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Walipini Construction ( UNDERGROUND green house )

yortbogey

To Have More ... Desire Less
Veteran
$300 Underground Greenhouse Grows Produce Year-Round, Even in Severe Climates


With staggering food prices and shortages looming, there’s no better time to grow your own produce. Sadly, most greenhouses are expensive to build and impractical to heat during cold, wintery conditions. Thankfully, a solution is found with the Walipini. Developed for South American mountainous regions over twenty years ago, it allows edibles to be grown year-round – even in the most inhospitable weather. As an added bonus, it’s also outrageously inexpensive to construct.


Known as a pit or underground greenhouse, the Walipini utilizes the advantages of passive solar heating along with earth sheltering properties. The structure makes use of thermal mass energy, creating a highly efficient and cost effective method for heating the interior. Regardless of where you live, produce can be grown year round with the Walipini. According to the creators at the Benson Institute:

“The Walipini, in simplest terms, is a rectangular hole in the ground 6′ to 8′ deep covered by plastic sheeting. The longest area of the rectangle faces the winter sun — to the north in the Southern Hemisphere and to the south in the Northern Hemisphere. A thick wall of rammed earth at the back of the building and a much lower wall at the front provide the needed angle for the plastic sheet roof. This roof seals the hole, provides an insulating airspace between the two layers of plastic (a sheet on the top and another on the bottom of the roof/poles) and allows the suns rays to penetrate creating a warm, stable environment for plant growth.”

The Institute continues with an explanation of how the earth acts like a battery, storing heat during the day while releasing it during cooler nighttime temperatures:

Energy and light from the sun enter the Walipini through the plastic covered roof and are reflected and absorbed throughout the underground structure. By using translucent material, plastic instead of glass, plant growth is improved as certain rays of the light spectrum that inhibit plant growth are filtered out. The sun’s rays provide both heat and light needed by plants. Heat is not only immediately provided as the light enters and heats the air, but heat is also stored as the mass of the entire building absorbs heat from the sun’s rays.

The estimated building cost (using volunteer labor) for a 20 x 74 foot Walipini in La Paz, Peru is between $250 – $300. Taking advantage of inexpensive materials like PVC pipes and ultraviolet (UV) protective plastic sheeting add to the savings.

A detailed do-it-yourself building manual can be found here and includes crucial instructions for ventilation, waterproofing and drainage.


http://www.treehugger.com/green-architecture/build-underground-greenhouse-garden-year-round.html



http://www.walipinigarden.com/



this changed my entire way of thinking / planning next year.....
 
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S

sourpuss

Add some light dep and your rocking year round... dont think it would work year round in canada. Whatd ypu guys think???
 

EsterEssence

Well-known member
Veteran
I had a metal frame work in the center with rebar pounded into the ground to hold the tubing in place, green house plastic over that. I also put two vents with heat motors to open and close the vents. The 6mil plastic had enough strength, and pitch that it could take a moderate snow...
 

HatchBrew

Active member
Veteran
Perfect since I might be moving back to the mid-west! Keep my same plant schedule for my veggies. Except will have to nix all the MMJ growing, sad.

Thank you for sharing this Yortbogey!!
 

catman

half cat half man half baked
Veteran
Great stuff yort.

dont think it would work year round in canada. Whatd ypu guys think???

It will work for some plants and varieties of them.

Anyone in a Northern climate should research cold frames and a man by the name of Eliot Coleman. He inspired me to rethink winter gardening.

It's already getting below freezing in my neck of the woods, but I'm growing hot chile peppers in my unheated garage. It can be 80-110F underneath the plastic with two 1K HIDs a foot above the plastic...Much more effective and efficient than heating and humidifying an entire garage. ~$20 of plastic, bamboo, and zip ties to make a cage for over my 4x6 flood table. Working great. :ying:

The greenhouse effect...indoors with HID lamps...during the winter up North...
:laughing:
 

VonBudí

ヾ(⌐■_■)ノ
Veteran
http://www.pitgarden.com/


Overview-Article-Top-770x360.jpg
 

Jay Daga

New member
contemplating a gooooood greenhouse

contemplating a gooooood greenhouse

Hi, checked through the links above and went to find for some more info.

I have a dream to some day get piece of land somewhere and to build somewhat earthship+cob etc. type-house with greenhouse.

Time will show about that, but for now I post this pdf that i found about walipini:
http://www.the-meal.net/graph/manuel_walipina_benson.pdf
It has basic important things written, good text.

----------------------------------------------

It could be very good to mix walipini-idea together with rocket mass heater, compost-heating and nano-paint-insulation to keep heat inside.

-http://richsoil.com/rocket-stove-mass-heater.jsp

- http://www.uvm.edu/sustain/clean-en...ower-using-compost-power-to-heat-a-greenhouse
- http://www.motherearthnews.com/renewable-energy/compost-water-heater-zmaz81jazraw.aspx
- http://www.amazon.com/Compost-Power...1-1&keywords=the+compost+powered+water+heater

- http://www.nansulate.com/
They seem to have even transparent nano-insulation paint that could be used for painting the roof of the walipini or walls of conventional greenhouse..
 
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