Minimum requirements for the suitable greenhouse
So that the cultivation of tomatoes and cucumbers under one roof has any chance of success, the greenhouse should be designed as follows:
- Base area from 8 to 12 square meters
- Standing wall higher than 1.50 meters
- Width greater than 1.90 meters
- Roof covering made of twin-wall sheets
- at least two ventilation windows in the roof
- a door at least 80 cm wide so that a wheelbarrow can pass through
also read
- Anyone can build a tomato greenhouse - this is how it works
- How can the growth of large tomatoes be encouraged?
- Preparation, cultivation and care of cucumbers in the greenhouse
The windows should make up 10 percent and more of the total roof and wall area. Otherwise, when exposed to sunlight, the temperature in summer will rise to 50 degrees Celsius and higher, which at least means the end for your tomato cultivation.
Division into two climatic zones
Create the bed for the tomato plants on the sunny side of the greenhouse. Loosen the soil two spades deep so that the deep-roots thrive. Showering the floor with horsetail broth prevents fungal infections. This is followed by an ample portion of compost and horn shavings (€ 6.39 on Amazon *) so that the heavy eaters can find enough food. If the pH value is below 6, limescale is also added.
On the side facing away from the sun, create a manure heater in the ground for the cucumbers. The bed is dug two spade lengths deep. The pit is filled with a mixture of compost, manure and straw. Plan for 5 to 8 kilos per plant. Garden soil is spread over it. As the straw rots, the heat required for successful cucumber cultivation develops.
In order to effectively separate both climatic zones from each other, the craftsman in the gardener is a little challenged. With the help of roof battens, greenhouse film (€ 8.99 at Amazon *) and a stapler, you can construct a partition that is hung on the struts of the greenhouse.
Tips & Tricks
The constant opening and closing of the ventilation windows saves automatic window openers. These little technological wonders work entirely without electricity. You set the desired opening and closing times once, everything else is done by the window opener completely independently. The mechanism can also be installed later.
