Whether as a flat tunnel or a plastic greenhouse that can be walked on upright, building your own is fun, it is a cost-effective way of growing young plants and even inexperienced do-it-yourselfers can do it. Depending on the size, it only takes a few hours to prepare the garden soil and set it up.

There are no limits to the imagination when it comes to constructing the substructure

Since prefabricated greenhouses are quite expensive in stores, many skilled allotment gardeners often ask themselves whether building a plastic greenhouse yourself would not also be an option for growing your own young plants in the spring weeks. Self-designed foil constructions also offer a wealth of personal design freedom and special structural parameters usually do not have to be taken into account with such a small greenhouse.

Easy to set up and cheap in price

In contrast to the greenhouses covered with glass, there is no need for foundations in a foil greenhouse. Simple variants that can also be walked on can be used inexpensive and similar to a tunnel build up. And a wooden or metal frame as a foil-bearing framework can also be built by yourself 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.

Foil greenhouse as a kit from the trade

If you cannot or do not want to build a plastic greenhouse yourself, you will find prefabricated kits in many sizes and qualities in specialist gardening shops. The enclosed assembly instructions usually make it very easy for hobby gardeners to professionally assemble the individual parts in a reasonable amount of time. The decisive disadvantage: Ready-made small greenhouses are sometimes outrageously expensive and if you order online, you also have to reckon with not inconsiderable transport costs.

Preparation of the garden area

Building your own foil greenhouse has the not inconsiderable advantage that you can optimally plan the size in terms of area and height (important for working as upright as possible!) according to your own ideas and adapt it individually to the space available in the garden. It is best to choose an area that is as semi-shady as possible, where you know that the garden soil suits the planned planting. Particularly important: The floor surface should be as level as possible. This is not just for visual reasons (after all, not everything is straight in nature!), but is intended to help prevent large accumulations of water from the last driving rain later on inside the self-built plastic greenhouse.

Build your own foil greenhouse tools

When preparing the area for building the foil greenhouse, you should prepare at least a simple construction plan, according to which the terrain will be measured and leveled. According to the intended crops, the intended area can then be exactly staked out and marked with battens will. This gives a more accurate picture of how the planned construction of the plastic 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;
  • Ruler and hose level (especially for larger plastic greenhouses);
  • pegs and a plumb line (7.13€) (for setting out alignments and building heights);
  • Tools for necessary manual leveling work (wheelbarrow, spade, shovel, pickaxe);

tips

For self-builders of plastic greenhouses, the specialist trade has a wide range of stable connection systems for plugging and screwing, which offer the necessary stability for self-construction. After all, the new plant house should also be able to withstand adverse weather conditions and protect your valuable plants.

Category:

Garden design