The so-called fat plants are very much as for water needs, but they are bad if they have little light available and they vegetate unwillingly submerged by other more luxuriant plants: we build a greenhouse for succulents where to place them
Cactaceae, a family that includes more than 1600 different species, are native to most of the arid tropical or temperate regions of America.
Cactaceae are pioneer plants, able to vegetate where almost no other living thing dares, and have adapted so well in those extreme conditions that they can only live like that.
They obtain the humidity necessary for their survival from the fog, from the dew and from the rare and modest precipitations, and accumulate it in their succulent and fleshy body so as to have a good reserve for the dry seasons.
The desert in the house
The only kind of cactacea present among the Italian spontaneous flora is that which includes among its species the well-known prickly pear.
The other plants of the family vegetate well if grown in the house or in the greenhouse, perhaps without reaching the mighty mass of their sisters who live spontaneously in the vastness of deserts, hot and cold. Moreover, the reduced dimensions are specifically sought in ornamental floriculture.
An artificial sun
At our latitudes, and even more so at home, the desert plants accuse the lack of light, even if placed right in front of the window.
On the market there are different types of so-called natural light lamps (rather hot) and other specific plants, without harmful ultraviolet and yellow-orange emissions and with balanced blue and red emissions.
Maintenance
Succulents, every 20-30 days, need a little "rain".
In order to have access to the desert in the home we have provided a roof that, being simply resting on the walls, can be removed every time you need to do some maintenance.
In any case it is important to remember that, in order to favor a good vegetation of the cacti, in winter it is advisable to reduce the artificial lighting time and stop the irrigations completely in order to guarantee the plants the rest period they would have in nature.
It is necessary to assure a minimum of ventilation to the desert window.
The system adopted here is as simple as possible and consists in applying to the roof slides a little shorter so that, at the top, remains a constant crack.
How to build the greenhouse for succulents
A basic element for the construction of the greenhouse are numerous strips with a square section, planed on the four wires and truncated well in the team on the jointing heads to avoid unwanted cracks or fittings that pull badly.
Being quite small in size, and therefore not subject to strong traction, it is more than sufficient to join the individual pieces with only vinyl glue, without strengthening the traction with screws, nails or other. Each gluing must be left in a vice for several hours, so that at least four sergeants with a 400 mm rod are needed.
Tiny spiked nails are useful for locking the glazing bead in place, making it possible to replace a plate.
The roof
Designed to be placed on the body of the house, if desired it can be hinged to one of the major walls, without requiring any modification of the structure.
On the side of the joint, the two slopes and the ridge require, on the side, a bias cut of 30 °, easily obtainable with the tiltable blade circular. Other bias cuts serve only at the upper end of the rafters to leave more space for the lamp. It is recommended to truncate the joists and cut the tympanum by taking measurements empirically after assembling the small window and the closed part of the roof.
Required materials
Pine strips 20 × 20 mm: 4 + 4 frame longitudinal members 673 mm and 267 mm;
8 between dividers and uprights 300 mm;
2 + 2 side beams, 675 mm and 305 mm;
8 165 mm roof joists;
pine boards, 11 mm thick: 2 + 2 plinths 60 × 673 mm and 60 × 307 mm;
2 + 2 friezes 22 × 715 mm and 22 × 348 mm;
2 sloping + 1colmo 60 × 700 mm;
2 trapezoidal gables with 5 or 13 mm bases;
pine 5x5 mm glazing strips: a total of 18 m;
vinyl glue;
spiked nails for glazing beads;
finishing material;
3 mm thick slides: 6 from 195 × 296; 2 from 263 × 296; 6 from 194 × 145;
2 triangular with sides 261, 161 and 161 mm;
1 natural or plant-specific light;
1 timer;
background plywood of 673 × 307 mm.
Structure
1. All the strips that make up the frame of the body and of the roof can be truncated with a frame-shaped trimmer; only the rafters require a 45 ° bias cut at the upper end.
2. The assembly, with glue, starts from the long walls, tightening uprights
and dividers between the respective side members.
3. The body frame is completed by adding the side members of the sides.
4. The coasts of the gutters and ridge are cut bias at 30 °.
5. The trapezoidal tympanums are glued to the ends of the roof assembly and inside it, not to head to close.
6. The rafters that, joined to the respective side member, form the transparent frame of the roof, are glued to the slopes from the inside.
7. For interior lighting it is more practical to use a single tube-shaped light bulb (as long as it is in natural light) rather than many spotlights.
8. Only for slatted slides it is preferable to be grinding the upper edge.
9. The glazing beads are positioned more easily from the inside or even before closing the frame.
10. The hooves glued along the entire perimeter of the base cover the joint of the fund and, with the addition of protruding friezes, soften the greenhouse.
11. The roof is simply resting to allow easy maintenance: if we move the greenhouse we must be careful that it does not fall.
