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A busy summer of planting, pruning, potting and picking can leave any greenhouse in a bit of a mess. Buildups of rubbish, misplaced tools and watering cans, and plants sitting everywhere. This daily scene is a familiar sight for many dedicated gardeners.
If this is a problem you’ve found yourself trying to fix, there’s no need to get worried. We’ve come up with some great tips to help you clean and organise your garden haven.
It’s best to do them in the order you’ll read below. This guide is designed to get your greenhouse looking back to its best comfortably.
Ready? Let’s get started!
1. Full cleanout
The most important stage of any organisation is a big cleanout. This will help clear out the space, let you see what can be moved, and show you how much room you have to work in.
Rubbish and waste often obscure and block off places you could otherwise use. To start organising your garden greenhouse, you need to have a blank canvas. A full greenhouse clean is the best way to do this.
Start by finding all the rubbish you can and accumulating it in bin bags. The key is only to keep what you need. If you find something unimportant that you’re not sure you will need, it’s best to get rid of it.
Focus on making as much room as you possibly can. If you leave too much lying around, the greenhouse won’t be clean enough to organise properly. Don’t save anything just for the sake of it. Dead leaves and plants, empty seed or fertiliser packets, unused watering cans or broken tools – to name a few.
You’ll already start to feel better about your greenhouse once your full cleaning is complete. Studies show that cleaning out a place you know can help improve your focus. Doing this step can help you feel refreshed and happier about your growing space!
2. Pay attention to walkways and rows
The first part of organising your greenhouse isn’t deciding where all your tools and plants will go. Instead, where they won’t.
Don’t underestimate the importance of a well-organised greenhouse layout. Start by creating clear walkways within the structure. These pathways will serve as the central hub for all your gardening activities. You’ll use them to reach your plants, access garden tools, work at your potting bench, and more.
One wide, central walkway that runs from the door is usually preferred. But, if you have the space, you could always opt for two walkways divided by a bench in the middle. This second option gives you an extra bit of storage or planting space. If you opt for this, you could even create a gap in the central bench to connect the two walkways.
3. Organise non-walkway spaces
Next, focus on organising areas, say in your wooden greenhouse, for one, that aren’t walkways. With a variety of equipment, it’s common for things to become misplaced or lost. To prevent tools and plants from disappearing, assign specific places for them.
The best way to solve this kind of problem is to do something called “zoning”. The practice of zoning is to organise your space into different zones. Each has a different purpose, either for storing the same kind of objects or doing a certain activity.
You could have one zone along the side of your greenhouse, where sunlight is best, for storing plants. And another one where you store all your potting supplies or another with spare pots or bags of compost.
Zoning is a great way to efficiently and effectively organise your greenhouse. It divides it up so you can easily take things from a zone and know where to replace them.
If you want to go even further, organise the location of your zones to complement each other. For example, store your seeds next to your empty pots or seed trays. This way, when you want to use them together, you won’t have to dance from one end of your greenhouse to the other!
4. Implement a labelling system
This technique, as simple as it may seem, is a game-changer! It helps you quickly identify and locate plants, pots, tools, and various equipment.
Labels provide clear information about the contents of each container or pots. It makes it simple to distinguish between different plant varieties and equipment. This prevents mix-ups and saves time.
Knowing the specific care requirements of each plant is vital in gardening. By labelling, you can include essential care instructions. For instance, watering frequency, sunlight preferences, and fertilisation needs.
To establish an effective labelling system, follow the tips below. This time, let’s go for a metal greenhouse:
- Use waterproof and fade-resistant labels to withstand the structure’s conditions.
- Label both the plant and its pot or container for easy matching.
- Consider color-coding labels for quick visual cues.
- Update labels as needed, especially when repotting or changing plant locations.
By implementing a labelling system, you’ll enhance the functionality of your greenhouse. Caring for your plants and maintaining a well-organised space will be a breeze.
