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When a stationary greenhouse does not fit on a small summer cottage, the owner tries to build a small greenhouse. A common option is covering material stretched over arches driven into the ground. If you approach this issue creatively, then such a simple design as a butterfly greenhouse will make caring for plants much easier. The product can be bought in a store or made independently. To help summer residents, we have prepared drawings of a greenhouse, and user reviews will help you figure out whether a butterfly is suitable for your site.
What is the butterfly design?
The appearance of a butterfly greenhouse with closed doors resembles a chest with an arched top. The side doors open upwards. Depending on the length of the greenhouse, one or two doors are installed on one side. When fully open, the doors resemble wings. This is where the greenhouse got its name – butterfly.
The layout of factory-made products from different manufacturers is almost the same, but the size of the butterfly may vary.The most popular are greenhouses with a height of 1.1 m, a width of 1.5 m, and a length of 4 m. The mass of the assembled butterfly is approximately 26 kg.
The butterfly frame is made from a profile. The most reliable frame is considered to be made of metal-plastic elements. The polymer coating prevents rapid metal corrosion. A good option is a frame made of galvanized profile. However, zinc coating is less durable than polymer. The plastic profile frame is completely corrosion-resistant. The design is lightweight, but inferior in strength to its metal counterparts.
Regarding the covering material, butterfly greenhouses are usually made from polycarbonate, although in rare cases film or non-woven canvas. It is best to attach polycarbonate sheets to the frame. This material is durable, is well fixed with hardware to the profile, and allows you to provide an optimal microclimate inside the greenhouse. In addition, polycarbonate provides additional rigidity to the structure.
A butterfly sheathed with polycarbonate is the same greenhouse, only smaller in size. Naturally, it will not be possible to grow tall plants in a greenhouse due to its height limitation. The butterfly holds a large volume of soil, so it is ideal for growing seedlings. Under polycarbonate, the soil warms up quickly, which accelerates plant growth.
A greenhouse of this design is suitable for growing early watermelons, melons, root vegetables and all low-growing vegetables. Sometimes housewives adapt the butterfly for growing flowers.
In hot summer weather, the greenhouse flaps are kept open. They begin to close in late autumn with the appearance of frost. This allows you to extend the fruiting time of vegetable crops.In early spring, the leaves are covered at night to provide the seedlings with comfortable conditions and protect them from night frosts.
If desired, the butterfly greenhouse lined with polycarbonate can be equipped with heating using a heating cable. Such a greenhouse is ideal even for growing early cabbage and low-growing tomatoes.
Pros and cons of a butterfly greenhouse
By studying numerous user reviews, we tried to collect the main disadvantages and advantages of a greenhouse. The small greenhouse butterfly has settled in many summer cottages in recent years, and first let’s touch on its advantages:
- The manufacturer and vegetable growers who have had a butterfly on their farm for a long time assure that the product has a service life of at least 10 years. Naturally, this figure is achievable provided that the frame is sheathed with polycarbonate.
- Opening butterfly flaps on both sides allow you to maintain a bed of plants. This approach allows you to expand your homemade greenhouse for greater plant capacity.
- The greenhouse is light and compact. It can be placed anywhere in the yard, disassembled for transportation if necessary, and quickly assembled.
- Ideally, such a small greenhouse is installed permanently on the foundation. Durable polycarbonate on the arched roof will not fail during heavy snowfalls and gusts of wind. In the summer, with the doors of the greenhouse fully open, long strands of cucumbers can be released. That is, the butterfly can be used all year round, without disassembling and moving it from place to place.
Regarding the shortcomings of the butterfly, user reviews are often directed specifically at factory-made designs. Greenhouses from different manufacturers differ in size, quality and material. Here's what vegetable growers don't like about such products:
- There is a greenhouse on sale, the frame of which is made of ordinary metal profile, covered with paint. Over time, it peels off, and in the places where the bolts are attached, it immediately peels off. Users say that the paint quality is always poor. The frame begins to rust if it is not periodically tinted.
- Bolt holes often contain large burrs. You have to remove them yourself with a file.
