Get your greenhouse ready for spring

With warmer temperatures arriving, now is the time to start getting your greenhouse ready for spring.
Gabriel Ash offers greenhouse accessories which will help to keep your plants at their best during the warmer months.
Here are a few tasks for you to carry out in your greenhouse during spring.

•Start ventilating your greenhouse. During the summer months, your greenhouse will need to be well ventilated to maintain a healthy atmosphere for your plants.
Ventilation helps to reduce the risk of plant disease and will help to control temperature and humidity levels within your greenhouse. Always check that any ventilation systems you install are working correctly. Replace any broken heaters and consider installing a thermometer so that you can keep any eye on the temperature in your greenhouse.

•Do some weeding. Remove weeds from around your plants and from beds. Throw out any dead plants or leaves.

•Keep an eye out for pests and plant diseases. Higher temperatures increase the risk of problems such as pests and diseases. Look out for aphids and spider mites as well as diseases such as botrytis and mildew, as there is a higher risk of these in humid conditions. Select organic pesticides and fungicides to remove pests and diseases.

•Support your plants. Now is the time to add support to plants such as tomatoes and melons. Support them using a cane and feed and water them as required.

•Start cleaning out your greenhouse. A clearout will make your greenhouse more organised and will provide extra space for your plants. Keep any insulation such as bubble wrap in place, as this will help to protect any plants that you are overwintering. Remove the insulation once temperatures begin getting much warmer.  

•Check the condition of your greenhouse panels. Any cracked or broken panels should be replaced. Clean your panels thoroughly to allow your plants plenty of access to sunlight.

•Make sure your staging and propagation benches are in good condition. If you are planning to install greenhouse staging for spring and summer, then consider cedar wood staging, as this provides longer-lasting staging that is designed to keep your plants at their best. Cedar wood also releases a pleasant aroma, which will help to repel insects and provide your plants with extra protection.

•Spend some time cleaning the exterior of your greenhouse. Greenhouses with wood designs may require a wood preservative. When applying wood preservative to your greenhouse frames, always select a preservative that is suitable for the type of wood on your greenhouse and keep the preservative away from your plants. If you have a cedar wood greenhouse, then this design doesn't require maintenance, as the wood is rot resistant and ages well.

General maintenance tasks such as these will help to prepare your greenhouse for spring and summer. A clean greenhouse that offers a healthy atmosphere will increase your chances of successfully growing a selection of plants during the warmer months.
 

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