Keep Your Greenhouse Healthy

Greenhouses are a saviour in our unpredictable weather, but they don’t come without their own issues. Here we take a look at some of the best ways to keep your glass-raised crops happy and healthy.

Stop botrytis
The humid conditions loved by your crops are also a breeding ground for grey mould. Caused by the fungus Botrytis cinerea it’ll attack anything from strawberries to grapes, lettuces and courgettes.

What to do:
•Keep plants well-spaced, prevent overcrowding and remove weeds as soon as they’re seen
•Encourage good ventilation by opening doors and vents
•Remove all dead or dying plant material from your greenhouse
•Practise good hygiene – clean pots, trays and tools thoroughly after use

Stay pest-free
Prevention is better than cure when it comes to pests, so give these tips a try and keep your plants safe from harm.

What to do:
•Don’t bring new plants into the greenhouse until they’ve been thoroughly checked for bugs
•Hang up sticky yellow traps – these catch flying pests and act as an early warning system for whitefly
•Place copper bands around pots as barriers to slugs and use sticky strips to stop vine weevil
•Mist plants to prevent the build up of glasshouse red spider mites

Good soil
Do you use greenhouse beds? Avoid a build-up of pests or diseases in the soil with these simple tips:

What to do:
•Don’t grow plants from the same family in a bed season after season – aim for a four-year gap where possible
•If you have multiple beds create a rotation plan. Failing this, dig up and replace the soil every couple of years

Share this article