Construction and setup of efficient hotbeds for the vegetable garden

The simplest to construct and maintain structures for protected ground are hotbeds.

This simple design makes it possible to get a "jump start" of 50–60 days in the life of such crops as tomatoes, peppers, eggplants, and others, primarily by growing transplants in winter and early spring. You can also harvest cucumbers and greens here.

Gardeners could not do without a hotbed even when there was no electricity, and it is still necessary today. After all, its construction does not require significant expenses of funds and materials: various wood waste and glass will come in handy. And for heating, humus, leaves, straw, and other organic residues are used, which release heat during decomposition.

A hotbed should be placed in a well-lit place protected from the wind, oriented from east to west. Additionally, you can build a barrier from brushwood, boards, sunflower or corn stalks, but do not forget that the shadow from this cover should not fall on the hotbed.

As a rule, hotbeds are made collapsible, as they are completely or partially removed for the winter. Therefore, for convenience, all parts are labeled so that the hotbed can be easily reassembled the following year. All connections are made with screws, bolts, etc.

The cover can also consist of separate sections that are easily assembled, moved, and put into storage in the autumn.

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The film for the hotbed is purchased, if possible, with a thickness of up to 0.3 mm.

A hotbed consists of a pit, a box, a hotbed frame, and straw mats. The pit is dug with a width of 1.6 m at the top and 1.2 m at the bottom. Its depth depends on the timing of use. For insulated hotbeds used in early spring, the depth of the pit should be about 75 cm, for semi-warm ones — 45 cm, and for solar hotbeds — 25-30 cm.

To ensure the pit warms up better by the sun, it is dug from east to west. The boxes are made of beams, old boards, logs, brick waste, etc. In general, even things you were planning to throw away might come in handy here.

Frames measuring 106x160 cm are knocked together from beams. To prevent their decay, it is necessary to coat the frames with drying oil (consumption — 0.4 kg of drying oil per frame). For glass airtightness, the gaps should be puttied.

The sides of the hotbed are made of wooden planks: the southern side is low, and the northern one is higher. Hotbeds are covered with glazed or polyethylene film-covered frames, which are attached to hinges. In the open position, the frames are held by wooden supports.

For convenience, wooden beams are installed in the hotbed, on which boards are laid. You can work on these boards even while lying half-prone. This is useful for such meticulous work as pricking out transplants.

The soil in the hotbed is positioned at an angle to the south or in steps. In the latter case, with a hotbed width of 1.5 m, the useful area increases by more than 0.3 m across its entire width.

However, such hotbeds should not be made on soils with a high water table, otherwise, they will face constant flooding.

A sunken solar hotbed is made in exactly the same way, but the depth of the pit should be no more than 50 cm. Insulation material (sand, slag, gravel, leaves, roofing felt, etc.) is placed on the bottom, and if possible, a layer of biofuel 20-30 cm thick is added, followed by a soil layer 12-18 cm thick on top.

In such a hotbed, you can grow seedlings, radish, dill, and green onions. It is convenient for finishing and hardening indoor seedlings in pots and cups.

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A ground-level hotbed consists of a frame 160 cm wide and 20-30 cm high. It is installed on a pre-tilled bed, and soil is heaped up on the outer sides. After this, hotbed frames are placed on top of the frame.

Such a frame, covered with film, can be lifted and carried by one person. For one frame, eight bars are needed: two side ones, two end ones, and four middle ones. They are easily cut from a 30-35 mm thick board. The sides of the bars, especially the side ones, must be made even so that there are no gaps when the frames are brought together.

A groove is sawed into the ends of the side bar, into which the sawed end of the end bar is inserted.

On the inner side of the end bar, four holes are made, into which the middle bars are inserted.

Efficient hotbed designs and their layout

To obtain early vegetable produce, it is important to correctly combine protective structures on the site. Combining warm hotbeds and ground-level hotbeds with solar nurseries allows for the optimization of planting dates for heat-loving crops and greens, taking into account their biological characteristics. To protect the entire system from cold winds, blind fences made of reeds or brushwood must be installed on the north side.

