Do-it-yourself warm beds - step by step production
Content:
This article will discuss how to independently make warm beds for growing seedlings and various crops.
Warm beds: distinctive features
The device of a warm bed helps to maintain a higher temperature of the soil layers in which the root system is located. This contributes to the rapid emergence of the crop.
The construction of a warm bed has several layers, the lower of which is filled with organic matter, which gives heat, accelerating the growth and development of plantings.
Varieties of warm beds
Warm beds are subdivided into temporary and permanent. The former, as a rule, are used for seedlings, the latter are similar to greenhouses in their appearance and mechanism of action.
Such beds are irreplaceable in the northern regions. There, the autumn cold comes early to protect the plantings from frost. In the spring, warm beds promote an earlier harvest.
Positive and negative points. Warm beds in spring
Warm beds have a number of advantages and disadvantages that you should be aware of. So, growing plants in warm beds does not require the introduction of mineral fertilizers. As well as the use of agents to combat diseases and pests.
Planting in individual closed beds is generally easier to care for than in an open area.
The disadvantages of warm beds include their rather difficult assembly, as well as a high frequency of watering - at least 2 times a week. In winter, these enclosed structures attract mice and other rodents that damage plant roots.
Therefore, deciding to acquire a warm bed, you should take care of its protection from uninvited guests.
Do-it-yourself warm beds: instructions for arranging
The best time to build a warm bed is autumn, but you can do this on the eve of the season. Before making a warm bed, you need to take the following steps:
- determine the required number of warm beds;
- choose a place for their installation, given that warm beds will need a lot of light and protection from drafts;
- prepare working materials: boards, roofing felt, a net to protect against rodents, organic fuel for heating the beds.
Temporary beds
The use of temporary beds is common in the southern regions and is used for growing seedlings early. Temporary beds can be arranged in any part of the garden.
The preparation of the beds in the fall begins with the removal of 10 cm of the soil layer and filling the resulting excavation with manure to the very top. Above is a layer of leaves, then a layer of organic waste, compacted and covered with earth. Finally, a layer of mulch is poured over the ground and stays that way throughout the winter.
In the spring, the process of arranging a warm bed has the same stages, however, organic fuel consists of ready-made compost.
It is recommended to water the finished garden bed with hot heating solution.
Permanent beds
Permanent warm beds are divided into 3 types:
- high beds located on the ground, with a fence made of building materials (this type is suitable for poor soils);
- trench beds that are durable and create a greenhouse effect;
- a combined option in case of impossibility to make a trench.
Tall beds reach a height of 0.8 m and, as a rule, are directed from east to west.
Trench beds are especially effective in places with prolonged spring colds, which do not allow the soil to warm up.It is recommended to cover the bottom of such beds with coarse sand. Also, plastic containers placed at the bottom of the trench bed are useful as an insulating layer.
The use of warm beds will allow you to quickly get strong seedlings, as well as an earlier harvest.