Building a small tomato greenhouse yourself can be done within a few hours with a little manual skill. The required material input is well under 100 euros. Nevertheless, a solid point foundation should also be prepared on which the new building stands stably.
How do I build a small tomato greenhouse myself?
To build a small tomato greenhouse yourself, you need 8 squared timbers, 4 squared timbers, plastic film, wood screws, metal angles, electric stapler and impregnated protective paint. The greenhouse should be at ground level and 200 x 200 cm in size with a sloping roof of 200 cm by 180 cm.
It doesn't always have to be large or massive and a permit is usually not required either. Therefore, it isvery little effort if ambitious allotment gardeners simply assemble their tomato greenhouse themselves, because the required materials can be bought quickly and cheaply.
The simplest option for a tomato greenhouse
In our example, it should be a 200 x 200 cm house in which all wall and window elements are omitted and therefore only a stable wooden frame needs to be made, which is then covered with a durable greenhouse film. As a stable foundation, a cast point foundation is prepared at all four corners, which ends at ground level. We do not use complex roof drainage because we take into accounta sloping roof to the rear from the outset when assembling the scaffolding. With a height of 200 cm (180 cm at the back), people of normal stature can work upright and therefore comfortably.
The material requirements for do-it-yourselfers
As a guideline, you could write down the following materials on your shopping list for the hardware store;
- 8 squared timbers 200 x 8 x 8 cm (4 corner pillars and 1 additional support pillar every 100 cm);
- 4 squared timbers 200 x 8 x 4 cm (one on each side for the horizontal finish as a connection between the corner pillars);
- at least 25 m2 plastic film (UV-stabilized grid film with nail edge);
- Wood screws, nails, metal brackets (preferably made of stainless steel);
- Electric tacker with steel clamps (€29.00 on Amazon) (can be rented from a hardware store)
- Impregnation agent for wood and possibly varnish
- Jigsaw, foxtail, drill, screwdriver, hammer, scissors, knife, brush;
Before the scaffolding is assembled, the wood should be completely treated with animpregnating protective varnish to ensure the longest possible lifespan Since rotting occurs quickly, especially near the ground, we have in our For example, due to the previously constructed stable point foundation, an additional ring anchor was dispensed with right from the start. If everything is correct, all that's left to do is cut the foil strip by strip and attach it to the timbers.
Interior and soil in the tomato greenhouse
Due to the small amount of space available, planting is best done on ground level. For growing young plants, slightly smaller shelves can be set up in which the pots find their temporary locationin the direction of the lighter outer walls before they are moved into the prepared garden soil of the greenhouse a few weeks later become.
Tip
The film should lie as straight and tightly as possible from top to bottom on the outer edges of the planks and slats, without leaving a large gap towards the ground. To prevent water from accumulating on the roof surface, it helpsif you use a small nail drill to make two to three millimeter wide holes in some areas of the covering.
