Cleaning Greenhouse - how necessary?

[Shadylane]

So I was cleaning the greenhouse today with a mix of water, vinegar and ecover washing up liquid and trying really hard not to kill any spiders. I saw one half dead which I thought was a gonner, but after gently rinsing him off he seemed to slowly recover.

I managed to get most of the gunk off, but there's still stuff living up in the rafters and it's a wooden one so it makes it harder. I couldn't help but wonder if it wasn't all a bit unnecessary. I know some of you blitz your greenhouses with sulphur bombs and *****, but do any of you simply not bother and just hope for the best? I cleaned it last year and still got botrytis. I'm wondering if I just improve air flow that may be enough, as if the conditions are right, surely I'd get it anyway. As for bugs, what if it's better to leave it a bit grubby in order to give the predators somewhere they can feel at home. Thoughts??

[Guest]

My biggest reason for cleaning the greenhouses is they get a layer of green on them so it reduces light levels. When I first moved in the green was so thick with green that it actually lathered up when cleaning - yuk! I never want them in that state again.

[arpoet]

I use a garden spayer with ***** fluid in the autumn when the greenhouse is empty and the steam clean the joints in the glass about now.

[Scarlet]

My biggest reason for cleaning the greenhouses is they get a layer of green on them so it reduces light levels. When I first moved in the green was so thick with green that it actually lathered up when cleaning - yuk! I never want them in that state again.

Mine goes green every year....there's nothing quite like super clean class

[WendyC]

I clean mine to control red spider mite on cucumbers.

[Kristen]

I clean the glass on mine with a pressure washer.Makes a huge difference to the clarity of the glass.

[Aberdeenplotter]

Not cleaning is a bit like russian roulette. Some years you may get away without any problems but next time around literally all your crops could be decimated.

[Scarlet]

I clean the glass on mine with a pressure washer.Makes a huge difference to the clarity of the glass.

Me too but one greenhouse has better glass than the other

[alldigging]

I use a garden spayer with ***** fluid in the autumn when the greenhouse is empty and the steam clean the joints in the glass about now.

Hasn't thought of steam! We have a hand held steam cleanery thing.

[Shadylane]

Mine's not green yet. It was a bit fuzzy with cobwebs in places. I should probably clean the one at the allotment too, but I can see that not happening this year...

[Shadylane]

Hasn't thought of steam! We have a hand held steam cleanery thing.

We have a steamer, though not sure you're supposed to use them outside. I'd be scared of steaming some eight legged creature though, but I can imagine it would work a treat.

[Penellype]

Hmm. The greenhouse I am using is covered in green algae, dead leaves, bits of muck and moss which grows through from the outside, round the panes of glass and on the inside too. Several of the panes of glass are cracked and I'm scared that if I try to clean it too much the loose bits of glass will fall out. I keep pulling out chunks of moss from the inside, but I can't even reach most of the outside to attempt to clean it. So I guess I'm stuck with a dirty greenhouse, but at least its a greenhouse.

[Shadylane]

My greenhouse sees your greenhouse as a role model.

[Scarlet]

I can't even reach most of the outside to attempt to clean it. So I guess I'm stuck with a dirty greenhouse, but at least its a greenhouse.

It's the inside that you want clean. Wash around the broken ones? Was last year the first year that it had been grown in for some time? You will get a build up of nasties if it's not cleaned out.

[Kristen]

The greenhouse I am using is covered in green algae, dead leaves, bits of muck and moss which grows through from the outside, round the panes of glass and on the inside too.

Sounds like it is robbing a lot of light ... I think plants would do better, particularly young plants in spring, with cleaner glass

Several of the panes of glass are cracked

Personally I'd get them fixed. On a stormy night just one of those giving way will let the wind in and that might then rip out the other fragile ones.