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Τετάρτη 27 Νοεμβρίου 2013
How To Build A (Walipini)Underground Greenhouse-πως να χτισεις ενα υπογειο θερμοκηπιο

Pit Greenhouses

Depending on latitude, but despite above ground air temperatures (and wind chill), 6 to 8 feet down into the earth, temperatures remain fairly constant, between 50 and 60°F.  Meaning your pit greenhouse will be much warmer than an above ground greenhouse in winter and that cool earth will keep temps bearable in the summer.


underground greenhouse

Pit greenhouse in Spetchley Gardens, UK. Stairs down to entrance on right. Image byMezzapod.



underground greenhouse

Underground greenhouse. The inside can be cased in stone, mud brick or any dense natural material able to absorb large amounts of heat. Cool weather crops like lettuce, kale and brocolli can be grown during winter in harsh climates. The glazing creates a “greenhouse effect.” If your water table is high, obviously that could spell disaster. It is recommended you build your greenhouse at least five feet above the water table. growtest.org



pit greenhouse

Mike Oehler’s pit greenhouse design. Mike digs a deep trench for access on the shaded south side which also allows cold air to sink and be warmed by the deeper, warmer soil. Many install tubes within the soil to transfer warmed air into the earth, yet Mike believes you need only the cold sink to allow the transfer in most climates. How to: motherearthnews.com. Mike Oehler’s book: www.undergroundhousing.com


walipini

Called a walipini in South America (from the Aymara Indian language, meaning "place of warmth"). As you dig, save your upper most topsoil (for the new bottom) and use the deeper soil as the new berm on the north side (or south side if you're south of the equator).  Angling your window 90 degrees to the sun on the winter solstice will allow the pit to store the most heat during those days when the sun shines the fewest hours. Benson Institute Building a Walipini: www.bensoninstitute.org



pit greenhouse

Earthbag pit greenhouse. During the day, the earth walls store heat, the walls are the battery that release their heat at night. A properly designed pit greenhouse is naturally warmed at night from five sides, in an above ground greenhouse, only one side, the floor is heated during the day. A waterproof barrier extending along the periphery and down the berms are necessary www.naturalbuildingblog.com



pit greenhouse

Sun pit greenhouse. Illustration from the Owner-Built Homestead by Barbara and Ken Kern. amazon.com





Here is a large walipini in LaPaz, Bolivia. At two minutes they go inside the walipini, at four minutes they walk around the outside. In Spanish. Obviously they do not get much rain there. Organic Farm in Upper de la Paz, Bolivia.



pit greenhouse

Pit greenhouse made of local stone in Nepal at almost 10,000 feet altitude, where the temperature falls below freezing 199 days per year. Inside lush vegetation: www.rids-nepal.org



pit greenhouse

This pit greenhouse in Mongolia is currently producing food during three seasons of the year. As the footprints show the entrance is on the opposite side. thegreenbackpack.blogspot.com



pit greenhouse

Inside of above pit greenhouse. In a cold climate, the north, east and west walls should be well insulated. The north ceiling should be well insulated as well. thegreenbackpack.blogspot.com



pit greenhouse

Greenhouse built into a hill in Tennesee. Lots more pictures here: www.wind-sun.com


pit greenhouse

This pit greenhouse is in Texas, it is essentially a hole dug into the ground. Here the soil was such hard sandstone, minimal wall support was necesary. How to here: taroandti.com



pit greenhouse

Earth sheltered greenhouse with earthbag walls in Patagonia. Note the use of plastic around the periphery: ourlittlething.ning.com


pit greenhouse

One might need to dig a shallow drainage ditch around the perimeter of the greenhouse which will lead the run off water away from the structure. darfieldearthship.com


pit greenhouse

Pit greenhouse. Oft times barrels of rainwater will be stored at the back of a greenhouse to soak up and store even more heat. Note the entrance way to right. Lots more photos: greenhouseglimpses.blogspot.com

pit greenhouse

Walipini is another name for a pit greenhouse, this one is topped with old windows. More photos: onepinkhippie.com


pit greenhouse

Pit greenhouse in New Mexico dug by hand! Step by step photos: coatinativesnursery.com



pit greenhouse

Mud brick walipini in Ladakh which produces food year round in a very harsh climate. More photos: ashdenawards.blogspot.com



pit greenhouse

Care must be taken waterproofing, draining and ventilating the greenhouse. The most efficient pit greenhouses face the windows south and use the north wall to store heat.



