Concrete path lined with a mosaic of broken tiles.
Greenhouses vary in size and purpose, so their internal arrangement can differ radically. Some are equipped with shelving, others have beds - but in both cases you need to move between them.
How and what to make a path in a greenhouse from, so that it is convenient, aesthetically pleasing and durable, will be outlined in this publication.
How to arrange beds in a greenhouse
The greenhouse can have different widths and shapes, and the location and width of the beds depends on this. The optimal width is 3 m. If the building is elongated but narrow, two beds are usually placed along the walls, 70-80 cm wide. The path between them is not too wide, a maximum of 50 cm. In this case, it is better not to raise the sides of the beds higher than 20 -25 cm.
With a three-meter width of the greenhouse, you can also arrange 2 beds 1 m wide and a path of the same width between them. This option is for tall people who will not have difficulty reaching the edge of the garden bed.
Another option is to place the beds in the letter “W”: two along the walls, 45 cm each, and one in the middle, 1 m wide. The paths will be quite narrow, so housewives of tall stature and large build should not choose this option. Also in this case, it is better to abandon the sides or make them no higher than 20 cm.
Features of accommodation
There are different layouts of beds inside the greenhouse. The owner independently chooses the optimally convenient option, taking into account the technical features of the building. The paths are made at least 50 cm wide. If the area of the greenhouse allows, they can be expanded. It is impossible to narrow the paths inside the greenhouse less than the norm. The lack of a comfortable approach to the beds will affect the complexity of their maintenance.
Advice! If equipment that requires wide passages is not used to maintain the greenhouse, it is optimal to arrange paths 50 cm wide.
The placement of paths for each greenhouse is carried out according to an individual scheme. The process has its own characteristics:
- Inside any greenhouse, humidity is increased and the temperature optimal for vegetation is maintained. The path covering must be resistant to the microclimate of the greenhouse. Bulk materials are considered the best: crushed stone, gravel, small stone. Such paths will not be slippery. In addition, it is easier to give them a curved shape if necessary. In the case of a tile floor, this is more difficult to do.
- In large greenhouses, two or more parallel paths are laid, providing an individual approach to each bed. If the greenhouse is narrow, one path in the center is enough. The beds will be located on the sides of the greenhouse.
- Growing different crops inside the greenhouse uses individual technology. If the use of special mechanisms or other devices is required to help care for plantings, the paths should not interfere with their movement.
- Beds from paths must be fenced off with borders. They can even be made from ordinary boards dug sideways into the ground. Curbs prevent soil from sliding onto the path, which can turn into mud underfoot due to dampness.
Typically, most greenhouses are made in a rectangular shape, where the beds are located along the side walls. If two doors are provided at the ends of the greenhouse, a through passage is provided. The path is laid strictly in the center so that it leads from one door to another exit from the greenhouse. From the central path you can make branches to the side, cutting the beds into several parts.
Important! The greenhouse can be heated using a “warm floor” system. Pipes are laid not only in the beds, but also under the paths. The system is buried under all layers of soil and the drainage layer.
How to level paths in a greenhouse
If the site on which the greenhouse was built is not very level, rocky, or with potholes, it makes sense to fill the paths in the greenhouse between the beds with concrete so that they become perfectly level. Concreting is carried out in the following order.
- Markings are made by placing pegs in the corners and pulling the string.
- The formwork is installed, and it will also serve as borders for the beds. To do this, a furrow is dug along the stretched rope, pre-prepared curbs are installed in it and filled with concrete.
- The space under the path is covered with geotextiles, filled with crushed stone and carefully leveled. For strength, you can put a reinforcing mesh on top of the crushed stone.
- The concrete mixture is being prepared. It consists of 1 part cement, 2-3 parts sand, 4 parts crushed stone. All this is gradually filled with water with vigorous stirring. The consistency of the mixture should be thick.
- The mixture is poured into the formwork, then leveled with a special trowel. The concrete is left to dry. In hot, dry weather it must be sprayed several times with water.
- After about a week you can walk along the newly created path.
Some particularly creative owners lay out a pattern of plastic bottle caps on top of liquid concrete. The corks are pre-connected with each other using wire, and the finished patterned fabric is laid on concrete. It turns out beautiful and unusual.
How to line greenhouse paths
Concreting paths is not always the right solution. If, for example, you want to move the greenhouse to another place, you will have to tinker with breaking the concrete.
And then it will be necessary to solve the problem of removing it from the site. It is worth considering options using lighter materials from the point of view of both installation and dismantling.
If the area is fairly level, you can simply line the paths of the greenhouse. For this purpose, there is a roll covering available for sale - a soft and easy-to-use material.
It consists of rubber 3-5 cm thick. It is enough to select a roll of the required width or individual rubber plates and spread the material along the path. Rubber is not afraid of temperature changes, so it does not need to be removed for the winter. But it’s still worth doing this to let the soil dry out. This coating is also easy to care for.
