Hi All! So I have an idea for a greenhouse build but wanted to make sure it would work. My land has an already excavated area cut into a hillside (it’s hard to show by pictures but I would estimate the ground goes up around the carved out area about 5 feet at the most. I think the place was to build a garage there.
I wanted to cut into the hill just a little more, and build the greenhouse to be surrounded by earth on three sides. (Would ensure strong material and backfill properly etc.) the fourth wall would be a regular wall for entrance/exit and the interior lined with something to collect and store heat during the day. I’m in the north east and the dirt is pretty clay/rock heavy.
The structure would face south for all day sun. Would this work?
by TaraJaneDisco
3 Comments
By the looks of it, you are in North America?
Walipinis originate from places near the equator, where the sun angle isn’t as restrictive. This allows the walipini to typically only use glazing on the roof.
The issue with building a buried (or majority buried) greenhouse away from the equator is that the sun is so low during the coldest parts of the year, when the greenhouse needs the sun the most.
I would use glazing on not only the roof but the southern wall as well, to allow for as much winter light (and therefore heat) to enter as possible.
An online sun calculator will be your friend for this process. Let me know if you have any other questions. 👍
I’ve been in two wallinpis, both had tons of issues with black mold and field mice getting in everywhere. Air flow is mandatory
Yes, I m in the process of doing just that. I’m using the deep winter greenhouse ( [https://extension.umn.edu/growing-systems/deep-winter-greenhouses#design%2C-construction-and-operation-2066620](https://extension.umn.edu/growing-systems/deep-winter-greenhouses#design%2C-construction-and-operation-2066620) ) but basically burying the north side and much of the east and west. My intention is for it to be a winter greenhouse.