After a cold and icy winter, spring is finally on the horizon – but is your greenhouse ready? Have you ventured out to look since you tucked up your plants inside last autumn? Whether you have or not, it’s worth making sure you know how to get your greenhouse ready for spring. And don’t worry, because we’ve got all the tips you need!
It’s not much worth having a greenhouse if you don’t know what you’re going to put in it. Make sure you’ve got a selection of pots and seed trays to put your plants in, then get to picking the seeds and plugs that will make up your future veg patch or flowerbed.
You can get them into their compost homes before your greenhouse is clean, but you’ll have to move them around so maybe best to order the plants first, clean the greenhouse while they despatch, then plant as soon as they arrive!
Now is the time to get your greenhouse clean and tidy. Start by having a clear out – throwing away any junk you no longer use and dead plants from the winter that are beyond recovery.
Take everything else outside and give the greenhouse a good clean. Use soapy water to wash all the windows – dirty windows block light which is essential for heating the greenhouse as the days start to get longer. Then scrub down all the surfaces and pots to make sure they’re disinfected and pest-free. This should give your plants and seeds the healthiest environment for the new season.
While you’re cleaning out the greenhouse, have a look for any signs of damage from over the winter – cracked panels, warped frames and so on. Get them fixed now so you don’t have to worry and can use your greenhouse to its full potential.
Whether your greenhouse is a new addition to the garden or you’ve been using it for years, there are always ways you can maximise its performance. If you haven’t yet, consider adding ventilation to help regulate the temperature during the coming months – either louvres or automatic vent arms to open the windows when it gets too hot.
Hanging some shading or using temporary spray on the windows will help cut down on the glare from summer sun. You could also invest in some heating to combat late spring frosts in our ever more changeable climate.
As we try to live more sustainably, collecting rainfalls to use in your garden and greenhouse is essential. More than that, it’s beneficial for the potted plants growing inside the greenhouse. They prefer rainwater because it doesn’t contain the artificially added minerals that tap water does, as these build up in the soil over time and can become too harsh.
Most plants also thrive on slightly acidic water, like that from the sky which has a pH between 5.5 and 6.5, whereas mains water is usually alkaline. Luckily rainwater is easy to harvest through greenhouse guttering and water butts Also, keep a watering can topped up inside the greenhouse so the water is at an ambient temperature, as in early spring it can be too cold if it comes straight from outside.
Make sure you’re ready for a flurry of spring planting by readying your supplies. Growbags will become essential throughout the growing season so stock up now. It will be too warm and exposed to keep them in the greenhouse, however, so store them somewhere cool and dark, like a shed.
Once your greenhouse is fresh and clean, it’s vital to ensure it stays pest-free throughout the spring and summer. A simple thing like keeping the door closed is an effective barrier against bugs coming in. You can also lay pellets out across the floor to keep any invading critters like slugs and snails in check.
Now your greenhouse is ready, you can actually start to use it! Organise your tables and shelves for planting space, then crack on with early spring sowing. You can plant hardy seeds like peas, broad beans and sweet peas at this time of year in the greenhouse, so they’ll be ready to go outside when it’s a little warmer.