Tips on how to take care of your greenhouse over winter

So in the event you planted late potatoes under cover of glass then you definitely are probably eager for digging them up on your Christmas dinner.

Perhaps you reside within the milder South West of the rustic and are picking the last of your tomatoes – even supposing they have got long been taken out of soil and are only hanging from the rafters to ripen.

But before you begin sowing seeds for early spring vegetables and flowers you must give your greenhouse a very good clean to eliminate diseases and confirm there are not any hiding places for bugs and pests to overwinter.

You can start by throwing away any old empty product containers, fertiliser bags and general rubbish, then having an excellent sweep out.

If you continue to have plants inside the greenhouse either put them for your garage or a spare room to forestall the cold affecting them or simply clean one side of the greenhouse at a time.

All the tools, pots, plant labels, seed boxes and propagators which have been utilized in the greenhouse over the year will need cleaning in a disinfectant consisting of Jeyes Fluid, and each of the shelves will need wiping over with disinfectant too.

Letting what little light there’s over winter and spring into the greenhouse is fundamental to improving success rates with seeds, and Linda Lane, managing director of Griffin Glasshouses recommends using a proprietary glass cleaner if the panes are particularly dirty, otherwise only a sponge and bucket of plain water is okay.

Check for broken glass, missing screws and general wear and tear, and Linda advises: “Repair broken glass because draughts may cause immediate damage in cold weather.”

Guttering must also be cleared of old leaves and other gubbins, and in case you don’t have already got a water butt fitted it’s worth adding it in your Christmas list.

Of course, when you have already got one now’s the time to empty and clean it using an extended-handled brush to avoid a increase of algae. Then rinse it using a hose pipe.

That must be enough to keept the bugs at bay and set you up nicely for raising next season’s seeds.

And one last piece of recommendation from Linda: “On warmer, sunny days, do ensure the glasshouse is ventilated but be sure you pack up at night.”

For additional information about greenhouses visit www.griffinglasshouses.com