Farm Tour Series: The Walipini; Use, Design, and Construction

This week, we tour the walipini, or pit greenhouse here at Red Gate Farm.
Our Walipini guide book is finally available!! You can click the link in the video, or the link to our Amazon storefront below to find it!
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[@crossfit1318]

"they get drunk and they drown" ruthless!

[@piotrogrod8223]

The best walipini movie I could find. Greetings from Poland

[@ADifferentWay]

Thanks, and welcome! Hope it inspired you!

[@zpoedog]

I have watch as many Walipini builds and design video as I could over the years. Your instructions and design is the best I have seen. So happy I found your channel. Keep up the good work!

[@Telthecelt]

First time I have come across them and it is an eye-opener to me!

[@telthegardener7104]

@zpoedog I agree. Best walipini video I’ve ever watched.

[@rosehip5101]

If you put a house on the back of it the house would be heated by it and the walipini would work better aswell.

[@ADifferentWay]

We are actually planning that with the build we are currently working on!

[@pietjemol3420]

@@ADifferentWay There are also video's using compost to heat the 'greenhouses'. In the Netherlands old farmhouses had compost against special designed 'compost' walls that heated the wall and thus the farmhouses using compost. You could do something similar, other idea would be to use a water pipe out of the compost and heat the walapini with that hot water.

[@nullobject7966]

You did a great job explaining the orientation, cheers for that

[@maxmanx1294]

Oh my gosh! He is the man of my dreams! I love the design & love that he thoroughly understands all the concepts involved! 😊

[@1thess416and17]

Gave me a lot to think about! I'm 61 and have built a number of structures for food, but this intrigues me!

[@dkraft]

This is the GREATEST thing I have ever seen. I'm serious. Starting construction in April.

[@wmluna381]

Are you up north (U.S. or Canada)? Will you be posting your build and grow updates here on YT?

[@reltech]

Kind of a way to get around shed/ outbuilding height restrictions. I'd never have thought you could have a two storey garden shed.

[@joeadams8975]

Congratulations on a first-rate presentation!! Your background at the Acadamy really shows. This is one of many ideas i've talked about for many years now. Instead of sending all our kids to college where they accumulate a ton of debt and end up unemployed or working three 10 dollars an hour job to get by, let's offer them these types of opportunities. I can assure you kids would jump at the chance to get out of a classroom and directly into learning a life-altering trade and way of life. You can be sure I'll be hounding our local school boards and elected officials about just that. Thank you for your continuing service to your country.

[@andrewcorbell7216]

And being taught there is no God ....when clearly once you've studied the facts ,there can only be God .

[@Negus222]

@@andrewcorbell7216 Lol don’t drag religion into this, this is about learning a trade and field skills.

[@spoolsandbobbins]

@@Negus222 all of which God created. If you don’t like it just ignore the comments…

[@spoolsandbobbins]

We took our 5 adopted children out of the school system after 6 months (7 years ago now), to do just this! They are learning the important things in life instead of a bunch of head knowledge. Wouldn’t change it for anything.

[@WonbyGrace2]

School boards care less cause if kids get to learn who would they get to boss

[@tedtolentino4955]

Well, now I know what a walipini greenhouse is. Thank you for such a thorough explanation and view into this interesting structure. It gathers together many of the principles I have learned over the years about harvesting solar energy, water conservation, and gardening. Thank you so much for sharing this video.

[@cofoothills]

love the mushrooms under the floor idea

[@esperago]

I want to build a walipini so bad but I live in Atlantic Canada and it's nothing but rock after the first foot of soil. Dashed my dream.

[@PaulSaxbyPhotography]

Extremely interesting project that 28:16 reminds me of once visiting a walled kitchen garden at an estate here in the UK. The huge 200 year old sunken greenhouse used many of the same principles you talk about. The design also included a vast sunken hot bed that used fresh horse manure to heat the space in winter, it was so warm that historically they grew pineapples and mangoes, something that’s virtually impossible to do in the UK climate. Thanks for your inspiration.

[@wmluna381]

What's the name of this place?

