Many people have greenhouses in their gardens. They are great for starting off new seedlings and protecting plants from cold weather later and earlier in the year. One of the problems, however, is that greenhouses can be quite costly to build, so here is a great alternative; something called a “walipini.”
Your Very Own Place Of Warmth
The word “walipini” comes from the Aymaran Indian language and means “a place of warmth.” They were first developed in the mountainous areas of South America, where heat gets lost due to the altitude. They grant anyone who uses them the ability to grow plants and crops all year round, in even the coldest regions.
Great Use Of Natural Thermal Power – Courtesty Of Mother Nature
A “walipini” is a clever idea that combines 2 principles. It uses the natural warmth of the earth and the natural warmth of the sun. Based on an “earth shelter” which is basically a “dugout”, you can actually build one of your own, (providing you’ve got the land of course), and by following this link to the Benson Agriculture and Food Institute (a nonprofit organization that promotes American sustainable agriculture) you can access a set of plans and instructions to help you with your construction. (1)
How a Walipini Works And How To Build One
© Benson Institute
How It Works
The actual “dugout” for the walipini goes down into the earth for between 6 feet and 8 feet. The soil down at this level retains more of its natural heat, and when added to by the sun’s rays which are captured by the roof (more about that in a moment), these 2 elements provide a more fertile environment.
Walipini Basics
At its most basic level, a walipini is a rectangular trench that is cut into the ground and covered with a transparent sheet of plastic that will allow the rays of the sun to pass through it. The longest section of the rectangle is dug so that it faces north in the southern hemisphere, in order that it catches the winter sun, and vice versa in the northern hemisphere. At the back of the trench, a small wall of damned earth is built up to provide the plastic sheet roof with the angle it needs to allow any rain to run off.
DIY Double Glazing
The space between the top sloping transparent roof and the flat covering of transparent plastic draped across the top of the dugout acts rather like the space between the panes of glass in a double glazed window; they trap warm air and allow light to penetrate into the plants growing below.
Because of the depth that the trench is dug out to, it taps naturally into the warm thermal characteristics of the Earth, which in effect means that less energy is required to build up the level of heat inside the dugout.
The Benson Institutes’ Test Model
The Benson Institute has created its own walipini measuring 20 feet x 74 feet out in La Paz, which, thanks to the supply of free local labor, and the use of economic materials such as UV grade protective plastic sheeting and PVC piping costs less than $300 to construct. (2)
©Benson Institute
This earth-sheltered greenhouse taps into the thermal mass of the earth, so that much less energy is needed to heat up the walipini’sinterior than an aboveground greenhouse. (3) Of course, there are precautions to take in waterproofing, drainage and ventilating the walipini, while aligning it properly to the sun – which the manual covers in detail.
Taking Your Holistic Health Lifestyle To The Max
For anyone who wants to take their holistic health lifestyle to the max, building and using your own walipini is a great way of providing you and your friends with fresh, natural, veggies all year round. It’s cheap, effective, and downright cool. Way to go!
