Activities to prepare a greenhouse for winter in autumn

Many beginning gardeners think that preparing a greenhouse for winter in the fall is a futile undertaking that wastes a lot of time and effort. But this isn't true. It's during this period, before the frost sets in, that you need to disinfect the soil, possibly replace the soil, repair the greenhouse structure, and wash the roof. All these tasks, carried out in the fall, will save time in the spring and ensure a bountiful harvest in the new season.

The need to prepare for winter

In early spring, young seedlings need greenhouse conditions to protect them from the cold. The greenhouse's design and materials help maintain the optimal temperature and humidity necessary for plant development and growth. However, this greenhouse microclimate is favorable not only for the plants but also for pathogens and weeds.

Bacteria that remain in the greenhouse after the tomato harvest will survive the winter without issue, but will begin causing pest infestations in the spring. This could result in the loss of the future harvest. Structures covered with polycarbonate or glass are comfortable to work in even during cold autumn weather. To prepare the greenhouse for winter after the tomato harvest, you need to take the following steps: which consists of two main areas:

1. Soil cultivation. After harvesting, greenhouse soil is depleted, especially if the same crop has been grown for several years in a row. Therefore, before planting, it is necessary to restore the soil to ensure good growth and fruiting. In the fall, apply fertilizers that require long processing times, such as manure and green manure.
2. Repair and disinfection of the frame and covering. Over time, greenhouse fasteners wear out, and the structure loses its stability. It needs to be inspected and, if necessary, repaired: replace parts, paint. In the spring There may not be time for such an event, and under the influence of precipitation and temperature changes, the condition of the greenhouse will deteriorate.

Characteristics of polycarbonate coating

Polycarbonate greenhouses have gained popularity and are widely used in gardens and summer cottages. Currently, polycarbonate greenhouses are considered the best for growing early crops. They are characterized by the following advantages:

• They retain heat well and let light through.
• The uniqueness of polycarbonate lies in its ability to scatter and repeatedly reflect sunlight in different directions.
• Thanks to the diffused rays, the plants in such greenhouses receive more light than in glass ones, in which the rays are not refracted and do not change their directions.
• The polycarbonate is covered on the outside with a film that protects against harmful ultraviolet rays.
• The material is very durable and can withstand adverse weather conditions and mechanical impacts.

Cleaning the greenhouse and cultivating the soil

To prepare a polycarbonate greenhouse for winter, after tomatoes that haven't been affected by fungal diseases or pests, a scheduled cleaning should be performed. In this case, The following activities need to be carried out:

• remove any remaining vegetation;
• restore depleted soil;
• put the greenhouse structure in order.

The first thing to do after harvesting is to clear the beds of plant debris—tomato tops, remaining fruit, and weeds. All of this should be burned, even if there are no visible signs of disease or pest infestation.

It's the remains of greenery that harbor harmful insect eggs, fungal spores, and various viruses. Some varieties are buried in the ground, only to return to the garden beds the following season, especially after a mild winter.

The top 5-10 cm of soil should be dug over with a pitchfork, and all plant roots should be removed. The same should be done outside the greenhouse, removing any remaining annuals and weeds.

To ensure better combustion, dry the tomato tops, and scatter the remaining ash, which is no worse than wood ash, over the garden bed. It can be used to dust the bushes as a pest repellent.

The next step in preparing a polycarbonate greenhouse for winter is restoring the quality and, therefore, fertility of the soil. To do this, add organic fertilizer to the soil or cover the beds with a layer of green manure. To enrich the soil with organic matter, use a mixture of fresh manure, humus, and compost. Apply 5 to 10 kg of the prepared mixture per square meter.

Legumes, lupine, or mustard are recommended as green manure for growing tomatoes. These are used if the greenhouse is growing an early tomato variety and the beds are cleared of the harvest by mid-August, no later than that, otherwise the crops will not have time to grow for further use. The green manure should develop a green mass. Only then are it cut back to the roots and spread onto the soil to a depth of 10 cm.

After enriching the soil with organic matter or a layer of green manure, water it with fertilizers such as "Siyanie," "Baikal," or "Vostok." These biopreparations, containing effective microorganisms, will create a favorable microflora that will enrich the soil with humus and improve its quality, as well as neutralize bacteria and fungi. Watering with these fertilizers is especially necessary if fresh manure has been added to the soil, as it promotes the development of pathogenic microflora.

Prevention for structures

Before cleaning, the greenhouse should be disassembled, if the structure allows. If it's assembled, it may be subject to poor cleaning. Then, all components of the greenhouse—the frame, covering, and fasteners—should be washed.

Building components made of polycarbonate, plastic, glass, and film are washed with a soapy solution. For preventative disinfection, a strong soap solution (one bar of laundry soap per 10 liters of water) is sufficient.