- Some manufacturers recommend covering the butterfly with film if polycarbonate is not available. This is very bad advice, as it reduces the rigidity of the structure. In addition, the rigid edge of the polycarbonate can provide additional support for the closed doors in the lower frame.
- Commercially produced butterflies often have large gaps between the closed doors and the body. Sometimes there are weak hinges that unbend when the doors are opened.
- The disadvantage of collapsible butterflies is the constant sealing of joints. Every season when assembling a greenhouse, you need to spend money on buying silicone.
You can avoid the disadvantages of a factory design by making a greenhouse yourself.
Assembling a factory-made butterfly
At home, the assembly of a factory-made butterfly greenhouse occurs according to the manufacturer's instructions. The attached diagram indicates the order of connection of all frame elements.
Assembly instructions look something like this:
- Using the attached drawing, assemble the greenhouse frame using hardware.Each element must be connected with a T-shaped or corner fastening.
- Reinforce support elements longer than 2 m using cross-shaped fastenings.
- Cover the assembled greenhouse frame with polycarbonate or polyethylene.
The instructions for each manufacturer may differ, but in general terms all the steps for assembling the frame are the same.
Making your own butterfly greenhouse
Making a butterfly greenhouse with your own hands is not that difficult. To make sure of this, we will now look at the main stages of this process.
Preparatory work
To make a neat greenhouse with an aesthetic appearance, you need to draw its diagram. It is important to indicate on it all the frame elements, their dimensions and bolting points. You immediately need to decide on the shape of the valves. They can be made semicircular or even.
A similar problem will arise with making a drawing yourself. For your reference, we provide photos depicting different patterns of butterflies.
Choosing a place to install a greenhouse on the site
Any greenhouse or greenhouse is located from north to south. It is better to choose an area that is not shaded or at least well lit by the sun before lunch. The butterfly will fit in any corner of the yard, but you need to ensure free access to the doors on both sides. It is important to consider that tall trees and buildings will cast shadows, but a thick green hedge will protect the greenhouse from the cold wind.
Laying the foundation
Collapsible greenhouses are rarely installed on foundations. If the butterfly sheathed with polycarbonate will be used as a stationary greenhouse, it is optimal to place it on a base.A lightweight structure does not require a powerful foundation. It is enough to bury it 500 mm into the ground. You can put together a wooden box as a base, but it will quickly rot in the ground. It is optimal to lay the base out of red brick, hollow blocks, or, as a last resort, knock down formwork around the trench and fill it with concrete.
Making a wooden frame
At home, the simplest version of a butterfly can be made from wooden slats and old windows:
- From the prepared drawing, transfer the dimensions onto wooden slats with a section of 30x40 or 40x50 mm. All marked elements are sawed off with a hacksaw.
- Guided by the diagram, the greenhouse frame is assembled. The roof will be triangular and flat. You won’t be able to bend wooden arches, so it’s better to stick with straight doors.
- The sash frames are secured from above to the finished frame using hinges. They are covered with film on top. If the household has old window frames, they will serve as ready-made sashes. Window glass will remain as cladding.
- The sides of the frame can be covered with boards, but they will be opaque. Reinforced polyethylene, plexiglass or polycarbonate work well here.
If desired, the wooden frame of the butterfly can be covered with non-woven covering material.
Making a frame from a metal profile
The principle of assembling a frame from a metal profile is the same as for a wooden structure. The only difference is the semicircular doors. For them, the arcs will have to be bent at a specialized enterprise.
The greenhouse will be stationary, so it is better to weld all the frame elements. First, according to the drawing, a common frame with a central jumper for attaching the sashes is made. It is better to bolt the hinges to the lintel and doors.After installation on the foundation, the finished frame is sheathed with polycarbonate. The cut out fragments are secured with special hardware with sealing washers. Film and agrofibre are not suitable for a metal frame.
The video shows the assembly of the butterfly:
Reviews
Reviews from many summer residents say that a butterfly greenhouse is the best solution for growing seedlings and early vegetables. Let's see what vegetable growers think about this.
