How to care for a polycarbonate greenhouse

Polycarbonate greenhouse: preparatory work

In order for the polycarbonate greenhouse to endure the winter well, it is necessary to prepare for it. Autumn care must be carried out after harvest, but before the first frost. To do this, remove all plant residues from the greenhouse, take out fences and paths, and also take out the equipment and system for irrigation. After that, they move on to washing the greenhouse. For this, water with regular soap and a rag are suitable. Moreover, it is necessary to wash the structure not only from the inside, but also from the outside. That is, you will have to spend a lot of time on this.

Various brushes and abrasive materials and substances cannot be used. They will damage the protective layer from the polycarbonate, and this will lead to the fact that its service life will be reduced several times. After that, the greenhouse is dried and proceeded to the following activities.

Greenhouse disinfection

Disinfection of the greenhouse is carried out with a sulfur checker when the air temperature is 15 ° C. Before that, everything must be taken out of the greenhouse, the earth must be dug, but without breaking lumps. The checker is installed inside, set on fire and quickly leaves the greenhouse. The entrance and windows are closed and not opened for at least 3 days.

At the end of disinfection, the greenhouse must be thoroughly ventilated, the soot must be washed off the walls, and the earth must be watered with Baikal EM-1.

Disinfection does not have to be carried out with sulfur checkers. For this, spraying the greenhouse with a solution of copper sulfate (150 g per 10 liters of water) is also suitable.

Once every 3-4 years, the top soil in the greenhouse must be changed, since due to high humidity and low ventilation, the earth is affected by diseases and pests. For this, the soil (up to 10 cm) is removed, and a mixture of compost, peat, ash and sand is poured into this place.

To disinfect the soil, you can use drugs that not only suppress microorganisms, but also heal it (Baktofit, Alirin, Fitosporin, etc.). They are brought in two weeks before the first frost.

Greenhouse winter care

In winter, the greenhouse also needs to be looked after. Wet snow is especially dangerous for her. If it is very abundant, then the roof of the structure may simply collapse under the weight. This also leads to the curvature of the supports, and therefore the entire geometry of the greenhouse. It will not be possible to return it to its previous state.

In order to prevent this, the greenhouse needs to be strengthened. You can use T-shaped wooden supports, the top bar of which is wrapped in fabric. Such supports are placed in the greenhouse so that the roof rests on them. For a greenhouse 4m long, 4 or 6 supports will be enough, and if the structure is larger, then the number of supports should be greater.

Polycarbonate greenhouse: snow removal

Even if the roof of the greenhouse is reinforced, it is necessary to regularly clean the snow from the greenhouse. A broom or long-handled brush is suitable for this. This must be done carefully so as not to damage the polycarbonate.

Snow must also be removed from the walls, otherwise a large amount of it can damage the walls. The cleaned-off snow can be thrown into the greenhouse, then the soil is saturated with a sufficient amount of moisture.