[@davidquirk8097]

That was a thorough analysis of the key points of your Walapini. It belies the sheer amount of hard work and hard thinking you have so obviously put into the job. Thank you so much for doing this.

[@GEOsustainable]

The most comprehensive presentation on KZbin. Thank you. A lot of info. I can do this.

[@ADifferentWay]

Thanks and glad you found it helpful. If you are considering building a walipini, be sure to check out our book, which can be found in the description of the video. It includes far more details and information Then we could put in the video!

[@laurisafine7932]

Regarding your aphid problems... I live in a flat in the UK and grow a lot on my lovely balcony - vine-tomatoes in pots from macrame-holders along my washing line - but the season isn't long enough for peppers, which I grow indoors in large pots on a windowsill. I stood smaller pots of mint upon the peppers' soil, amidst the plants, and I ruffle the leaves occasionally - in ''double'' pots, actually, because mint is a very thirsty plant, wildly invasive, and other plants don't like their root oils - so I put the mint's growing and drainage pot inside a solid-bottomed, slightly bigger pot, which does get a bit mucky after a while and needs cleaning... but it drastically reduced the aphids, not completely - they seem to huddle in specific areas now, where i grab them with tissues - but what an improvement. Thanks for the great video and G-d bless.

[@blairbastien8656]

Have you considered running a perforated duct along the peak of the roof, hooked up to a solar powered fan? That way instead of venting the excess heat during the summer to atmosphere you could connect it to your drain and air pipe in the ground and building up the excess heat in the ground for winter usage. Just a thought. Very impressive setup

[@two-sense]

Cool idea.

[@MogofWar]

@@two-sense Not really. Heating the cold sink in the summer won't store the heat for winter, well not really. See the cold sink is also a heat sink, as it effectively uses the entire continental as a thermal anchor, I'm not even joking. For the first few feet, the soil temperature varies by the weather, but by 8 feet down, the Earth is a greater influence than the sky... So any heat transferred to the cold sink is like a drop of water into the ocean. Basically what the initial comment suggests amounts to a solar powered geothermal cooling pump that would diffuse a portion of the absorbed heat, but won't actually save it for winter.

[@danachoate5361]

A walipini green house is something that I have on my list for my homestead. I appreciate the walk through and the design instructions.

[@WHEREtheFUNK]

this is it. thanks for the post. we are doing this soon.

[@moniquehuchet3646]

I wish I could roll back the clock 60 years back, still it is is exciting to see someone with success.

[@coldspring624]

I love the idea....the best part is your info brings to light a way to improve it

[@Bucksighter]

The more I watched the more ingenious I realized it is!

[@patryott2468]

This is a very intelligent design. We are in North Alabama. Snow load is not a factor. Intense sun is.

[@user-kn6sz8ji1j]

While I will not be building a Walipini, I will be utilizing several of its ideas. This video touched upon several points that will help me both optimize the position and maintenance of my grow beds. Thank you and God Bless.

[@JohnThomas-nn6qt]

Perhaps you have already looked at article " Man grows oranges in Nebraska in the winter"

[@atomicwedgie8176]

Russ Finch Is The Man!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[@Jusamused2]

Excellent video!

[@kenyonbissett3512]

I watched it a few years ago. Great idea!

[@DanielinLaTuna]

Yes! That was another fascinating work in progress!

[@rorywynhoff1549]

Citrus in the snow ❄️

[@RickVegasGames]

I just watched this today and I’ve never wanted to build a Walipini more than now. Your explanation for how to determine the size and direction of your Walipini is hands down one of the best I’ve seen.

[@kellysouthwell4043]

Wow, I’m fascinated, want to come to northern Alberta and give us some good advice! Amazing!

[@ADifferentWay]

Hey, we’re always up for a trip if you fund it! 🤣

[@mandalaxxl]

Genious. Instruct mayors and farmers. Congratulations.

