Polycarbonate greenhouse is a solid structure that can serve the summer resident to grow heat-loving crops for more than one season.
But, in order to keep it in working condition and successfully grow vegetables in it, the greenhouse needs care at different times of the year.
In this article we will tell you how to prepare a greenhouse in the fall for a successful wintering, and also talk about what needs to be done in the spring, before the start of the season.
Preparing greenhouses for winter
So, what begins with the care of a polycarbonate greenhouse. Since country houses of this type most often do not understand the winter, for their preservation in the winter period it is necessary to carry out preparatory measures. In the greenhouse you need to carry out general cleaning at the end of the summer season..
Sometimes polycarbonate sheets are removed for the winter. But this is done most often by those summer residents who do not appear on the site in the winter season. They do not have the opportunity to free the building from the snow, and besides, they are afraid that the sheets of polycarbonate will be stolen.
Preparation begins with a thorough cleaning of all plant residues.. If various objects were used inside: barrels, shelves, racks - they should be taken out without fail.
The next step is to work with the soil. In its upper layer all pathogenic microbes and insect pest larvae are well preserved. Therefore, it is advisable to remove the top layer of soil with a height of 5-7 centimeters to destroy all contagion. If the soil layer can not be removed, it should be treated with a disinfecting solution.
The walls and supports of the greenhouse outside and inside are thoroughly washed with soapy water.. Wash the walls of polycarbonate with any chemical means is not worth it, because it is not known how they affect the properties of the material.
They can break the surface, which further leads to the destruction of the material. For washing it is used exclusively soft rags or a sponge without an abrasive covering. The joints and seams should be especially thoroughly washed, because bacteria and debris get clogged in them, and insects can lay eggs.
IMPORTANT. Do not use harsh materials, as they may scratch the coating and impair its translucency.
If some dirt is not removed immediately, do not scrape it, but just moisten it and wait a while. After that, they are easily washed off the surface. To destroy the spores of fungal diseases, the walls are sprayed with a solution of copper sulfate using a sprayer.
After washing and treatment with a disinfecting solution, the greenhouse is left open so that all structures are well dried..
Ways to strengthen the structure
Some, especially reinforced polycarbonate greenhouse structures, do not require any reinforcement for the winter. But there are also frames that, without additional reinforcement, can collapse under the weight of snow in winter.
To avoid such a development, it is necessary to impart additional strength to the structure. This is done by installing the supports under the frame. Wooden or metal supports are installed under the supporting structures.which will undergo the greatest load.
The upper end of the bars or metal fittings set directly under the frame elements. The lower ends are placed on the base of bricks or boards. You can not just stick them into the ground, because the soil after freezing will settle and the support will fail.
Doors and windows of the greenhouse in winter
And now let's try to figure out a greenhouse made of polycarbonate in the winter or not, and what is the care of the greenhouse in winter.
It is advisable to remove all the opening elements of the greenhouse for the winter.so that their moving parts remain in working condition. This is especially true for piston mechanisms, which, when combined with frosts and thaws, are particularly hard hit. Therefore, it is recommended to store them in a dry, warm room.
If the vents are built into the design and cannot be removed, it is worth strengthening and fixing them properly. Otherwise, they may suffer from strong gusts of wind.
If the doors and vents cannot be removed or it is too burdensome for you, it is better to leave it open. Just be sure to lock the door so that it does not beat wind gusts.
Open or removed doors contribute to further disinfection of the room. During the winter, all pests and diseases not killed during the autumn disinfection will die from frost and will not harm the new season.
To open a greenhouse for the winter is also for the purpose of preservation of polycarbonate. In the closed state, condensate accumulates inside the polycarbonate honeycomb and this may disrupt its translucency.
A photo
Look at the photo: processing of polycarbonate greenhouses in spring, how to prepare a greenhouse for the new season, disinfection of polycarbonate greenhouses
Snow inside and out
Snow cover can be a real enemy of the greenhouse. Of course, the smoothness of the coating and the structural features of the arched greenhouse can contribute to the rolling of excess snow. But sometimes during intensive snowfall, the thickness of the snow on the roof can threaten its integrity.
That is why it is necessary to remove snow from the greenhouse. This should be done with the utmost care. Do not use shovels or other metal objects for cleaning..
Frozen polycarbonate is easy to damage with a careless blow. It is better to use a broom tied to a long stick. You can dump the snow by tapping lightly on the frame from inside the greenhouse.
In addition to removing snow from the roof, it is also necessary to throw it away from the walls at a distance of about a meter. Large drifts will crush the walls and the frame may be deformed.
IMPORTANT. Do not scrape the walls with ice, this will certainly lead to damage to the coating.
To moisten the soil inside the greenhouse, you need to throw some snow into it in winter.. You do not need to pour in huge drifts - they will melt for too long in the spring, and the planting deadlines will be postponed.
Do not throw snow inside the greenhouse, if groundwater is located on your site close to the surface. In this case, a marsh is formed inside the spring, and the greenhouse will not be suitable for use for a long time.
Now you have an idea of how polycarbonate greenhouses overwinter, and also how to strengthen, how to maintain in winter, how to maintain facilities of this type.
Preparing the greenhouse for use in the spring
Many gardeners are very interested in how to disinfect a polycarbonate greenhouse in the spring. First of all, before using it, you need to wash it well outside and inside again. If this is not done, the transparency of the walls will decrease, and the plants will suffer from a lack of sunlight.
After a shower, inspect the frame carefully for rust. All places touched by corrosion need to be cleaned and painted. If this is not done, then the framework will gradually become worthless.
The sulfur checker for polycarbonate greenhouses is what needs to be used in the spring. Experienced gardeners are confident that this technique will finally get rid of all the diseases and pests that survived after autumn treatment.
ATTENTION. It is impossible to use the usual sulfuric checker intended for processing cellars in a polycarbonate greenhouse. The coating will suffer from such treatment - dim and stop transmitting light.
There is only one type of checker that can be used for polycarbonate.. Checker "Vist", with the active substance tibendazole. For every 20 square meters of space will require one piece. It is set on fire with the doors closed and the vents. After processing, the greenhouse must be ventilated for at least two days.
Compliance with all recommendations for the care of the greenhouse will allow you to maximize the period of its use and avoid additional costs for the repair or purchase of a new facility for growing heat-loving crops.
