Slightly neglected greenhouse - still ok to use this summer?

kiss_me_now9

Well things have kind of got on top of us this Autumn/Winter and the long and short of it is that our greenhouse still has the tomato plants in it's ground, which are now very mouldy and rotten Very ashamed that it's come to this but normally we'd have a big clear out day at the end of Summer/start of Autumn after the last crops but I fell pregnant in June and didn't have the motivation to do it (or the physical inclination tbh) and it is very much my domain not my husbands. I should have said something to him earlier but never mind. 

My question is do you think it'll still be alright to grow in that soil again? Or should we take as much of it out as possible and lay new soil down? Even though I'm due in March I'm quite keen to have tomatoes going again over summer and if I sit down to plant the seedlings, OH would put them in the ground when baby is here and I can do the maintenance of them fairly easily. 

Also any ideas for other 'easy' greenhouse crops I could do that don't require too much hassle and fuss would be great! I did a few peppers last year which went well but ultimately all needed potting on at least three times which I anticipate may be difficult with a newborn/<6 month old. Pinching out shoots is one thing, lugging soil around is another entirely!

twopenny

Congratulations!

I'll let others who know better to answer more helpfully but I would think you could water it with something to kill the mould spores, bung in some extra compost for/and feed as toms like a good feed.

Someone needs to wipe the frame with something to kill any spores there - Detol wipes would be easiest

But I'm a chancer with gardening as I have to do it all myself. I usually win but you never know.

kiss_me_now9

twopenny said:

Congratulations!

I'll let others who know better to answer more helpfully but I would think you could water it with something to kill the mould spores, bung in some extra compost for/and feed as toms like a good feed.

Someone needs to wipe the frame with something to kill any spores there - Detol wipes would be easiest

But I'm a chancer with gardening as I have to do it all myself. I usually win but you never know.

Thanks! Normally I'd chance it but don't want to make myself sick with a newborn to look after XD

Silvertabby

My greenhouse has a solid base, and I grow my chillies and tomatoes in 10" pots filled with the contents  of tomato grow-bags.  That way, I know the soil is fresh every year.

Would covering your soil with weed blocking membrane and gravel be an option?

Farway

twopenny said:

Congratulations!

I'll let others who know better to answer more helpfully but I would think you could water it with something to kill the mould spores, bung in some extra compost for/and feed as toms like a good feed.

Someone needs to wipe the frame with something to kill any spores there - Detol wipes would be easiest

But I'm a chancer with gardening as I have to do it all myself. I usually win but you never know.

Yep, just what I'd do

The magic stuff is Jeyes Fluid. Careful on dosing though, a glug more "just in case" is not helpful

https://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/jeyes-fluid-to-sterilise-soil.html

kiss_me_now9

Farway said:

twopenny said:

Congratulations!

I'll let others who know better to answer more helpfully but I would think you could water it with something to kill the mould spores, bung in some extra compost for/and feed as toms like a good feed.

Someone needs to wipe the frame with something to kill any spores there - Detol wipes would be easiest

But I'm a chancer with gardening as I have to do it all myself. I usually win but you never know.

Yep, just what I'd do

The magic stuff is Jeyes Fluid. Careful on dosing though, a glug more "just in case" is not helpful

https://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/jeyes-fluid-to-sterilise-soil.html

Fab, thank you! Seems to be conflicting advice on whether it can be used on the soil though? 

https://simplifygardening.com/clean-greenhouse-with-jeyes-fluid/

Silvertabby

Only use Jeyes fluid on the frame and actual glass.  My greenhouse has toughened glass except for the curved eaves, which are acrylic.  Jeyes fluid + acrylic = an expensive mistake.  The panels went cloudy.

Farway

kiss_me_now9 said:

Farway said:

twopenny said:

Congratulations!

I'll let others who know better to answer more helpfully but I would think you could water it with something to kill the mould spores, bung in some extra compost for/and feed as toms like a good feed.

Someone needs to wipe the frame with something to kill any spores there - Detol wipes would be easiest

But I'm a chancer with gardening as I have to do it all myself. I usually win but you never know.

Yep, just what I'd do

The magic stuff is Jeyes Fluid. Careful on dosing though, a glug more "just in case" is not helpful

https://www.no-dig-vegetablegarden.com/jeyes-fluid-to-sterilise-soil.html

Fab, thank you! Seems to be conflicting advice on whether it can be used on the soil though? 

https://simplifygardening.com/clean-greenhouse-with-jeyes-fluid/

Well, not wishing to run foul of any MSE rules here, it is not cleared for use on soils, because it has not been tested on soils as per current legislation

All I can say is that prior to current rules, gardeners have been using it on soils for years.

The same applies to Armillotox, used for years as steriliser & disinfectant, now still sold but not allowed to be marketed as such

https://johnholidaysgarden.weebly.com/armillatox.html

I'll say no more as I don't want to join our Devon friend

LessImpecunious

I don't think anyone (with a new baby or not) would want to use Jeyes Fluid even for cleaning glass and frame after reading this: https://www.bridgebiotechnology.com/jeyes-fluid-5-important-reasons-why-not-to-use-this-product/ (though take with pinch of salt as obviously a site trying to promote other products). Using it on the soil will kill everything in the soil, good as well as "bad". (I think that was Farway's point - but that "No-Dig" NZ website looked like it was being spammed by a supplier of Jeyes Fluid...) Any "mould" still hanging around is unlikely to infect healthy plants growing in a well-ventilated greenhouse - I'd just remove the dead vegetation, wash down glass and frame (water is good (and relatively money-saving) for washing things ) and put some new compost over the top of the old soil...

kiss_me_now9

Thanks all. Lots to think about - I’ve got time to do a little more research into it as well as OH moaned when I asked him to do it, it’s normally my job. Oh well. He’ll have to suck it up for one year!

twopenny

Sheesh, ask him if he'd like to swap jobs.

He carries and delivers the baby and you wipe down the greenhouse

I've been using Jeyes intermittently throughout my life as mother and grandmother for sink cleaning etc

I used it to deter ants from my new place, they'd taken over and the smell puts them off. I love it.

But a selection of ideas that will all work.