During processing The characteristics of the material should be taken into account:

• Avoid using a hard brush or burlap on polycarbonate surfaces. Soft cloths or sponges are better.
• The film covering must be removed for the winter, otherwise it will become unusable by spring. Wash, dry, and roll it up and store until spring.
• Wash the metal frame, dry it thoroughly with a piece of cloth and paint it.
• The wooden reinforcement is whitewashed with slaked lime.

Disinfection after diseases and pests

If the greenhouse plantings have been infected with diseases or parasites, to prevent a relapse in the following season, it is necessary to disinfect the fortifications. When choosing processing method greenhouse, you should take into account what material the frame and transparent surfaces of the building are made of.

Unlike wood and PVC, it is recommended to heat-treat aluminum structures with boiling water. This procedure is performed after removing the polycarbonate or film covering.

To disinfect a metal device, you can use a solution made from 9% vinegar and 20 parts water. For best results, add it to boiling water. If the metal parts are varnished, you can use 1% Bordeaux mixture.

PVC pipes are often used as a frame for a greenhouse. efficient processing of such a design a solution of bleach will do:

• Dissolve 400 g of the substance in 10 liters of water;
• leave for 4 hours, stirring occasionally;
• drain the upper part of the settled solution, and treat the frame with the remaining mass.

Plastic structures can be disinfected with a vinegar solution of the same concentration as aluminum. The temperature should not exceed 60 degrees Celsius.

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Wooden fortifications

The best way to disinfect wooden structures is with copper sulfate or Bordeaux mixture. Prepare a solution with a concentration of 8-10% and then coat the wooden surface. To enhance the effect of the solution, pre-treat the surface with bleach. After all procedures, allow the wood to dry and then coat with freshly slaked lime.

Wood dries out over time, and it's simply impossible to treat cracks of varying sizes, especially small ones. In this case, sulfur fumigation can be used, which is especially convenient for permanent greenhouses. You need to do the following:

1. Seal all cracks in the wooden beams.
2. To enhance the effect of the procedure, the inner surfaces of the greenhouse should be moistened with water.
3. When fumigating, wear rubber gloves, and use a gas mask and safety glasses to protect your eyes and respiratory system, as the burning substance releases compounds that are harmful to the human body.
4. For this method, sulfur or sulfur checkers are used in the following proportion: 1 kg of sulfur or 600 g of sulfur checkers per 10 cubic meters.
5. The product must be crushed and mixed with coal.
6. Place metal braziers filled with the mixture in containers with water (for fire safety) and place them throughout the entire area of ​​the greenhouse.
7. Then set the mixture on fire. With the greenhouse doors and vents closed, let the mixture smolder for 5 days.
8. After this, the greenhouse should be thoroughly ventilated. The polycarbonate covering should be washed with a soda solution afterward.

This method can be used to disinfect a greenhouse with a PVC frame, but it is not recommended for metal frames. Combustion of sulfur releases substances that promote metal corrosion. Fumigation is used in structures made of glass, film, and polycarbonate.

All surfaces are disinfected with solutions: glass and polycarbonate surfaces with bleach, polycarbonate panels with potassium permanganate, and film surfaces with a 4% copper sulfate solution. The materials are then allowed to dry and stored.

If signs of plant disease or the presence of harmful insects are detected in the greenhouse, the supports and wooden stakes used to support the tomatoes should be burned. If these were plastic or metal stakes, soak them in a potassium permanganate solution or a solution such as Fitosporin for half an hour. Afterwards, rinse them, dry them, and store them.

Soil decontamination

There are two ways to rid soil of contaminated microflora and pest larvae: disinfection and topsoil replacement. Chemical treatment is not recommended. In a greenhouse, harmful substances are not washed away by precipitation as easily as in open ground. The second method is acceptable, but more labor-intensive.

Treating the soil with chemicals is only possible in the fall. If this is done before planting the seedlings, the roots and then the fruits will become saturated with harmful substances. If the tomato plants have been exposed to diseases, the soil should be sprayed:

• solution of iron (2.5%) or copper (10%) sulfate;
• with Fitosporin-M (at soil temperatures above 10 degrees);
• Bordeaux mixture (10%).

To combat pest larvae, use the following products: Fitoverm, Trichodermin, and a 4% bleach solution (if the infestation is caused by spider mites, the concentration should be 10%). The second method involves removing a layer of soil approximately 15-20 cm thick, along with most of the pest larvae, fungal spores and bacteria, as well as weed roots and seeds. A mixture of rotted manure and compost, peat, and sand is spread over this area. Wood ash and leaves are also useful additives. The soil is then dug over the newly removed layer and then mulched with straw.

By listening to helpful tips from gardeners on preparing a greenhouse for winter, you can learn a lot. For example, don't plant tomatoes in the same bed every year; you should rotate crops.

When doing fall cleaning, it's important to leave the roots in the ground. They harbor pathogenic bacteria that can easily overwinter and attack plants again the following season.

Making depressions in the ground around the greenhouse and filling them with dry leaves or hay, then covering them with soil, will speed up the soil warming process in early spring. The leaves will rot, causing them to warm and increase the temperature of the surrounding soil.