An essential part of owning a Trillium greenhouse is cleaning it every season, especially after winter. This spring, you may have to do some extra cleaning to make up for a winter of unuse. To help, learn seven spring-cleaning tips for your Trillium greenhouse to restore and prepare your conservatory for a new season of growing plants.
What’s the Purpose of Cleaning a Greenhouse?
The point of cleaning a greenhouse is to create a stable environment for plants. If the ground outside isn’t suitable for what you’re planting or it’s too late in the season to plant, you must rely on a greenhouse’s stable, controlled conditions.
However, a dirty and unmaintained greenhouse isn’t habitable for plants. Daily cleaning and maintenance decreases mold growth and disease, lets in more light, and controls pests. This maintenance is important year round, but it’s especially key before spring to ensure optimal growth during this season.
Inspect the Greenhouse First
As you prepare the greenhouse for spring, the first step is inspecting the structure. This will allow you to identify where to focus your cleaning efforts first. Look for broken glass, structural damage, and irrigation issues like leaks and tears. Also, don’t forget to check corners for nests, as these are areas pests use for hibernation.
Make Sure To Clear Out Pests
Let’s discuss why you need to clear out birds, raccoons, and other pests. These animals carry diseases and create serious problems with your greenhouse’s structure. You might believe the winter frost takes care of your pest problems, but it doesn’t. In fact, winter forces critters to find safe places to hibernate, such as your greenhouse.
So it’s normal for pests to appear in greenhouses and hibernate in planter boxes, pots, and the crowns of perennial plants, but they shouldn’t be long-term tenants. While spring cleaning your conservatory, clear out any nests in corners, pots, and planter boxes, and replace the garden bed if you find any pests in the dirt. Removing the pots and boxes and replacing the dirt reduces the chance of disease spreading and harming future plants.
Do a Deep Clean of Your Greenhouse
Focus on deep-cleaning seed trays, pots, boxes, and pans you plan on reusing this year. Grab a bucket and fill it with soapy water. Use this mixture to clean your planter containers, thoroughly scrubbing away old dirt before reusing the receptacles. However, if the planters have holes, cracks, or weakened bottoms, it’s time to replace them.
Aside from cleaning the boxes out, focus on maintaining the overall structure of your greenhouse. Your greenhouse remains in the best condition with constant care and attention, as do your plants.
For the greenhouse’s exterior, scrub the frame with a soft-bristle brush using a mild soap and bleach solution. Use a glass cleaner to wipe away dirt, restore your windows, and allow more light inside your greenhouse. Finally, sweep the floors around the outside and on the inside of your greenhouse.
Get the Plant Beds Set Up
Spring is the best time to prepare your plant beds for the year. To get the plant beds set up, you want to replace the soil like we mentioned—this is good to do once every three years to reduce disease and pests. The best topsoil type to get for your greenhouse garden is loam, which comprises sand, clay, and silt. Additionally, ensure the ground in the greenhouse contains minimal artificial materials.
Sharpen and Organize Your Tools
Plants and dirt aren’t the only things to prepare; your tools also need organization. Spend time during the week prepping your gear by sharpening your spades, scissors, and other sharp gardening tools. A dull blade doesn’t provide precision when pruning and harvesting. The item you use to sharpen your tools depends on the equipment. For instance, you’d use a diamond-coated file to refine the sides of hoes and spades.
Besides maintaining the cultivation tools, install new hooks, shelves, and counters to keep everything neat and organized. Spring calls for new additions to the greenhouse, so make organizational tools one of the things that lift the appearance of your conservatory.
Ensure Your Trillium Greenhouse Has Ventilation
One of the things you should do when cleaning your greenhouse this spring is improve ventilation. Ventilation helps air circulate and keeps the temperature consistent throughout the season so plants don’t dry out or get fungal infections. Fungal infections often happen when a room is too moist. Because dampness hangs in the air for so long without ventilation, it prevents the soil from retaining nutrients and protecting the plants from infection.
You can improve ventilation by installing louvered windows in the end and side walls of the greenhouse. If your roof vents aren’t completely opening on a warm spring or summer day, it is probably time to replace the wax cylinders within the automated vent opener unit.
Prepare Your Seedlings for the Season
You may have plans to plant seeds that require a longer growing season, and you must know how to accommodate seedlings with varying requirements. The best time to plant is generally between late April and May, as temperatures are increasing. However, it will depend on your climate. For example, homeowners in Northern California must plant peppers in warmer weather.
Ensure your seeds are ready by reading the back of packets to get an idea of when to plant. Most packets have a map of US climates showing the best time of year to plant seedlings in your area. Prepare your greenhouse beds accordingly.
Add a Greenhouse to Your Outdoor Space This Spring
Now you know spring-cleaning tips for your Trillium greenhouse. Spring cleaning a greenhouse is the best way to prepare the space for this important growing season, and spring is also the best time to renew your various spaces. If you don’t already have a greenhouse or want to upgrade your existing one, now is your chance. Adding a greenhouse adds more variety to an outdoor space, and it encourages you to get outside more. Expand your plant space by building a narrow glass greenhouse with a specially made kit from Sturdi-Built. All our kits feature wood from the beautiful redwoods of Northern California. Consider purchasing one of our greenhouses to add unparalleled beauty to your home!
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