For a simple film frame, the polyethylene is folded under the side bar and nailed from the bottom with 15 mm nails every 4–5 cm. To prevent the film from tearing at the ends, a wooden clamping strip is placed under the nails, and it is attached to the middle bars with regular thumbtacks. Such a design is optimal for pricking out late seedlings, and growing radish, lettuce, dill, and green onions.

A wall-mounted hotbed is easy to attach to the southern wall of any utility building by securing a strapping made of beams with a cross-section of at least 10 cm to it. It is covered with standard glass frames. When growing tomatoes in such a hotbed, tall cultivars are planted close to the warm wall of the building, and short ones — closer to the outer edge.

For maximum heat capture, rotating flat screens painted with white water-based paint are used. The reflected light increases the temperature inside the structure by 2–3 °C. The screen coating is renewed as it wears out.

• Standard frame size — 160x106 cm
• Strapping beam cross-section — at least 10 cm
• Heat gain from the screen — 2–3 °C
• Pit depth for the screen — 70 cm

Arrangement of the pit, preparation of biofuel and frames

The construction of a hotbed with a reflective screen begins with a strapping made of smooth, barked logs with a diameter of 10–14 cm. The southern side is laid lower than the northern one to create a slope, and a support groove for the frames is cut along its inner edge. A pit 70 cm deep is dug with a trapezoidal profile. In loose soil, the walls are reinforced with boards, and a drainage ditch covered with wooden shields is laid around the hotbed at a distance of 0.5–1 m.

Heating and laying of biofuel are carried out strictly according to the technology to ensure uniform and long-term burning of manure throughout the entire growing season.

1. Stack the manure into a pile and make several longitudinal grooves in it.
2. Pour a bucket of hot water into each groove and cover the pile with burlap or straw mats.
3. After 3–4 days, when the temperature in the pile rises to 50–60 °C, transfer it to the hotbed.
4. Place less hot manure at the bottom, and the most heated one on the sides and top.
5. After 2–3 days, after settling, add a fresh portion, laying the manure loosely and compacting it only slightly near the walls of the pit.

After filling, the hotbed is covered with frames and mats made of straw or matting for rapid heating. Frames measuring 160x106 cm are assembled from bars 7 cm wide and 6 cm thick, fastening them with wooden pins. Glass 2–3 mm thick is mounted in them, after which the wood is covered with weather-resistant PF-166 varnish or linseed oil.

In the middle zone and the north, single- and dual-pitch hotbeds with side boards are effective. For these, a pit with a depth of 0.5–0.6 m is dug, posts are driven into the corners and the center of the sides, and double wooden side boards are mounted: the inner layer of boards is laid horizontally, and the outer one is laid vertically. Along the southern and northern sides, 4.5x4.5 cm bars are nailed, and two sturdy 2.5–3 cm thick trimmed boards are laid on them for the safe movement of the worker during plant care. Frames for such structures are made of 5 cm wide and 3 cm thick slats and are attached to the northern board with hinges.

Then, the hotbed is filled with manure, a thermometer is installed inside, and a film is stretched over it. To reduce windage, twine or fishing line is tightly stretched in several rows on both sides of the frame and fastened with nails. Thus, the film appears to be clamped between the rows of twine. Then, the film and twine are secured on top with wooden laths. If you have performed all the work carefully, the film does not flutter even in strong winds.

In the open position, the frame is held by wooden supports inserted into brackets. To prevent the frame from tipping over in the wind, it is tied with a rope to metal loops made on the frame and the southern side board.

For hotbed ventilation, the frame is lifted. If it is hot during the day and cool at night, it is closed, leaving a gap of 2—4 cm between the frame and the side board. When frosts occur, additional wooden frames 0.5-0.7 m wide covered with film are placed on horizontal slats inside the hotbed. This creates a double cover for the plants. In addition, a bucket with a metal lid, containing red-hot coal or burnt-out firewood, is placed in the hotbed.

If the frames are removed to an indoor storage area for the winter, the service life of the hotbed can be extended up to 10 years.

In a standard hotbed covered with polyethylene film, the "double film" effect will help save plants from death during severe frosts.

