Gardeners like you often choose greenhouse gardening paths because plants can enjoy optimal growth in greenhouse conditions. However, its warmth and moderate humidity also make greenhouses perfect dens for most pests. Greenhouses can act as protective barriers but pests can always sneak through tiny crevices. In this article on greenhouse gardening pest control and You can buy tools and materials for gardening at growshopweb.com, I will provide 5 tips that will help eradicate pests from your greenhouse.
Greenhouse Cleaning Routine
Just like any other room in your house, you need to have a cleaning routine for your greenhouse. During the summer, you can remove all the plants and gardening tools from the greenhouse so that cleaning activities can be carried out. Scrub the walls and floors with hot water and a detergent solution. Pay special attention to corners and cracks as this is where pests are likely to spawn.
Freeze Your Greenhouse
If the environment in your greenhouse is always warm and pleasant, the pests will love it. It is recommended that you freeze your greenhouse during the winter, as cold temperatures are the best way to kill or eradicate most pests. Before you do this, make sure you have alternative storage places for your plants. This can be your shed, mini indoor garden or you can freeze it in a greenhouse. This is because the pests may hide themselves and their eggs in the plant.
If you have selected a greenhouse plant that can grow without the optimal growing conditions provided by the greenhouse, it must be able to freeze in the greenhouse. Even so, you should pay special attention to their growth.
Sterilizing Garden Tools and Soil
Before moving any new garden tools or gardening material into your greenhouses, make sure you have properly sterilized it. Instead of using regular garden soil, you should choose a sterilized potting mix that is often pest-free. As for your garden tools, use bleach with a detergent solution. You have to be very strict about this. Oftentimes, you only blame yourself if your greenhouse is hit by pests because you are the one who shows you where heaven is.
Always Beware of Pests
To prevent total pest infestation, you need to monitor your plants closely. Destroy any eggs, larvae, or insects that you suspect are harmful to your greenhouse garden. You may want to consider caring for specific plants separately. This is to prevent pests from easily transferring to other plants while treatment is being carried out. Don’t be lazy because once a pest infestation occurs it will take you a long time to get rid of the entire colony as the environment in the greenhouse provides a great breeding ground for these notorious creatures.
Introducing Biological Pest Management
Consider spreading beneficial insects in your greenhouse. These predatory insects will eat any existing pests in your greenhouse in no time. Some of the beneficial insects you can consider are ladybugs and praying mantises. You can get them from your local nursery or even order them online. This method is not only organic but will also save you a lot of time and effort trying to catch harmful pests while doing your greenhouse work.