pit greenhouse

This amazing couple bought a house with an old gunite pool and turned it into a 'closed-loop food-producing urban greenhouse.' Supporting tilapia, chickens and hydroponic vegetables and fruits. Watch video here: gardenpool.org



pit greenhouse

Earthen walled pit greenhouse. Lots of natural clay to absorb heat. The two most important factors in a pit greenhouse are the large amount of thermal mass (stone, soil, water), and its positioning toward the sun. www.organica.net.pl


pit greenhouse

An easy way to warm up and bring light into your basement. Build a mini-pit greenhouse on the south side of your home. naturalbuildingblog.com



underground greenhouse

A pit greenhouse used as dining area. www.solarinnovations.com


pit greenhouse

A pit greenhouse for musicians. www.imrevolting.net


pit greenhouse

At the New AIchemy Institue bioshelter, fish tanks and compost heat the greenhouse and adjoining house. Water is dense and holds heat even better than rock, soil takes third place in heat storage. The solar aquaculture ponds are above-ground, translucent tanks. The fertile pond water was used for irrigating crops. community.theaquaponicsource.com


pit greenhouse

Driftless Farm Greenhouse by Roald Gundersen, Wisconsin. The larger you build your pit greenhouse the more efficient, as the temperatures inside of a small greenhouse can fluctuate quite quickly. Read more about the project: www.mwt.net


pit greenhouse

Driftless Farm Greenhouse, Wisconsin. A 2800 s.f. straw-bale insulated solar greenhouse. Whole tee supports made from site-harvested black locust, which is a fast growing and extremely strong and rot-resistant, and abundant throughout Wisconsin. wholetrees.com


earth sheltered greenhouse

Earth Sheltered greenhouse by Hiroshi Iguchi, Japan. A greenhouse that obviously does not completely close. www.fifthworld-inc.com



pit greenhouse

Greenhouse by Rob Stout, New Mexico. www.swsolardesign.com



pit greenhouse

Pit greenhouse attached to a home. www.solarinnovations.com

pit greenhouse

Semi-underground greenhouse surrounded on two sides with a stone wall and earth behind. www.solarinnovations.com


underground greenhouse

Greenhouse built into a hill. www.solarinnovations.com


pit greenhouse

Pit greenhouses attached to stone buildings are also extremely energy efficient! See inside here: www.solarinnovations.com



pit greenhouse

Straw bales are a great insulator (an R-value of 1.5 to 3 per inch). Manure below ground will also help to keep these plants warm. Photo by Terrie Schweitzer, www.flickr.com


pit greenhouse

Cold frame of old windows and straw bales. Placing manure or compost down below the layer of topsoil will help keep the area warm. indianapublicmedia.org


How To:

Great step by step Earth Sheltered Greenhouse with center work space/cold sink. Lots of pictures: geektrap.com

Benson Institute Building a Walipini: www.bensoninstitute.org

YMCA Solar Greenhouse in Virginia, partially submerged: www.solaripedia.com & www.roperld.com

Earth Sheltered Greenhouse by Mike Oehler: motherearthnews.com

Mud brick walipini: ashdenawards.blogspot.com

Mud Heat Storage Greenhouse by Joseph Orr: motherearthnews.com

Step by step, cinder block: greenhouseglimpses.blogspot.com

A bermed, solar heated greenhouse in Idaho: www.builditsolar.com

Small bermed earth sheltered greenhouse: thehomesteadingboards.com

A quonset hut type greenhouse from chain link fence top railings: frugal-living-freedom.com
Compost Heated Greenhouses: attra.ncat.org

Solviva Greenhouse: www.solviva.com



Books:

The Earth-Sheltered Solar Greenhouse Book by Mike Oehler: undergroundhousing.com

The Solar Greenhouse Book by James McCullagh and printed by Rodale press

Gardener's Solar Greenhouse from the book by Ray Wolf, published by Rodale Press

How to Grow $500,000 on One Acre by Anna Eddy. www.solviva.com

Solar Greenhouses: Underground Daniel Geery. 1982. TAB Books, Inc.


More:

Slope, orientation, glazing, etc: attra.ncat.org
Lots of info! L. David Roper: www.roperld.com
Compost heated greenhouses: attra.ncat.org
Wood greenhouse kits, they will make a kit for your foundation: cedarbuilt.homestead.com

Solar Greenhouse Links: www.builditsolar.com


Video:

Greenhouse with air heated subfloor: www.youtube.com

How To Build A Underground Greenhouse For Year-Round Gardening



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Δευτέρα 25 Νοεμβρίου 2013
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Do you want to plant a garden? Then it is important to know about the pH of your soil. The pH is a measure of the soil's acidity or alkalinity. Different plants require different pH levels, so once you know your soil's pH, you can plant plants that will thrive in that soil, or you can amend the soil to expand the range of plants you can use. Getting a measurement is easy, and there are a number of different ways to do it.