The frame of a double-film hotbed is assembled from wooden bars and slats as usual, but the "foundation" must be reinforced. It is necessary to securely strengthen the pipes that support the frame. This reduces warping, which is important for hotbed operation.

• First, stretch the inner film, then the outer one.
• Special attention should be paid to stretching the inner sheet of film at the corners.
• The inner film does not need to be welded, but in this case, the layers are overlapped with an allowance and stretched well. This results in proper sealing.

The most complex part of the hotbed is the opening slope. The figure (6) shows a fragment of its general view, components, and design features. In operation, it should be noted that the opening slope, covered with film on both sides, rotates on two bolt-axles. In the open position, it is secured by a wire guy line.

Along all contact edges on the opening slope, duralumin (1-1.5 mm thick) caps are nailed with a glued seal made of strips of military greatcoat cloth. When closed and properly constructed, the hotbed is reliably isolated from the cold surrounding air.

A large hotbed in which one can work standing at full height is the dream of every gardener. Its construction is expensive and labor-intensive compared to the structures described above, but

Slat Vertical bar Slat End bar an: = Outer film ER —- Slat Slat Inner film Sealing Cap Sh Opening slope еeоя $ ANNE mech Ее ЗН Cap o AA Mu otr Bolt. / ing slope Ridge slat Guy line Rafter slat ani and --- G Rafter slat — (p) p Post /» Cap — Side post Ridge slat Cap dy ah x (1) Opening a | ® r shiy „Sealing NY Opening AA <\ slope B — Side longitudinal post Sealing y 1 b Side post Fragments of double-film hotbed components: a — stretching the polyethylene film; 6 — construction of the opening slope it justifies itself in regions with cold morning frosts, which are dangerous for heat-loving garden crops.

The calculation and layout of the hotbed are based on the width of the film sheet. As construction material, it is desirable to have duralumin pipes with a diameter of 30—40 mm and 20 mm. Thick pipes are used for posts, thin ones for longitudinal connections, but it is possible to use pipes of the same diameter.

The general view of the frame and connection points are shown in the figure. Particular attention should be paid to the construction of doors and covering the frame with film.

For the end wall where there is no door, a film sheet is prepared with a hem around the entire perimeter, except for the bottom. It should be 30—40 mm larger than the end wall on each side. A suitable cord is threaded through the hem, secured at the bottom near the ground, slightly tightened, and the film is placed onto the frame.

Covering the end wall where the doorway is located is done in the same way as in the previous case. To the doorway, which is made of wooden bars, the film is attached with a lath (thin strip) and small nails.

The door panel has hems on three sides. Metal eyelets are installed on them every 15 cm. The top is attached to the opening with a lath and small nails. A soft cord is nailed around the perimeter of the doorway (on the sides and bottom), and nails are driven in. Their number equals the number of eyelets; they hold the door panel in the closed position (with the film fitting tightly against the cord).

Similarly, the top and sides of the hotbed are covered. On top, the film sheet is pressed down by a longitudinal lath, which is fastened with screws. At the bottom, the sheet is covered with soil on all sides.

As is known, in a hotbed, one must either periodically change the soil or rotate crops. However, there is another way: make the hotbed portable and move it to a new location when necessary.

To build a portable hotbed using fishing line, one uses used 0.5-inch water pipes, six connecting inserts, two 35x35 mm angles for the door, wooden bars to connect the vertical pipes and angles, wooden laths, film 3 m wide, and nylon fishing line.

o || 1 |. r G | | ao. “ Ya \ G |,, t < 6 Longitudinal e 7 he. lath K? | 2: Door film char” 6 Eyelet. Washer Bars < 2 \ (on both sides) 2 Pipe Film rE—connector OV PO PO I, x\ U in d. mm Door bar Lath < in Door film Nail Eyelet Cord General view and connection joints of a large hotbed: a — general view of the frame; b — connection joints; c — film attachment

