[hubballi]

I have had my polycarbonate lean-to greenhouse for exactly 1 year. It has had a clean outside with some soapy water as best I can. Inside is bubblewrap so at the moment it can't be cleaned. Overall it's not too bad except for odd bit's of green algae in areas hard to clean. Some slugs have also got inside the hollow lines in the glass (I know, unbelievable isn't it) and died, creating a black residue. Pots over winter with plants that have died off creating mold are being removed. There is also some surviving whitefly although I have kept them at bay with garlic spray.

I know there are a few ladybirds and spiders taking refuge which I don't want to harm so I have been reluctant to use anything harmful to them. The pots have all been washed by hand in soapy water and stored in the greenhouse.

Is there anything more I can do to clean this space, preferably organically to ensure nothig nasty is lurking ?

Thanks.

[savbo]

I've shared the same dilemma, but in the end resorted to jetwashing (I know, it was risky but I got away with it) or at the plot using a hose on full blast. I figured it would shift the crud and maybe some of our wee friends would survive. Then a spray in the corners with some cleaner.

I built some bughouses to salve my consience

 

sav

[JayG]

I intend to give mine a blast with the garden hose on "jet" setting to flush out the hard-to reach bits of muck, spider webs and creepy-crawlies (I'm sure any spiders or ladybirds won't love me for it but they'll no doubt survive.)

I shall follow that with washing the windows and staging with diluted Jeyes fluid (you may want to pass on that one) and then a final hose rinse on "spray" setting.

No idea whether this is the usual way of going about it but it sounds like good fun to me! 

[hubballi]

What about the bubble wrap ? Shall I take this down for summer or have it as a diffuser ? Mind you, the temp will be higher and I had problems with high temp last season.

[savbo]

Definitely take down the bubblewrap...it should be part of the spring ritual along with the clean down, on the first day it's warm enough to leave your pots outside while you clean...if you were a good boy and cleaned it at the end of the season this shouldn't be a huge task.... I wasn't a good boy and so have a really thorough clean to do, but there's nothing in the big g'house so I can really blitz it before putting up the frames for the toms (guess who watched Monty from last May on i-player...)

sav

[hubballi]

I have soaked the pots in tubs with Jeyes fluid as well as washed the inside with the squirty jeyes fluid and soapy warm water. The garden center I work at from time to time soak their pots in a bath of jeyes but only for a minute or so. Really, half an hour should be the correct time.