Greenhouse and Cold Frame Cleaning Early fall is the time to give greenhouses and frames a thorough cleaning to prepare a pristine environment for plants to be sheltered in these structures during the fall and winter.

The first thing is to empty the greenhouse of all pots and flats, pull out any weeds that have crept in, and clear the structure of all dead plant material and other debris. Next comes the Mr. or Ms. Mop routine. Using a disinfectant cleaner mixed at label rates in hot water, scrub down all inner surfaces -- glass or plastic walls and ceilings, and plant benches. Then sweep the solution over the flooring. Wipe down the outside of the greenhouse as well, to clear away any algae growth that may have started and to allow for optimum levels of natural light in the greenhouse during the winter. Before moving empty flats and pots back into the greenhouse, wash or wipe them in a disinfectant cleaner solution. Clean up potted plants by trimming off all dead bits and spraying the foliage thoroughly with insecticidal soap. Wash the pots by dunking them briefly in the disinfectant solution and wiping them dry. Cleanse the inner and outer surfaces of frames in the same way, after clearing the soil of weeds and mixing fertilizer and compost into the area in preparation for planting winter lettuce and other salad vegetables. If you have an area in the house where you grow plants under lights, give it a meticulous wipedown as well before filling it with cuttings and house plants brought back indoors after a summer outside. To avoid bringing major pestilence into the house with returning house plants, first give the plants a thorough grooming and spray-washing with insecticidal soap and clean the pots with a disinfectant cleaner solution. Then place the plants in a sheltered location such as the cleaned greenhouse, a porch, or an improvised clear plastic tent arranged against a house wall or overturned table. After seven to 10 days repeat the cleaning process and bring the plants into the house.

 

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