5. Regular maintenance routine
Did you know that a weekly or monthly maintenance schedule can keep a greenhouse in order? First, it helps identify issues early, such as pests, diseases, or equipment malfunctions. This prevents them from becoming major problems down the line.
A well-maintained greenhouse, the same goes for potting sheds, operates smoothly. It allows you to focus on gardening tasks instead of constant troubleshooting.
To set a maintenance schedule, consider the following:
- Create a calendar: Plan specific tasks for each week or month. For instance, 1.) Weekly: Check for pests, water plants, and sanitise work surfaces. 2.) Monthly: Clean windows, inspect and repair equipment, and reorganise.
- Record keeping: Maintain a journal to track changes, issues, and solutions. This will help you make informed decisions for your greenhouse.
- Team effort: Involve family members or friends to share the workload and knowledge.
- Emergency plan: Develop a plan for sudden problems, e.g., a pest outbreak, to address them swiftly.
A well-structured maintenance schedule serves a dual purpose. It ensures a tidy and efficient greenhouse. Plus, it improves the overall health and yield of your plants!
Storage Solutions
Take your organisation up a notch by using as much storage as you can. Items lying around can quickly lead to mess and disorganisation. Stop that from happening by using some handy storage solutions!
A robust box can be perfect for storing your tools, but so can shelving or even an old plant pot! Storage is important, but you can also be creative about what you use and how you store things.
Let’s run through a few ideas and solutions that you can use to tidy up your greenhouse:
Box and containers
The backbone of any storage effort, boxes are versatile, reliable, and easy to store things in. Clear plastic containers are the most common, and most come with lids. But they can also get dirty and stained easily. This is especially the case in a greenhouse where soil and water could be flying around.
If you want something that looks more like home in your planting haven, a wooden box or crate could be what you need. The material will look right at home next to your seed trays and plant pots. What’s more, there’s no need to worry about any mess – a bit of dirt can look good on it!
Plant pots
Plant pots will already be abundant in your plastic greenhouse, so why not make use of them? Ceramic pots come in a huge variety of sizes and look completely natural there. They don’t just have to be used for plant storage.
Their size is also perfect for many of the smaller things you might want to keep in there. Use a large one for all your tools, or throw all your plant food or seed packets into a small pot. Just remember not to store any liquids or soil in there, or they’ll seep through the hole in the base!
If you use plant pots for storage and then realise that you don’t have any for your plants, then don’t panic. We’ve got a handy guide for plant pot alternatives.
Shelving
Storage space doesn’t just have to be on the floor or on one of your benches – it can be up high, too! Shelving is a great way to make use of the vertical space that usually wouldn’t be used for anything.
By moving your supplies and storage up high, you’ll be reducing clutter down around your feet. At the same time, putting tools and pots at an easy-to-reach height.
Metal shelves that are not fixed against the wall are your best bet, especially in a steel model. You may be able to buy specific greenhouse shelving. But, if the support beams are wide and strong enough to support nails, go for conventional shelving.
Shed storage
There is a chance that you simply have too much stuff to keep in your greenhouse. If this is the case, then don’t try to pack it all in. Doing this will just make your greenhouse even more disorganised. Instead, opt for some external storage.
From large waterproof trunks to small sentry ones, there’s a range of garden storage shed options. Place it nearby in your garden, and put items that you don’t use that often inside. Our Sentry shed sets a great example. It can keep everything you need without clogging up your well-organised greenhouse.
All Tidied Up
If you’ve followed these tips and steps, you should be looking at a greenhouse that is clean and easy to walk through. And most importantly – organised.
It’s no easy feat to reorganise an entire garden building, and you will have to devote time to getting it right. But when it’s done, you’ll find it an easier, safer, and happier place to grow and plant in. Once your greenhouse is up in shape, you won’t be able to leave!
Explore Garden Buildings Direct for a great selection of greenhouses for sale UK. Or you might want to consider getting a small potting shed instead.
What’s next on your reading list: Why A Potting Shed Could Be Perfect For You
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