Greenhouse spring cleaning

I’ve washed ours and checked over the plants, says Ruth

- Ruth Hayes

IT’S all systems go undercover, where bulbs and tubers are sprouting, seedlings are growing and last year’s cuttings are ready to be potted on.

With so much young plant growth in confined spaces, good hygiene and diligent pest control is vitally important. There’s nothing that opportunistic snails, slugs and aphids like more than the soft growth of vulnerable new shoots.

Good ventilation is also important, as temperatures rise and the combination of springtime warmth and dampness creates perfect conditions for fungal diseases and rots.

Look out for the telltale brown-grey signs of botrytis grey mould that can take hold in closed greenhouses where plants are crammed together.

Keep everything healthier by opening doors and windows during the day, shutting them at dusk when temperatures drop.