EditTesting Soil pH with a Commercial Test Probe

  1. 1
    Dig a small hole in the soil. Use a trowel or spade to dig a hole 2-4 inches deep. Break up the soil within the hole and remove any twigs or foreign debris.
  2. 2
    Fill the hole with water. Use distilled (not spring) water. You can find this in your local pharmacy. Rainwater is slightly acidic, and bottled or tap water tends to be slightly alkaline. Fill the hole until you have a muddy pool at the bottom.
  3. 3
    Insert the test probe into the mud. Make sure your tester is clean and calibrated (for a more exact measurement). Wipe the probe with a tissue or clean cloth, and insert it into the mud.
  4. 4
    Hold it there for 60 seconds and take a reading. pH is usually measured on a scale of 1-14, though the tester may not include this entire range.
    • A pH of 7 indicates neutral soil.
    • A pH above 7 indicates alkaline soil.
    • A pH below 7 indicates acidic soil.
  5. 5
    Take several measurements in different spots in the garden. A single reading may be an anomaly, so it's good to get an idea of the average pH in a plot. If they're all around the same, take the average and amend the soil accordingly. If one spot is very different than the rest, however, you may need to "spot treat" it.

EditTesting Soil pH Using Red Cabbage

  1. 1
    Take a head of red cabbage and finely chop it using a knife or food processor. The solution created from the cabbage juice will change color depending on the pH of what it comes in contact with.
  2. 2
    Heat distilled water until boiling. Using pure distilled water will give an accurate pH test result.
  3. 3
    Add the chopped red cabbage to the boiling distilled water. Allow it to soak for about about ten minutes and then drain the solid pieces out, leaving a violet hued juice. This juice should have a neutral pH of about 7.
  4. 4
    Test the cabbage juice. Pour a small amount into two separate cups, and add vinegar to one cup and baking soda to the other. Vinegar is acidic, and should turn the solution hot pink. The baking soda solution is alkaline and will turn blue or green.
  5. 5
    Test your soil. Pour a few inches of the cabbage juice into a clean cup and add one to two spoonfuls of soil. Wait thirty minutes, and check the color of the solution.
    • Purple or violet is a pH near 7, neutral.
    • Pink means the soil is acidic with a pH between 1 and 7. The more acidic the soil is, the brighter the pink will be.
    • Blue or green is a pH between 8 and 14, alkaline. The brighter green the juice is, the more alkaline it is. [1]

EditTest Soil pH Using Vinegar and Baking Soda

  1. 1
    Take a cup of soil from your garden. Put a few spoonfuls of it into two separate containers.
  2. 2
    Add vinegar to one container. If it fizzes, it means your soil is alkaline. In that case, you do not need to proceed to the next step.
  3. 3
    Add water to the other container of soil. You want enough that it becomes very wet and muddy. Pour baking soda into this cup; if it fizzes, it means your soil is acidic.
  4. 4
    Check both soil samples again. If neither sample began fizzing, it means you probably have a neutral pH of 7. This is good, as this is the pH most plants need to grow in. [2]

EditChanging Your Soil pH

  1. 1
    Make your soil less acidic. If your soil pH tested below 7, add lime or wood ash to the soil. Both are available at local gardening centers.
  2. 2
    Make your soil less alkaline. If your soil pH tested above 7, add organic matter such as pine needles, peat moss, or decomposed tree leaves.
  3. 3
    Change your soil pH to suit specific plants. For example, add wood ash to a certain area of your garden to endorse the growth of hydrangeas which prefer more alkaline soil. The pH of your soil does not need to be uniform your entire garden over; feel free to alter it to support different plants. [3]


EditTips

  • Make sure the tester is properly calibrated before taking a reading (if you want a more accurate measurement).
  • Prevent contamination (and incorrect readings) by making sure your pH tester probe and your spade are clean. Do not handle soil with your bare hands.
  • Record your results. You may need to reference your test results at a later date, as they may change over time.
  • Contact your local agricultural department or extension service office for more information about soil testing or for professional assistance testing your soil.
  • Take multiple soil readings with each test. A minimum of six samples from different parts of your garden is a safe amount.
  • Some testers present the approximate pH as a color, rather than as a number. In this case, green usually indicates neutral soil; yellow or orange indicates acidic soil; and dark green indicates alkaline soil.

EditWarnings

  • As noted above, the water you pour into the hole can affect your reading if the pH of the water is not neutral. Use distilled water for all testing.
  • Some testers will function differently than that described in this article. Always make sure to read the manufacturer's instructions carefully to ensure accurate readings.

EditThings You'll Need

  • pH tester
  • Small garden shovel (often called a "spade" or "trowel")
  • Water with pH of 7 or distilled water
  • Red cabbage
  • Knife
  • Stove (or other means of boiling water)
  • Multiple cups
  • Vinegar
  • Baking soda

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