1. Deep Clean Your Greenhouse
The first step to winterizing a greenhouse is a deep clean and a declutter. Start by emptying everything out of the greenhouse and then grab the brush and sweep away any debris.
2. Declutter Your Greenhouse
During summer, when gardening is at its most busy – it's likely that your greenhouse has become somewhat of a dumping ground for unused pots, random tools, and even stray plants. Now is the time to get it ship-shaped for next spring.
3. Think About Heating And Lighting
Cold and dark are the main challenges the garden faces over winter, and at the same time, these two factors are the most important to the survival of plants. Therefore, you may find it necessary to supplement the heat and light that your plants receive.
4. Turn Off And Insulate Water Outlets
Turning off and insulating water outlets is good practice whether you have a greenhouse or not – should your outdoor faucet freeze, it can do serious damage to your home's plumbing. Therefore, learning how to protect an outside faucet from freezing is an essential bit of garden knowledge that can save you a lot of time and money in the future.
5. Insulate Your Greenhouse
Some greenhouses have electric heating to keep them at an ambient temperature throughout the colder months, while others rely on insulation. 'If you insulate your greenhouse, the best time to do this is after the clean-up and before any tender plants are brought in for their winter siesta. But make sure the glass is clean before putting up your insulation,' says Linda Lane, managing director of Griffin Glasshouses.
6. Add Plants That Need Protection
Once you've winterized your greenhouse, it is time to add the plants – this is a great way to protect plants from frost. If you're unsure what plants to winterize in your greenhouse then start by looking at your tender perennials. These plants can not survive a frost of any description. Popular tender perennials include begonias, geraniums, and salvias. Learn how to overwinter geraniums and begonias with our expert guides. You can also use your greenhouse to store bulbs and tubers that will not survive a frost – these include dahlias. Discover how to overwinter dahlias in our dedicated guide.