[@Concojone5]

Great stuff, very inspiring. Careful with freshly dug trenches. I was told never to get down into a trench without reinforced side walls: if a side collapses, your lungs get crushed by several tons worth of soil and nobody can save you. I used to work for a construction company and my boss said he's seen a guy die that way.Stay safe ;)

[@clivefrancis3546]

I would have put a small settlement tank before the main tank to ensure no sediment went in

[@GregJoshuaW]

Another good idea and simple enough to design a flush system to drain it out into the cold sink.

[@user-ib8mg3jw2e]

Well I'm just in the process of building my first greenhouse conventional style then I come across this, makes so much sense Back to the drawing board

[@bingo7799]

Very thoughtful design.

[@djsecAUS]

Wow- super interesting! I’ve never heard of a Walipini, but it makes a lot of sense! Anyone in Victoria, Australia tried building one? I’d be interested to see what you did and hear how it’s going!

[@jonathantieken]

Hands down then best walipini design I've ever seen. So many designs are horribly over engineered. This design is intelligent, holistic, and efficient. Great stuff - thank you!

[@randalhoule6201]

Excellent instructional video and Walipini build . I've seen several walipini builds . Yours is the best . Water holds 3 1/2 times more heat than anything else . My previous thoughts , were plastic lasts 1,000 years . I was researching plastic barrels just now . To my dismay , I found out the barrels only last five years . Some people have them stacked high in greenhouses . I could imagine 500 hundred pound barrels hitting someone . Sunlight is plastic's worst enemy .

[@ADifferentWay]

Although our barrels certainly lasted more than 5 years, you are correct. UV light can deteriorate plastic, so caution should be used, and any plastic drums should be well supported!

[@zachthorn3741]

A fantastic implementation. I've th5a out a walapini for years and you nailed it. Thank you for your tedious insight as it is greatly appreciated.

[@skeeterburke]

Reminds me of some houses I've seen on Earthship Academy

[@court2379]

I have wanted to build a green house this way for years and have drawn up various designs, but have never seen one actually implemented. I always thought it dumb to use expensive transparent materials on walls that don't get much light, and to not use the moderating effect of the earth to keep the temperature in a reasonable range. I will have to search Walapini, as I have never heard the name. Thanks for posting the video it is great to see it really work. If you build another, you should consider using B-decking instead on roofing for the walls. It is a bit thicker metal and deeper corrugations. They use it under concrete in things like parking structures. Of course it costs a lot more, but you won't have issues with the wall pushing in under soil pressure.

[@ganggreen9012]

I had been thinking about a lean to greenhouse, with a solid north wall with water barrels to absorb solar energy in the winter day and release heat at night. This is a much more complete design than anything I had considered.

[@tatsumawatson5799]

Thank you so much for sharing your knowledge!

[@larrycavanaugh7410]

This video is amazing self sufficient wow !

[@jimh4167]

Never heard of a Walipini before Very interesting Thank You

[@Renewscience]

extraordinary design...you have done you homework and applied it correctly...as proven in your success with plants...thank you for sharing ...you can use it to dry wood in summer.

[@ThoneJones]

Great presentation.

[@karlbe8414]

Outstanding video and fascinating information on such a sensible idea. Best thing that I have seen in a while on KZbin! Thank you, took notes and will keep researching.

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad you enjoyed it!

[@rosstemple7617]

I really like the design! Wow! I’ve been thinking on making a walapini for years. I’m south of you in Texas and my design actually is opposite. I need to escape the heat. Winter barely ever gets colder than freezing. So water tanks are unnecessary on back wall. Instead they need to be in shaded area. Another thing is tubing underground with attached solar fan to circulate hot air into the ground for geo cooling. You could do the same thing below the frost line for the colder months. A gas heater could provide CO2 and warmth. If you put in clay lines and run it hot for a bit before night can keep walapini warm for a while. Run piping under grow beds to keep the plants warm on top and in the ground. Got some great tip to add to mine. Thanks ever so much for putting this up.

