenhouse?

The principle of operation of a warm bed is quite simple. With a lack of solar energy in the spring, soil warming occurs very slowly. Adequate temperature for planting is not reached until late April or early May.

If they ate the soil artificially, you can create favorable conditions for planting in March.

At the same time, plant roots immediately fall into comfortable conditions, quickly take root and begin to develop. At the same time, some of the heat gets into the air and also contributes to its warming up.

Types and dimensions of the beds

The main point that determines how to arrange the beds in the greenhouse is the size and shape of the building, as well as the ease of maintenance of the plantings. Of course, when making a final decision, it is worth considering what will be grown in the greenhouse.

Variety of shapes and patterns

By the type of size of the beds, one can distinguish:

• wide, with a narrow passage;
• medium, with fairly spacious paths;
• narrow beds (according to Mitlider, according to Lyadov, Pikalevsky's method);
• original beds of complex shapes (French, bosquet, pyramidal, vertical, spiral, beds in a geodesic greenhouse).

Vertical fit in pipes

By type of soil arrangement:

• warm organic;
• warm with artificial heating;
• ordinary;
• hydroponics.

Proven greenhouse schemes

Width affects not only the yield of crops, but also how comfortable it will be to work with them. Most often, in closed ground, 2 or 3 longitudinal rows with passages are equipped. The photo shows the beds in the greenhouse, located according to the most common schemes, and each has advantages and disadvantages.

Longitudinal bed schemes

The two-bed method is the simplest, it is used for arranging small soil greenhouses. This scheme can be used for growing trellis crops and plants with a large food area - cucumbers, pumpkin, melon, zucchini, watermelon, cabbage, potatoes, flowers.

Advantages:

• the maximum possible area is reserved for plants;
• easy to build, requires a minimum of additional materials.

Disadvantages:

• wide rows are difficult to process;
• planting crops may be too thick.

A three-bed layout is optimal for most crops, giving the plants ample room to grow. Narrow rows are easier to handle. The middle ridge can be built close to the far side of the greenhouse only if there is no second door there. The only drawback is that the passages are narrower, which is not very convenient for working with equipment (cars, watering cans).

Convenient narrow beds

Recently, planting according to the method of Mitlider, Lyadov or Pikalevsky has become more and more widespread. When planning how to make beds in a greenhouse according to such schemes, it is important to remember that their main principle is narrow (from 30 to 45 cm) rows for plants and very wide (up to a meter) aisles. The height of the formwork is from 30 to 60 cm, and the scheme of filling with soil depends on the chosen method. Plants planted in one or two rows are well lit and have enough free space to grow.

Landing scheme for Mitlider

High yield is achieved by intensive fertilizing according to the developed schemes. Subject to the cultivation techniques according to Mitlider, the productivity of the greenhouse is up to three times higher than in a conventional one with a similar area.

Advantages:

• high productivity;
• easy to care for plants;
• suitable for growing any crops.

Disadvantage: high costs for the purchase of feedings.

Arrangement of high beds

A separate arrangement option is high beds. The main principle of their organization is that the working surface is strongly raised above the soil level, so the soil warms up faster, the plants develop earlier and it is more convenient to maintain them. High bed options:

• a formwork with a height of 90-100 cm is being built on the ground;
• boxes with a height of 40 cm, filled with a fertile substrate, are installed on special stands.

High beds are easy to maintain

Formwork for a high soil bed can be made of sheet slate, metal or polycarbonate. A thick insulating layer is laid inside the formwork - branches, chips, reeds, corn stalks, sprinkled with a mixture of sand and sawdust and tamped tightly. Fertile soil is poured on top, taken from the garden or prepared according to the scheme - sod land + peat + sawdust + sand (3: 3: 1: 1). Also, the formwork can be filled with layers of fillers in compliance with the "warm bed" principle.

Advantages of using technology

To figure out whether it is worth making warm beds on your site, let's look at the advantages of this method of growing early vegetables:

• A warm bed is located above ground level. This is a big plus when growing vegetables in regions with cold climates and frequent rainfall. Firstly, the soil inside the garden warms up faster. If frozen areas are still observed in the shade in the garden, then on the elevation the fertile soil is ready to accept seedlings. Secondly, in a rainy summer, the plants on the hill will not be 100% wet.
• When arranging warm beds, organic matter is used. Its decomposition produces heat and nutrients for plants. The process lasts at least 5 years, and during this time early vegetables can be grown. In the future, the fertile soil does not lose its nutrients and is used to grow other plants, and new layers are poured inside the fence.
• Organic has a positive quality - it retains moisture well. If an ordinary earthen embankment in the fence needs to be watered more often, then a warm analogue requires watering 1-2 times per week. When using drip irrigation, caring for gardening is simplified in half.
• During the decay of organic matter, a large amount of heat is released, which has a positive effect on the rapid germination of seeds. The plant that emerged from the grain immediately receives nutrients from the compost.
• The technology makes it possible to obtain ready-made compost without placing a separate heap. Organics are folded in layers inside the fence, so warm beds are immediately ready for use in the spring.
• You can equip a warm bed in the open air or inside a greenhouse. The location does not affect the harvest. Only if the garden bed is set up on the street, in addition, arcs are installed above it and the film is stretched.
• The technology is convenient for the gardener in terms of growing vegetables. The soil covered with mulch during rain or watering is not splashed with water droplets, contaminating the fruits. There are few weeds between cultivated plants, and it is easy to pull them out of loose soil.

