Earth-sheltered Greenhouse

(Page 3 of 3)

February/March 2004
By Mike Oehler 
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The materials for these greenhouses are: upright posts that have had their buried ends wrapped in layers of plastic garbage bags; lumber shoring behind the posts; and a protective layer of 4- or 6-mil polyethylene sheeting between the lumber and earthen backfill.

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Note that with this kind of construction, the posts will push in from the lateral pressure of the earth if care is not taken. Sinking the posts 18 to 24 inches deep will keep them from pushing in below ground level, and the roof beams or purlins supporting the glazing do the same for the top of the posts.

The beams and purlins transfer the pressure from one side of the structure to the opposing wall and its counterbalancing pressure. The supports holding up the walking deck in the cold-sink trench offer additional bracing for the two lower rows of posts.

For ventilation, I put screened air vents into the front of the greenhouse between the window and the soil, and in the back of the greenhouse just above the earth berm.

These greenhouses collect their own water for irrigation from the roof runoff. The water is transferred from gutters into black 55-gallon drums via garden hoses, which allows me to switch from one drum to another with ease. I siphon the water into 5-gallon pails for watering the plants. When filled with water, the dark painted drums also act as heat sinks, storing the sun's warmth during the day and releasing it at night.

Two improvements to my current design would be placing the drums in the trench beneath the grow shelf and using duo-pane glazing either fiberglass, which is expensive (and, in all likelihood, would be cloudy after 10 years or so) or used sliding patio doors, which are tempered not to shatter and can be found at salvage yards.

Should you build an earth-sheltered greenhouse? I heartily recommend it if you want fresh organic greens most of the year. It's also an incredible boon to those who have constant critter problems in their gardens. So, grab a shovel and start digging!

Mike Oehler lives near Bonners Ferry, Idaho, in an underground house he built in 1975. He also teaches underground house construction.
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