[@BrianDoyles45]

Great video. Very informative and interesting You mentioned Espalier with your fruit trees, I highly encourage you to follow that path. The history of Espalier all started because they wanted to train fruit trees against a thick wall that would absorb the heat to keep oranges and other fruits as warm as possible throughout the year in France. The flat designs of Espalier aren't just fancy looking, they're done to keep the plants as close as possible to the wall behind them and benefit the most from that thermal mass. If you experimented with some hook magnets you could probably find a perfect option to train your plants/trees directly to your water barrels without needing any additional support structures. I haven't seen it done before but they'd be infinitely adjustable in placement and you could find different holding strengths in different magnets.

[@joshuakeegwell2896]

I have known of the walipini for some years now. I believe everyone should have one. I will be putting one together in the near future. This was a well done, very thorough, well thought out video and awesome explaination of a walipni. Cheers

[@OzkAltBldgCo-bv8tt]

Burm up the north side with a wall of dirt and plant bamboo on it to create even more of a buffer. Bamboo Garden North Plains Oregon

[@debkincaid2891]

This is the coolest thing I've seen in a long time. I've never heard of this before. Amazing! What a wonderful feeling of satisfaction you must feel. Congratulations!

[@yoopermann7942]

THANK YOU FOR YOUR SERVICE!! second, thank you for the tips and info on the build and design!!!

[@johnniebrewster394]

One of the best videos i have seen on the walipini . Thank you

[@JJLewin1]

What a fantastic idea

[@glendonrhoades4716]

Excellent, excellent resource. Thank you very much for sharing this. It addresses the real nosebleeds in most greenhouse designs by keeping solar insolation, thermal mass, insulation and ventilation as top priorities and letting them dictate design. Thanks again

[@848meme]

that was a great presentation

[@robertbass5283]

Very Cool growing technique❗️

[@user-ip3sy9my1i]

Очень интересная теплица! Про углы я не подумал что они сыграют такую важную роль. Хорошего урожая!

[@vorgieforsyth8334]

My grandfather had a sunken lean-too greenhouse in Aberdeen Scotland and used to grow wonderful tomatoes and begonias, as I recall. Not quite as scientific, but it stored heat in the back wall (granite) and insulted with the ground in front - probably 3 to 4 feet high. Possibly a less cold winter (usually) due to the proximity to the sea. Your walipini sounds a good development.

[@solarbrianyvonne]

Absolutely Brilliant ! having a thermal storage on the back wall is awesome !

[@paulapjclark8928]

Great idea 💡

[@lucrebrazzi4069]

Ingenuity on a heroic scale. Bravo.

[@sylvestris9409]

This is a really informative video. I love seeing the cross section map of the design as well as the tour. Thank you for sharing!

[@WhiteFox011]

This looks like a great Idea. You put a LOT of thought into this project.

[@chefntoast]

Now , next step, adding some KNF techniques to your grow beds! Nice job

[@carpentrydesigndovetail4219]

amazing work and an amazingly educational video

[@rebelflamebrittanys67]

Thank you for this tour! I have looking at trying to extend the outside gardening season in Wisconsin. The research in the roof angles, sun exposure and venting were very informative. I have been looking at smaller gardens, digging down so you can stand up inside is brilliant! The comments about the thermal heat from the water barrels below was also helpful. Going to review this video again.

[@mydanishgarden3112]

This has evolved my idea for a thermal type of greenhouse I've been planning for my garden. Some fantastic information and ideas that I'm certain I can incorporate. One idea that I've had looking at your plan, the glass on the North facing roof that you cover with insulation in the winter, what if when you take it down in the summer, you store it in front of the water barrels? My thinking is it solves 2 issues, firstly it further helps deflect any heat from the water barrels, which don't want in the summer, and secondly storage, those panels have to go somewhere during the summer, and I would need an answer for my wife where that would be. I love this, thank you for sharing it with us, is perfect in everyway for what I'm wanting to do, possible Denmark's first Walipini.

[@pvp6077]

I was just thinking he should put some reflectors inside to increase the light, this would also solve that problem 🤓

[@PasoGirl7]

Thank you for your detailed explanation of this structure and its functionality. I’m in awe of it. We live at 7100 ft in elevation and have struggled to determine a good way to establish a garden.

