How to Improve Greenhouse Hygiene

Wash dirty garden gloves after use.

Greenhouses may provide a controlled, protected environment for plants to grow, but these same conditions are also ideal for diseases and pests to thrive. Many of these pests, like spider mites, are tiny and easily go unnoticed until they reach serious levels. Good hygiene should therefore be high on your list of priorities. By keeping a greenhouse clean and neat, you ensure that many pests and diseases need never become a problem. At the same time, you will be providing better growing conditions for your plants.

Difficulty:

Moderately Easy

Instructions

1. Keep conditions in your greenhouse as hygienic as possible. Don’t bring diseased plants into the greenhouse if it is avoidable. If you must bring in contaminated plants. isolate them. Remove any decomposing plant or fruit matter.

2. Removing algae from the greenhouse glass. First wet the algae thoroughly to loosen the deposits, then scrub them off with warm, soapy water and a scrubbing brush. A plastic plant label is useful for cleaning between panes of glass where algae have accumulated.

3. Have a thorough cleanup every autumn. Clear out the plants while you scrub down the glass and frame, both inside and out. Throughout the year, sweep the floor and staging as needed to remove fallen leaves and plant debris, since these often carry fungal spores and provide a perfect site for fungi or pests to overwinter.

4. Renovate wooden greenhouses. With a wooden greenhouse, you need to keep the frame in good condition. Clean the wood each year and treat it with preservative every 1 to 3 years. Avoid using a substance that is harmful to plants, such as creosote. Repair small rotting areas with wood filler.

5. Pinch out dead and dying foliage, flowers and stems promptly, since they may cause dieback. Remove weeds from pots and gravel to keep air circulating well and prevent competition for moisture and nutrients.

6. Wash out all pots and trays after they have been used. As you finish with pots and trays, scrub them out so that they are clean and ready to use again. Keep your water source clean so that it does not harbor diseases

7. Keep a regular check on the state of the greenhouse framework, along with any ventilation, watering or heating systems. Any damaged areas or operational problems should be dealt with before they have a chance to become serious. Regular checking need not take long, but combined with prompt action, it can save a lot of damage in the long run.

Tips & Warnings

• Make sure that your greenhouse has access to a clean water supply.