Topic: Disinfecting the Greenhouse -alternatives to sulphur candles.

[George the Pigman]

Every year about now I clear all the stuff out of my greenhouse, sweep it out and give the glass a good clean inside and out. As the final act I put the staging back (without any plants!) and light a sulphur candle to wipe out any fungi or insect eggs that may be hanging around in the nooks and crannies.
But now its getting very difficult to source sulphur candles as they are now banned for use on plants as a pesticide although interestingly they still can be used as a greenhouse cleaner which is what I use them for. However companies that make them have decided not to bother with re-registering them due to the extra cost and have ceased manufacture
The alternatives seem to be all permethrin based which would kill all crawling/flying insects in the greenhouse but not eggs or fungi - at least as far as I know. Since there isn't much flying or crawling around in it in February/early March it would seem to be a bit pointless.
Has anyone got any ideas on the matter. I don't want to have to wash down all the framework (its a wooden greenhouse)with disinfectant and even then I wouldn't be able to get into the cracks.

[Tee Gee]

Snap!!  I know your problem.

In the past I have filled a pump spray with either Bleach / Armillatox / or Jeyes fluid and spray the greenhouse inside and out and leave it a few days until the smell disappears and it seems to clear everything away ( At least I never see anything afterwards but that's not to say I have killed everything.)

I like armillatox best of all as it also works as a fungicide and it softens any green algae that is stuck to the glass, then when I go back a few days layer the algae brushes of quite easily with my hose end brush.

I might have to use Jeyes fluid this year as I can't get any Armillatox (well at least  I can't get it from my usual wholesaler)

I hope that gives you food for thought!

[tricia]

I use Jeyes Fluid too. Works for me.

Tricia

[ancellsfarmer]

Jeyes was sold by me for this purpose as far back as 1968. The label has changed several times but the product has not. You may believe that the "risk" to you has changed but where is the evidence? Personally would not wash my crockery and cutlery in it but that was preferred to the alternative in wartime India, my 93yr old father is sometimes moved to assert.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jeyes_Fluid
http://www.jeyes.com/en-gb/our-products/jeyes-fluid/

[bluecar]

Snap!!  I know your problem.

In the past I have filled a pump spray with either Bleach / Armillatox / or Jeyes fluid and spray the greenhouse inside and out and leave it a few days until the smell disappears and it seems to clear everything away ( At least I never see anything afterwards but that's not to say I have killed everything.)

I like armillatox best of all as it also works as a fungicide and it softens any green algae that is stuck to the glass, then when I go back a few days layer the algae brushes of quite easily with my hose end brush.

I might have to use Jeyes fluid this year as I can't get any Armillatox (well at least  I can't get it from my usual wholesaler)

I hope that gives you food for thought!

I'm still fortunate to have some Armatillox left. What dilution rate do you use with your spray Tee Gee? What a simple method - I wish I had thought about doing it this way years ago!

Bluecar

[Tee Gee]

What dilution rate do you use with your spray Tee Gee? What a simple method - I wish I had thought about doing it this way years ago!

I used a full bottle measure to 2 galls of water

[bluecar]

Thanks Tee Gee

[daveyboi]

If you want a sulphur candle look for Battles Sulphur Candle which is quite widely available it appears

[Duke Ellington]

Every year I spray a product called Algon on the glass and in a few days the green algae disappears. Next comes the hand wash with soapy water. We then jet wash the green house inside and out. It's interesting during jet washing seeing all the spiders that are dislodged. Unfortunately I can't bear the smell of jeyes fluid so cannot use it. I then use a sulpher candle. I do have another type of candle that smells very strongly of garlic. This garlic one you can use with plants insitu. But it stinks !! You have to light it and run.
I like sometimes use citrox disinfectant.

[woodypecks]

I certainly cant do this at the moment , since although Cornwall is not as cold as other parts of the country ,it is still too cold to take out all my plants and stand them outside while I clean it .
  This has to wait until later on and then I will only use washing up liquid and water .Although I have used a sulphur candle in the past , since having had cancer , I,m now very wary of this and slug pellets , chemicals and garden potions in general really .

[galina]

Woodypecks,  yep that's me too.  I once used a sulphur candle about 25 years ago when I thought you had to disinfect greenhouses.  I truly believe, you don't have to and neither do I disinfect the garden.

But dirty panes do block light, so cleaning the windows is quite important.  For me it is also a drop of Ecover washing up liquid and that's it.  No chemicals either,  most of the time I am growing things year round anyway and don't want chemicals and after many years of not disinfecting my greenhouses, the growth hasn't stopped, there have been no horrors and I get hardly any blight (just a bit at the end of the season in November or December, together with grey mold.)  I might have been lucky and due to get my comeuppance any day, but I am not convinced that amateurs need to go to great lengths with disinfectants.  Maybe in very mild areas where spider mites etc survive over winter it is necessary. 

[wargarden2017]

1 part  bleach to 10 parts water works well in a hand sprayer.

[lottie lou]

Ooooh I am so pleased that I'm not the only one that doesn't disinfect their greenhouse.  My original one was polycarbonate and I didn.t trust the seals, especially as it backs onto the front door of my neighbour at the back of my garden.  Didn't want to upset them with strong fumes.