[@ADifferentWay]

We first learned to garden at that elevation! We lived out east of Colorado Springs, between 7000 and 8000 feet altitude. It was a challenge for sure! We had a friend who was an incredible gardener in the area. He said the key to outdoor gardening was using cool season, fast, growing vegetables. The key to the longer, warmer season vegetables Was some type of greenhouse or other protected structure that could provide supplemental heating when necessary. He had that, and he had amazing tomatoes even in fall! We would’ve loved to pursue the idea of a walipini, but where we lived at the time would’ve required a mountain of expense and paperwork to dig the pit. So we waited until after we moved. But it would definitely be an asset in that climate!

[@lucdrouin2625]

Excellent work! Thanks for sharing!

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad you enjoyed!

[@markhutchinson6950]

I love the engineering thought and experimentation involved in the project. Definitely something I will try on my own property! Thank you for sharing it!

[@jahstafari4606]

well ....u just made what i've been thinking through and about for years ...i had many doubts bout materials to be using ....glad to be able to see your design about this ....nice details with angles of sun hiting barrels by seasons.... wreally nice...

[@DEVUNK88]

this video is jam packed full of brilliant tips, tricks, and good ideas

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad you found it helpful! Be sure to watch the followup video we did for more tips.

[@ADifferentWay]

If interested, we wanted to let you know our Walipini building guiding is finally available! www.amazon.com/shop/adifferentway/list/2JRI58ITC5AM0

[@erroleabrown4317]

Your Walipini is brillent and a good design, it would even be a good design for a winter house, thanks for the video much appreciated

[@donnarenfro5752]

Ingenious! Love the whole idea. I've been in love with passive solar since the 60's, but love your added geothermal ideas. Wish we had room (and $$$) for something like this, but I think I will incorporate some of these principles into my greenhouse plans. I am in NC, so not as much threat of freezing, but we have had below freezing mornings most of the past 6 weeks (Jan & Feb). Thanks so much for this great video!

[@ElanaKyb8]

Какая продуманная конструкция, молодцы!

[@rogergarcia3021]

Didn't know what they were had seen them before but never asked to see one. But very good design. Might make a small scale one. Thanks for the video and overall information

[@sadocyco2848]

Le walipini le plus abouti que j'ai vu pour l'instant, il est super. Best walipini i ever seen, great build. Thanks a lot for the share!

[@ADifferentWay]

Thank you!

[@timothyblazer1749]

This is a very good overview! Thanks very much for the detail, diagrams and specifics. The work is excellent! It is absolutely true that this design is latitude specific. There is no one design per se, and you have to adjust it for not only latitude, but also conditions. Deserts and semi arid is where this technology can shine year round. There, you can't grow much of anything in the high summer, as temps go over 100F. You'd have to alter it to be able to do serious cooling in that time, using earth tubes extensively, or geothermal cooling, as well as misting.

[@jameswistman7479]

any way to unchunk and approximate the $investment/spend up front?

[@jeanninedemaeseneer1060]

this looks like a very nice and efficient setup for dealing with temperature extremes. Hard winds can be an issue for greenhouses but this one seems fit for the job. Thank you for sharing this with us ... really appreciate it !!

[@jasonbuzzard3127]

About to get into gardening in the ozarks, so I have been watching videos on how to build greenhouses, I appreciate the extra information as well about the timing and the seasons as I am a beginner. This is a fantastic idea for small spaces and your presentation was great

[@abundantYOUniverse]

Really good! I was fascinated with this, can't wait to get started!

[@ADifferentWay]

Have fun!

[@kenchafin9890]

Excellent video. Thank you so much.

[@tammymccaslin4787]

I laughed for a long time after your intro.

[@sappir26]

Wishing you much success and looking forward to your next video.

[@jeffreyatto2523]

Thank you very much for sharing your experience! This video was incredibly informative

[@ADifferentWay]

Glad you found it helpful!

[@PraxisPrepper]

This was a great video. Thanks for sharing it. I've been wanting to build a bermed greenhouse for a while and you rekindled my enthusiasm with your video. I think this is my next big project for a south-facing slope here at our house. Thanks so much!

