The greenhouse is not only a source of flowers, fresh fruits and vegetables, but also a permanent job at any time of the year. That she faithfully served her master, she must be looked after. So, in the fall, after harvesting, it will be necessary to prepare the polycarbonate greenhouse for winter.
Where to begin?
To begin with, before the frost hit, the greenhouse must be thoroughly washed so that there are no dried up pieces of earth, dirt or dust on the surface. This will prevent the formation of snow deposits, and in winter you do not have to constantly sweep up the accumulated snow. Advice in passing: if the snow still lingers, it is recommended to shake it off by tapping on the inner surface of the greenhouse. Polycarbonate is a very durable material; such handling will not harm it. You should only be careful about the formation of scratches, which can disrupt the coating that protects plants from ultraviolet radiation, so you can never clean the snow with solid objects from the surface of the greenhouse.
Soil cleaning
Further preparation of the polycarbonate greenhouse for winter is to clean the soil. First of all, it should be freed from plant debris and removed the top layer of the earth with a thickness of 5-7 cm, where most harmful insects live. Then you need to dig the soil and fertilize it with peat, manure or humus (per 1 square meter - ½ bucket), add ash, sand and cover with straw.
Disinfection
Preparing a polycarbonate greenhouse for winter will be incomplete if disinfection is not done. The fact is that various pests and pathogens remain overwintering on load-bearing structures, on the inside of the glazing and in various hard-to-reach places, so you literally have to smoke them from there. For this purpose, lump sulfur or sulfur blocks are used, which are burned in a hermetically sealed greenhouse. Wet disinfection is more accessible - plentiful spraying of the inner surface of the walls and the entire soil with a solution of bleach. These procedures should be carried out at the end of September, until the air temperature drops below 12 degrees.
Precautionary measures
In winter, it is imperative to throw snow into polycarbonate greenhouses to protect the soil from freezing. In the spring, when the sun comes out, it will melt and nourish the dry earth with moisture. But if snow inside the greenhouse is good, then outside it can become a real disaster. Heavy snowfall can lead to the fact that the load on greenhouse structures exceeds the permissible norm. Therefore, the preparation of a polycarbonate greenhouse for winter requires precautionary measures. Strengthen it with reliable internal supports installed under each arch at the highest point.
Heating
In greenhouses you can grow crops all year round if you take care of heating. Normal temperature for plant development is important not only in cold periods of the year. Spring heating makes it possible to take several crops during the year, autumn - prolongs the season, and heating the polycarbonate greenhouse in winter ensures the safety of perennial plants. The most common ways to maintain the desired mode are water, gas or electric heating systems. Each of them has its advantages and disadvantages, you need to choose the most practical option, based on specific conditions and capabilities.
So, if you carefully prepare the greenhouse for each season, it will serve incomparably longer and every year will please a good harvest.