If you liked the arguments of the advantages of the technology, then in the spring you can try to plant the first pariah of plants on a warm bed with your own hands.

Attention! In order to get a warm bed ready for use in the spring, it is better to take care of its contents in the fall. To do this, small and large organic matter is folded inside the fence in layers, leaves fallen from trees and all this is covered with cardboard.

How to equip a heated bed

A warm bed in a greenhouse is a special type of arrangement of the working area. Due to the filling of the formwork with various substrates, the constant temperature of the fertile layer is several degrees higher than the temperature of the rest of the soil, at the same time the costs for additional heating of the structure are also reduced. Three options for the construction of warm beds are used - organic, with a trench and directly on the ground, as well as with a heating system.

Warm organic bed on the ground

Warm bed with a trench

For its construction, a trench up to half a meter deep is being prepared, on which the box is installed. The bottom layer of filler is rotten wood, cut grass, corn stalks, straw or leaves (20-30 cm). The second layer is actually a "heating pad", in its role can be compost, horse or cow dung (30 cm). The third layer is fertile (40 cm). After filling the beds, everything is watered with hot water or a solution of potassium permanganate and covered with foil or agrofibre for a week.

The shelter can be left on the soil as mulching after planting. This will keep warm better, but it is necessary to periodically control the temperature of the soil to avoid overheating and death of plants. For the same reasons, fresh manure should not be used. You should also avoid filling the beds with pig manure, since there is a very high risk of contamination of all crops with helminths.

"Lazy" warm bed

This is a kind of hybrid of warm and tall beds. Plant residues (grass, leaves, branches) are placed in a box set on the ground in a small layer. Then a layer of manure and a layer of ordinary soil. Further actions are the same as for the trench bed.

Water heating of the soil in the greenhouse

This method is economical and convenient for small film greenhouses and greenhouses, does not require much effort and is considered the best option for beginners. In such conditions, all types of greens, low root and leafy vegetables, strawberries, and seedlings flutter well.

Electric heating system

When organizing an automated greenhouse, it is better to make an electrically heated bed. This method is convenient for year-round cultivation, since not only the soil is heated at the same time, but the whole room, and the heat is evenly distributed and does not burn the plants.

The principle of the system is simple - mats with heaters are placed on the bottom, then a layer of waterproofing and soil is poured on top. However, the installation of such a system must be carried out with strict adherence to safety rules, so it is better to entrust this to specialists.

Electric heating system

Tools and materials

Let's get down to business. To work on arranging warm beds, we need the following materials:

• Edged board, 20mm thick;
• Wooden beam 50x50mm;
• Antiseptic, bitumen or drying oil (for wood processing);
• Nails and screws.

Let's prepare from the tools:

• Grinder;
• Drill;
• A hammer;
• Shovel;
• Watering can.

What is a warm bed, what is it for

Warm beds are a slightly more advanced compost pit, adapted for growing greens and vegetables:

• During their construction, plant waste, unripe compost and food waste are used. This refines the area and frees up the containers to collect new compost material.
• The contents of the beds decompose slowly and release organic compounds in a form that can be assimilated by plants. During the decomposition processes, heat is released, which heats the garden from the inside. If it is planted with vegetables or sowed with herbs, you do not need to worry about frosts, since in the warmth the plants will comfortably survive the temperature drop to -5 ° C.
• When laying the layers, we remove the roots of the ubiquitous wheatgrass and other perennial weeds from the soil, and after we have finished the work, cover the resulting hill from above with a dense plastic wrap. The heat released inside the bed is not enough to neutralize the seeds of weeds, so you need to try not to take plants with ripe seeds in the bookmark. And from the danger of seeding with new ones, we protect the garden bed with a shelter. As a result, for the near future we get rid of the need to regularly weed weeds..

Warm beds hide plant debris and food waste that give life to great vegetables.

The life span of such beds is 3-4 years, then they are depleted. Then the contents are distributed around the garden and new ones are equipped.

I was lucky to receive as a gift a book by Sally Jean Cunningham “Loyal Friends of the Gardener. A vegetable garden that takes care of itself. " Not everything that was written there turned out to be applicable in the conditions of the Moscow region, but the ease of presentation and a detailed description of the stages of preparing warm beds convinced them of the need for their construction. What I have never regretted.

The best time for arranging warm beds is autumn. There are several reasons for this:

• In the fall, the main harvesting work is completed.
• There is a lot of leaf and fruit litter, as well as plant debris left after harvesting and summer pruning of trees.
• The prepared bed will rot during the winter and will be ready for work in early spring, which will provide a significant head start to the plants.