Greenhouse butterfly

Content:

If an ordinary greenhouse cannot fit in a small space, then summer residents are trying to make a small greenhouse.
The most popular way is to stretch the cover material over arcs that are driven into the ground. If you use a creative approach, you can make a butterfly greenhouse, so it will be easier to care for the vegetation. Butterfly greenhouse is made both independently and is assembled to order.

Butterfly greenhouse size and characteristics

greenhouse butterfly

Greenhouse butterfly: photo

A butterfly greenhouse with closing doors looks like an arch-topped box. The flaps located on the sides open upward. On one side, 1 or 2 doors are installed, it depends on how long the heifer is in length. Fully open flaps are like winglets. Therefore, this name is butterfly.

Manufacturers make almost the same designs in factories, but they only differ in size. The most popular greenhouses are 1.1 m high, 1.5 m wide. The butterfly greenhouse is 4 m long. Product weight is about 26 kg.
The frame is made from a profile. The frame made of metal-plastic has great reliability. The polymer coating prevents the metal from quickly deteriorating. Also, frames are made of galvanized profile material. The zinc coating serves less than the polymer one. Corrosion resistant plastic greenhouse. The product has a small mass, but it is not as strong as a metal profile.

Shelter material. As a rule, a butterfly greenhouse is made of polycarbonate, but you can also find a film material or agrofiber. It is recommended to fix polycarbonate to the frame. Because these sheets are durable, well fixed with hardware to the base, polycarbonate provides a positive microclimate inside the greenhouse. Plus, this material will make the structure even more rigid.
If the greenhouse is sheathed with polycarbonate, then it will be the same greenhouse, only smaller in size. Of course, it will not be possible to cultivate plants of high stature in such a greenhouse, because it is limited in height. The structure can accommodate a large amount of soil, therefore, it is perfect for growing seedlings. The soil in the polycarbonate greenhouse will warm up soon, so the plants will grow and develop faster.

In the butterfly greenhouse, you can grow early watermelons, melons, root vegetables and all low-growth vegetables. Many summer residents cultivate flowers in a greenhouse of this design.
In the hot summer season, the greenhouse is left open. The flaps are closed by the late autumn season, when frosts appear. In this way, the yielding time of vegetables is extended. Early in the spring, the doors are closed at night to ensure the comfort of the seedlings and to protect them from cold snaps.

It is also possible to fit heating in the greenhouse with a heating cable. Thus, you will create ideal conditions for the cultivation of early cabbage and low-growth tomatoes.
If different plants are grown in the greenhouse that negatively come into contact with each other, then inside you can make a butterfly greenhouse partition made of polycarbonate or polyethylene.

Butterfly greenhouse: comfortable or not? pros and cons of greenhouse

Greenhouse butterfly: photo

Advantages of butterfly greenhouse greenhouse

Manufacturers and summer residents claim that this design can last 10 years or more. Yes, such an indicator can be achieved if the frame is sheathed with polycarbonate.
The doors open from 2 sides, so it becomes easier to maintain the ridge.You can expand your self-made greenhouse to accommodate more vegetation.
The greenhouse is lightweight and compact. It can be located anywhere on the site, if you need to disassemble in order to transport, then you can also quickly assemble it.
It is very good when such a greenhouse is located in a permanent place on the foundation. The arched roof, covered with durable polycarbonate, will not collapse under the weight of a large amount of snow cover and from gusts of wind. In the summer, when the greenhouse is fully open, long cucumbers are usually released from it. In other words, the butterfly is used all year round, it cannot be disassembled and it is not necessary to rearrange it to another place.

Minuses.

In stores there are such greenhouses, the frames of which are made of a simple metal profile, it is covered with paint. In the future, the paint can peel off, and where the bolts are attached, it is instantly peeled off. According to summer residents, the quality of the paint is constantly poor. The frame begins to rust if it is not painted from time to time.
Bolt holes are almost always burr. Summer residents themselves remove them with a file, and they don't really like it.
Some firms advise to sheathe the greenhouse with polyethylene if there is no polycarbonate. This is a bad recommendation because the design becomes less rigid. Plus, the polycarbonate hard edges will provide one more stop for the closed doors in the harness below.
On butterflies, which are produced in large quantities, there are large gaps between the closed doors and the body.
At times, you can find weak hinges that unbend when the doors are opened.
The downside of the structures that are disassembled is the constant sealing of the joints. Every year, when the greenhouse is assembled, you need to invest in the purchase of silicone.

To avoid the disadvantages of a greenhouse butterfly from the factory, you can make it yourself.

Collecting butterflies from the plant

When assembling the greenhouse yourself, you must follow the manufacturer's instructions. The algorithm indicates what to connect for.

An approximate assembly diagram.
A drawing is attached. On it, with the help of hardware, the frame of the greenhouse should be assembled. Each element is connected in the form of the letter "t" or fastened with a corner.
Anchoring in the form of a cross is required to strengthen the supporting elements, over a length of more than two meters.
The assembled frame must be sheathed with polycarbonate or polyethylene material.
Algorithms of factories may differ, but the basis of frame assembly is identical.

DIY butterfly greenhouse

Making a butterfly greenhouse yourself is very simple.

Training.
To make a neat aesthetic greenhouse, draw a diagram of it. In the graph, indicate all framing components, their sizes and bolt attachment points. Decide immediately on the type of doors. They can be semicircular or even.
It is easier to make doors of an even shape, because it is not always possible to bend arcs identical to each other on your own.
Choosing a site for installing a greenhouse.
A greenhouse or greenhouse room is located from the north to the south. An unshaded area or well lit before lunchtime is recommended. The structure can be placed in any part of the territory, but still make it so that you can easily approach the doors from both sides. Consider the fact that tall plants and buildings will shade, but at the same time, thickened hedges will protect the greenhouse from cold winds.
We lay the foundation.
Disassembled greenhouses are rarely placed on the foundation. If you will use a butterfly as a stationary greenhouse, then it is better to place it on a base. The structure is light, so there is no need to make a large and strong foundation. Optimally, it should be placed at a depth of 500 mm. The base can be a box made of wood, but there is a nuance here - it can quickly rot in the soil.It is recommended to make a base of red bricks, hollow blocks, or make formwork around the groove and pour concrete there.
How to make a frame made of wood.
The construction can be done independently with the help of wooden slats and old windows.
Do-it-yourself prepared drawings for a butterfly greenhouse are taken, then the dimensions are transferred to wood slats with a section of 30x40 mm or 40x50 mm. All components that are marked are sawn off with a hacksaw.
The assembly of the frame is carried out according to the scheme. The roof will be triangular and flat. The wooden arches cannot be bent, so stop at even sashes.
The door frames are fixed from above to the finished base using hinges. They are covered with polyethylene on top. If there are old windows, or rather, their frames, then they can serve as ready-made doors. The cladding will be glass from the window.
On the side, the frame is sheathed with boardsbut they won't be transparent. Reinforced film, plexiglass or polycarbonate material may work well here.
If you wish, you can cover the frame with agrofibre.
How to make a frame from a metal profile.
Assembling a frame from a metal profile is similar to assembling a wooden frame. The only difference is that the doors are made in the form of semicircles. You will have to bend the arcs in a special place.

The greenhouse will be stationary, therefore, all the components of the base must be welded. A common frame is made according to the drawing, which has a central crosspiece in order to fasten the doors. The hinges are bolted to the lintel and sash. After the finished frame is installed on the foundation, it needs to be sheathed with polycarbonate material. The cut-out elements are fastened with specialized hardware with washers for sealing. Polyethylene and non-woven material for a metal profile frame will not work very well.