Deterring Disease in the Greenhouse

One of the worst things that can happen to the greenhouse enthusiast is an outbreak of disease. Because a greenhouse is a largely enclosed ecosystem with air and moisture continually circulating, disease can spread very fast within it. A brown leaf one day can become a few dead plants the next. What can you do to minimize the chance of losing your plants this way?



The key to looking after any vulnerable ecosystem is to fuss over it. Caring for your greenhouse properly should involve visiting it at least once a day and getting a trusted family member or neighbour to care for it when you're away. Give your plants regular close examinations, and be prepared to be ruthless. If a plant is showing signs of infection, don't simply clip off the damaged parts as you might in your garden - remove the whole plant. If you're anxious to save it, transfer it to your house, but don't keep it in the greenhouse where it can out your other plants at risk.



Many plant infections travel via the soil, so it's also important to be aware of the risk to plants which share the same soil as an infected plant. This can be true even if they're in separate containers if the soil they're using has recently been purchased from the same place or if there's a risk that you could have transferred soil between the container, your hands, gloves or gardening tools. Soil from plants which have been lost to disease should never be re-used; even years later some kinds of disease organisms can persist in the soil.



It's impossible to avoid all risk of carrying infection into our greenhouse, but you can reduce the risks by always wiping your feet before you enter, washing your hands before handling delicate plants, and never using untreated soil taken from your garden. Be ready to treat your plants as soon as infection appears by making sure you have a supply of appropriate fugicide and insect spray. Don't put yourself in a position where you have to wait until you can get to a garden center….by then it may be too late for your plants.



Holding off disease can be one of the most difficult aspects of caring for your greenhouse, and every gardener gets unlucky sometimes, but with patience and perseverance you can reduce it to a rare occurrence.



About the Author:
Michelle Torres has nearly 20 years experience using and designing greenhouses and is an avid gardener. You can find additional useful greenhouse information at http://www.greenhousecatalog.com



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