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77 | | I? | 88 N _ OE 1 E Portable hotbed using fishing line: 1 — holes 3 mm in diameter for attaching the fishing line; 2 — pipes; 3 — insert; 4 — fishing line; 5 — bracket; 6 — sheet rubber; 7 — door stop; 8 — angle Before assembling the hotbed, mark the depth of the pipes 2 and angles 8 in the ground with paint. Connect the roof pipes with the longitudinal pipes using inserts 3, attach wooden bars to the outer side with screws, and attach the crossbar and film to them. Install the assembled door on one of the angles. Stretch the fishing line over the pipes on three sides of the hotbed and on top. In the end vertical pipes, pass it through the drilled holes. Wrap the walls with fishing line. Run it over the top of the frame and tie it to the inclined pipes. Stretch the film over the prepared frame. Trim it so that some weight (a pipe, board, etc.) can be placed on the ends. Attach the remaining film at the ends to the pipes using wooden laths with screws and nuts. For the end walls of the hotbed, cut the film separately and nail it to the laths with small nails. It is better to make the hotbed the full width of the film; it can be made of several such sections. Each section comfortably accommodates four rows of transplants — two beds on each side with a 0.5 m wide path between them. The hotbed area is 5.6 m?, and the mass is 25 kg.

The base of a home garden hotbed with automatic irrigation and electric heating consists of a frame made of four straight bars, to which four profiled aluminum arches are attached with special clamps. The film covering of the frame is clamped around the entire perimeter with a rubber cord. The mass of the hotbed together with the film, with a useful area of 5.5 m?, is 19 kg. To install the frame, a foundation is made of brick, boards, and concrete.

The automatic irrigation system includes a 100-200 L water tank with a dosing device, a distribution tank, a dosing bucket, and feeder tubes with wicks made of water-conducting material inserted into them.

The heating system contains twenty heating elements in the form of pegs, which are buried in the soil over the entire area of the hotbed. Each peg is made of a metal tube with a tip, in which a nichrome wire resistor is placed. The total power of the heating elements is 0.3 kW. They are connected via a socket to a control panel, which consists of a unit with a transformer and an automatic shut-off device.

In such a hotbed, you can grow plants from early spring to late autumn, and also protect them during short-term frosts (down to —5 °С).

It is easy to automate the ventilation of the hotbed as well — the sun will help with this. The basis of the design is a hydraulic cylinder filled with a low-boiling liquid (for example, Freon-12). It is attached to the frame sash in the center, and its piston rod, sealed with rubber rings, rests with its free end against the end of a wooden post.

It takes only 100 grams of Freon for the sun-controlled hydraulic cylinder to lift the frame, which is hinged to the main structure, by means of a lever and a rod.

When the air in the hotbed cools down, the frame lowers into place by itself. The free end of the rod is fixed in a blind hole at the end of the post with a screw. Adjusting or moving the counterweight located on the edge of the frame helps to set the desired operating mode of the hotbed and the temperature.

Рама к УРА. т И ПО Г? идроцилиндр ш й 2х» ток й <2 р. р 2 2 ее х.. Л Зр Ч = М ЗЕ: й р й Я 2 Ш И Hotbed with automated ventilation When growing early vegetables on beds and ridges, arched-type film covers are also widely used. Such structures are available for sale, but it will not be difficult to make them yourself from wire with a diameter of 4—6 mm. The ends of the bent wire of each arch are pressed into the soil to a depth of 15-20 cm. With an arch width of 0.9-1.5 m and a height of 0.6-0.8 m, the distance between them is maintained at 1-1.5 m. A rail is placed over the arches and fastened with twine or wire, which gives the structure sufficient stability and strength. The film is stretched over the top. For convenience, the edges of the film are secured to a spool. This creates tension and makes it possible to (/\ | СА | 5х Arched-type film cover ventilate the plants in hot weather by winding the film onto the spool. The arches can be made of willow twigs.

It is also easy to make a collapsible-portable cover yourself.

The side boards of the cover are made of planks 15—16 cm wide, 1.9-2 cm thick, and 5-6.5 m long (depending on the length of the lumber). The rafters are assembled from wooden bars with a cross-sectional area of 3x5 cm. They can also be made from waste materials and metal parts. The ridge beam is rectangular, with a cross-sectional area of 3x54 cm, with cutouts. It is inserted into the openings between the rafters.