You can also make paths in a greenhouse with your own hands using artificial turf for playgrounds. This can be artificial turf or modular plastic covering.
The good thing about artificial turf is that it requires no maintenance but looks just like the real thing. The housewife can combine business with pleasure and take care of the beds in the greenhouse barefoot on a hot summer day.
The modular plastic covering is similar to a children's construction set made from individual blocks. It can be quickly spread out and assembled just as quickly.
You can also line the paths with terrace boards. This is a special material intended for outdoor use. The decking board is not afraid of moisture and temperature changes.
It looks more aesthetically pleasing compared to conventional boards. It can be laid out in the form of a parquet pattern, in a checkerboard pattern, or in the form of brickwork.
Warm water floor. Is it worth doing today?
If 10 years ago it was quite difficult to find competent specialists in installing a water floor in a private house, today the situation is completely different. Almost every more or less intelligent team can handle the installation without any problems. Especially if she is given clear instructions. Of course, it is better not to devote them to other features of heating, but you can quite save money on the layout of pipes.
It is definitely worth installing warm floors in your home, if your budget and the structure of the house itself allows. Due to the uniform distribution of heat, a pleasant microclimate is created in the house and in most cases, exceptionally warm floors are enough to heat the house. Where should you start installation?
Tiles in a greenhouse
The tile is a static type of coating, that is, it is laid not for one season, but for years. When moving the greenhouse to another location, the tiles will most likely become unusable, and this must be taken into account. You can lay out a path in a greenhouse with paving slabs or bricks.
Before laying paving slabs, it is necessary to level the paths. For this purpose, formwork is erected, as for concreting, at the bottom of which a mixture of sand and gravel is poured.
All work is performed using a level. The tiles are laid on the moistened mixture. A rubber mallet is used to adjust and level it. Then you need to wait until the mixture hardens and securely fixes the tile.
The brick can be laid on a layer of sand. After laying, cover all joints with sand and wet it. The path will be ready in literally 2-3 hours. The addition must be repeated 1-2 times during the summer.
Ground heating with cable
Heating the soil in a greenhouse with a cable differs significantly from other methods, since it provides heat not only to the air in the structure, but also to the soil. Moreover, its temperature can change at different stages of plant growth due to the presence of temperature sensors on the cable. This is an important feature that has a positive effect on the condition of fruit crops. It ensures their growth and development.
Since the cable is stationary, it is always ready for use. There is no need to dismantle it or do other work when the season is over. It is an integral part of the structure. If there is no need to use it, then just turn off the device.
The cable is located around the entire perimeter of the greenhouse. This allows him to evenly distribute heat in it. In addition, the cable is completely safe for human health, the environment and the plants themselves. Therefore, this heating method is used quite often.
Bulk paths in a greenhouse
Broken brick, gravel, pebbles, dolomite chips, sawdust and others can be used as materials for backfilling paths.
Broken bricks are laid according to the same principle as whole bricks. First, a layer of sand is poured (it is less than for a whole brick) and moistened, then the broken brick is laid on it.
Each fragment is driven into moist soil with sand with the sharp edge down. It is desirable that the surface part of the pieces have the same height. Then the path will be more or less smooth. After the soil dries, the path becomes quite durable. But for reliability, it can be filled with liquid cement.
Gravel and pebbles are poured onto moistened soil and leveled with a special wooden tool. You can even walk on the pebbles barefoot. It is smooth and round.
Sawdust is mixed with sand and the paths are covered with this mixture. But the sawdust will have to be removed and new ones added several times a season, since they absorb moisture very much.
If you find a photo of the paths in the greenhouse, you can see that they are decorated with handy materials. For example, wood cuts are popular. Circles of different sizes are laid using the same technology as brick. In general, saw cuts will cost less than purchased materials.
Flat slate, car tires and other materials are also used. And every time it turns out original and easy to use. The main thing is to think everything over carefully so that you don’t have to redo it later, incurring additional costs.
What material can be used
To arrange passages, specialists use various materials: bulk, degradable (organic), monolithic elements, etc. The choice will mainly be determined by the personal preferences of the summer resident and his financial capabilities.
Did you know? In the United States of America, concrete is the most popular construction material for highway pavement. In the state, more than 55 thousand miles of roads are made of the described cement mixture.
Gravel, crushed stone
One of the most popular and common paths for organizing paths are bulk materials, such as gravel or crushed stone.
- Their demand is explained by the presence of significant advantages:
- availability and low cost;
- functionality and ease of care;
- good density of the path with the correct selection of the material fraction;
- excellent strength;
- simplicity and ease of organization.
Meanwhile, to ensure good adhesion when making paths from gravel and crushed stone, it is necessary to use any building mixture, otherwise the materials may stick to shoes and be spread throughout the entire area of the room
A natural stone
Natural stone belongs to the category of expensive materials, but it is characterized by a long service life, high strength, reliability, resistance to abrasion and wear, and has a wonderful appearance. Granite, marble, crushed or tiled stones, and paving stones can be used as natural stone.
