In order for my greenhouse to successfully survive the winter and to be almost ready for use in the spring, I do some preparatory work with it in the fall. They concern both the ground inside the greenhouse and its structure itself.
1. Greenhouse interior cleaning
With her, you should start preparing the greenhouse for winter. First of all, I rake and extract the remains of vegetation from it, which may well become a winter refuge for various pests and pathogens. Otherwise, next season you will have to spend a lot of time fighting them.
2. Disinfection of greenhouse structural elements
It must be carried out regardless of what material the greenhouse is made of: polyethylene, glass, polycarbonate. In my practice as a gardener, I have tried all the options. Each of the designs has its own characteristics of preparation for winter.
- Film greenhouse
It is better not to leave the film on the frame until spring. In winter, under gusts of wind and snow load, it can easily break. I clean it, wash it with soapy water, and then treat it with a solution of copper sulfate. After letting the film dry completely, I gently fold it and put it in the shed. The conditions for storing the film are the most optimal there - dry and dark.
If someone is afraid to leave the greenhouse open for the winter, then these fears are unfounded. It will be even better if the ground is covered with snow. In the spring, when it melts, it is abundantly saturated with moisture, thanks to which greenhouse plantings will grow faster.
- Glass greenhouse
I wash it inside and out either with the same soapy solution, or I use a special detergent for cleaning glass surfaces. I wash out dirt from hard-to-reach places with a stream from a garden hose. For complete disinfection of glasses, I then process them with a solution of potassium permanganate.
If any of the glasses is damaged, I must change it. I seal the cracks in the frames with putty. The greenhouse should not be blown through by a draft. The glass will vibrate from it and may be damaged.
Already in winter, when the snow falls, I throw it with a shovel inside the greenhouse. This is necessary so that in the spring the soil in it is sufficiently moistened, and, moreover, so that it does not freeze very deeply during the winter.
- Polycarbonate construction
I usually used baking soda or regular dishwashing detergent to process it. But you can use a formalin 40% solution (250 g per bucket of water) or a solution of bleach (0.4 kg per bucket of water).
Mine polycarbonate with an exceptionally soft cloth or sponge so as not to scratch it. I also wash the wooden frame. Plus, I treat its elements with a 5% solution of copper sulfate to prevent the formation of lichens and moss on their surface.
3. Disinfection of soil inside the greenhouse
Before winter, I will definitely dig it to the depth of a shovel bayonet, without breaking clods. So the surface layer of the soil will freeze better in winter, and many pests living in it will simply die from frost.
If there is no time for digging, then I simply spill the earth with boiling water and cover it with foil. Boiling water for pests and pathogenic bacteria is as deadly as frost.
But it is best to disinfect the greenhouse by fumigating with sulfur bombs. If I can get them, I will definitely use this method. Sulfur dioxide will completely destroy fungi, mold, mites and harmful bacteria on the elements of the greenhouse structure and in the soil.
Also, in order to disinfect the soil, once a year I add garden lime or dolomite flour to it. They not only act as soil disinfectants, but also enrich it with such important elements as magnesium and potassium.
I also periodically change the topsoil: I remove 5-10 cm with a shovel and put imported fertile soil in its place. This procedure allows you to completely get rid of established pests and significantly enrich the land that has been depleted during the season.
4. Strengthening the greenhouse structure
In the fall, I always check if its frame is strong. If somewhere the structure is staggering, then in winter it can easily collapse under the pressure of snow. Just in case, I reinforce it from the inside with several wooden or iron supports. And in winter, after heavy snowfalls, I must clear the roof of the greenhouse from snow.
All this seasonal greenhouse work is not that difficult. But in my practice there has never been a case when the greenhouse collapsed in winter. In the spring, she is always ready for planting, and then I get a pretty good harvest.
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