[@andrewmcintyre8774]

Absolutely love it! I am subscribed and can't wait to build my own.I would definitely spend the extra money and make the load bearing and underground walls from reinforced concrete for strength and longevity.....thank you so much for sharing such detailed construction information and also for critiquing your own work. Thank you thank you thank you from Australia

[@pyager527]

I recommend using ICF insulated concrete forms.

[@michigannative2951]

Thanks for sharing this video and information.

[@Ryan-xv3kc]

Thanks so much for this! Cheers!

[@klauskarbaumer6302]

Exemplary and very impressive!

[@faithbuller4086]

What a great way to harvest the maximum amount of sun and heat for all seasons!

[@AngryManSki]

Not a country music fan but I loved that jam towards the beginning of the video. He was jamming on that gih-tar.

[@roiad876]

One of the most informative videos I've seen

[@cliffmeinhardt2428]

Love this video. I've been watching Russ Finches videos for years now preparing me for my future design. You however made this more of a reality for me in that you explain so much of your design. It's different but I like some of your ideas better. Thank you so much for posting. I hope to start constructing my own this year.

[@tylerk.7947]

Fantastic. Would love to build this someday

[@harrymills2770]

Cold's not coming in. Heat is escaping. Yes, the colder air in the space will collect down low, due to stratification. And yes, the cold sink - which is actually a heat sink in winter - will help moderate the coldest air at the bottom., and hence the whole space. I like explanation of the azimuth of the Sun at noon at different times during the year. The only thing about that is the calculation of 76 degrees in summer. If you base that on the highest point of the sun in the summer, then you're going to be insolating those barrels during the dog days of July and August. Design makes good sense, but I'd try to cover the bottom half of those barrels with reflective material. I like that you took full advantage of your day(s) with the excavator and made an air inlet that will modulate the incoming air temps, year round. I think moving air through the space is an important feature to consider, for the health of the plants. The air can get pretty depleted in nitrogen, I think, and CO2 when you want to be photosynthesizing. If you can get a decent convection going, you can continually bring in fresh air during the day. Anyway, just what you've done, with a thoughtful build, gives you something with no moving parts that's pretty temperature-regulated, just by its design. I'm coming at it from another direction, where the green and growing things are incorporated into the living space. So I'm looking for finer controls on the indoor temperature, accommodating humans and plants.

[@eddiewalker7252]

....Free sun energy and a fish fertilizing tank can easily improve upon this excellent design! I really like the mushroom cellar design maybe some root storage as well, complete with removable baskets...like crab cages! thank you for sharing! Homestead solar communities are the future for those who can't afford Musk shuttles!

[@Telthecelt]

This is ingenius! We can get minus 5C typically. I have cacti I let dry in the twinwall polycarbonate-roofed greenhouse for the winter but to keep a few other things survive I use a single paraffin burner. I am just about to go out and light it before bed since we expect zero C or lower, tonight.Last year I just covered evry bench with a double layer of newspaper from November until early March, and to be honest I believe that worked better than this current regime is doing. I love how you have thought it all through scientifically. Well done on the whole project! Thanks!

[@jeremiahshine]

Awesome. I'm thinking wood chip/compost heat is easily incorporated with a trench along the back wall and/or roof. Empty the compost trench in early summer. This will allow better cooling in summer, too.

[@tomkacandes8286]

It would not be hard to incorporate a static pile compost outside, maybe on North berm area with coiled PEX built into it and then run that through the Walipini in a loop with small pump that could be turned on and off by thermostat. Give an additional source of heat in depth of winter, use the compost inside and outside on beds in spring, rebuild the pile in summer and fall. I saw a great static pile set up heating tomato beds inside a greenhouse at McEnroe Farms, Amenia, NY USA in 1990 or so.

[@NativeSpeakerEnglish]

Wow! Brilliant channel. Not since Polyface farm have I seen such common sense “build it and see” innovation.

[@jasonc794]

Lots of great info. Thanks for this.