Garden Centre

Monday, November 16, 2009

The November Greenhouse

Honestly, there are few more thankless tasks than clearing out the greenhouse for the winter. However organised you try to be, there are things that you just can’t find a home for while you sort it out, so you end up moving pots and tools from one annoying place to another, and falling over them, and losing them (or I do, anyway) and generally getting frustrated about the whole process. You have to switch off electricity if you have it and cover the sockets, and then, unless the weather is horribly inclement, take out all the plants, containers, pots and staging as well as protecting any tender or half-hardy plants with horticultural fleece or putting them in the shed or garage.

Then you have to wash it. We use washing up liquid in hot water because we have no diseases or pests to get rid of (as yet) and because the panes are polycarbonate, not glass and I’m worried about some disinfectants eating into the plastic. There’s not a lot of information on exactly what to use sadly. And again, no matter how organised you try to be, you end up getting drips of water down your neck from the upper panes as you work on the lower ones. And then, of course you have to leave it ventilated while it dries out. And that’s been a problem, because every time that we’ve thought about undertaking the task this week, there’s been a gale warning or a storm warning, or both. And it has bucketed down, with really strong winds, so although I’m glad we didn’t start the task, only having done the clearing out bit, I am not sure when we’ll get round to the washing down and disinfecting bit.

But it’s worth it to be able to get your peas and sweet peas germinated over the winter. And we’ll have spare pots of broad beans going, to fill in any gaps in the ones that are germinating in the soil, and my fuchsias will be safe from the worst of the winter weather.

Labels: november greenhouse, winter greenhouse tasks

The All Seasons Gardener at 5:20 AM

---