Whether as a flat tunnel or an upright walk-in foil greenhouse, building it yourself is fun, is a cost-effective way to grow young plants and can even be done by inexperienced DIY enthusiasts. Depending on the size, only a few hours are needed to prepare the garden soil and set it up.
How do you build a foil greenhouse yourself?
Building a foil greenhouse yourself is easy, inexpensive and only requires a few hours of work. Choose a partially shaded area, level the ground and use wooden or metal frames as scaffolding. High-quality cover films ensure longevity.
Since prefabricated greenhouses are quite expensive in stores, many skilled allotment gardeners often wonder whether building their own foil greenhouse wouldn't also be an option for growing their own young plants in the spring weeks. Self-designed film constructions also offer a we alth of personal design freedom and special structural parameters do not usually have to be taken into account for such a small greenhouse.
Easy to set up and affordable in price
In contrast to greenhouses covered with glass, a film greenhouse does not require foundations at all. Simple variants that can also be walked on can be constructedcost-effectively and similar to a tunnel. And you can build a wooden or metal frame to hold foil in just a few hours. If higher quality and a longer service life are desired, it is better to use high-quality materials, especially when it comes to the covering film for the roof and walls.
Film greenhouse as a commercial kit
If you can't or don't want to build a foil greenhouse yourself, you can find prefabricated kits in many sizes and qualities in relevant garden shops. The included assembly instructions usually make it very easy for recreational gardeners to assemble the individual parts professionally in a reasonable amount of time. The decisive disadvantage: Ready-made small greenhouses are sometimes outrageously expensive and anyone who orders online must also expect significant transport costs.
Preparation of the garden area
Building your own foil greenhouse has the not insignificant advantage that you can optimally plan the size of the area and the height (important for working as upright as possible!) according to your own ideas and individually adapt it to the space available in the garden. It is best to choose an area that is as partially shaded as possible and where you know that the garden soil suits the planned planting. Particularly important:The floor surface should be as even as possible This is not just for visual reasons (after all, not everything is straight in nature!), but is intended to help the inside of the self-built Large water accumulations from the last driving rain will not form later in the foil greenhouse.
Tools for building your own foil greenhouse
In preparing the area for setting up the foil greenhouse, you should at least prepare a simple construction plan according to which the area is measured and leveled. Depending on the intended crops, the intended area can then be staked out exactlyand marked with pickets. This gives a more precise picture of how the planned construction of the film greenhouse will later harmonize with the rest of the garden landscape.
Measuring and marking tools for construction preparation
Depending on the size and working height of the foil greenhouse, you will need:
- Tape measure or folding rule for measuring;
- long spirit level;
- Leveling rod and hose level (especially for larger film greenhouses);
- Stakes and a guideline (for marking alignments and building heights);
- Tools for required manual leveling work (wheelbarrow, spade, shovel, pick);
Tip
For self-builders of film greenhouses, specialist retailers have a wide range of stable connection systems (€569.00 on Amazon) for plugging and screwing, which offer the necessary stability for self-construction. Ultimately, the new plant house should also withstand adverse weather conditions and protect your valuable plants.