IT IS important to keep your greenhouse clean and tidy during the winter months, so that it is easy and pleasant to work in when spring eventually rolls around again.

Some people say the downside of a glasshouse is that you don't have anywhere to hide things away.

This means you should avoid any clutter so there's less chance of you stumbling over things or damaging your plants.

To keep on top of things it is best if you brush up or hose down any spillages of compost as soon as possible.

In the winter, when there isn't much growing in the glasshouse, you should give it a proper clear out and clean.

Using a disinfectant is an excellent way of getting rid of the hidden dirt that may have been missed throughout the year.

As well as removing rubbish and tidying up, it is as important to remove all the weeds that are growing in and around the glasshouse.

This keeps the area tidy and gives the plants you actually want a better chance of surviving.

Weeds can quickly take over the area as the heat and moisture levels give them the perfect growing conditions.

Hand weeding is probably the best way to rid the area of them as you can get as much as, if not all, their roots and collect any seed heads that may have set.

If you attack the weeds with a hoe you may just scatter the seeds and simply make a clean cut ready for new growth to appear.

It is not good to use weed killer inside a glasshouse as it is a confined space therefor there is a higher chance of crops being hit too.

If you keep up the housekeeping rules with regards to excess dirt, rubbish and weeds, you will help to lessen the chance of pests and diseases.

The warm, humid conditions are ideal for pests such as whitefly and greenfly, which can destroy crops quickly, so you should try to rid the area of them as soon as you notice them.

There are insecticides available specifically for indoor plants. If you use them it is important to follow the manufacturer's recommendations for applying.

However, if you don't want to use chemicals you could use soapy water which, when sprayed on the plants makes them too slippery for the pests to cling on.

See you next year.