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• Rodent control
• Cleaning glass
• Replace film
• Other use of bumblebees
• Prepare batteries for winter

The colder it gets, the more rodents start looking for a warm shelter. A greenhouse is an example of such a warm shelter. Once rodents have entered a greenhouse they can cause a lot of damage in the crop. Therefore it is important that, as winter approaches, or even during the fall – you keep rodents out of the greenhouse as much as possible. If you are too late and the harm is done, you can apply several products to control the rodents at the enterprise.

Make sure that the glass of the greenhouse has been adequately cleaned. Dirt on the greenhouse roof blocks part of the sunlight. If the glass is cleaned properly, you still make optimal use of the naturally available light during these short days with low light conditions.

If you start new cultivation during the winter, it is advisable to replace AC-film and facade film. These could bear traces of fungi and viruses from previous cultivation, contaminating the new cultivation.

Both the AC-film and the facade film ensure an insulating effect. Small, young plants are thus less bothered by draught and heat exchange. Additionally, AC-film ensures minimal condensation, allowing as much light as possible to reach the plant. Facade film additionally protects the plants against ground frost.

Do you have illuminated cultivation or do you make use of bumblebees to pollinate the crop, then you should take account of a few things to prevent the death of bumblebees. The artificial light used in illuminated cultivation influences the navigation capacity of the bumblebees. Also in case of snow you must take measures.

Several machines and devices, including the pipe rail trolley, will go into the winter storage. It is advisable to well prepare the batteries of these machines for this; this will prove beneficial to the life span of the batteries.

  

In general, storage areas of glass horticulture companies are not heated. During very cold periods the temperature in these locations can drop significantly. Pay attention that the materials you store in these locations are resistant to these low temperatures. Products like chalk and screen equipment, certain types of paint, pesticides and fluid fertilizers are not resistant to frost; as a result the quality will deteriorate or the compound will alter. Check the storage areas and move certain products to frost-free rooms if necessary. Also pay attention that no materials are stored outside if they cannot stand low temperatures.

During your winter check also inspect the pesticides cabinet. Make sure – as mentioned above – that the pesticides cabinet is in a frost-free location. Some agents, like AAterra and Meltatox, may crystalize in case of low temperatures.

Also check the acceptance and the W-number. Are all pesticides still accepted for your cultivation? And do the products have the correct W-number, or is the best before date passed? By checking this you prevent breaching the rules when spraying pesticides.

When it freezes your premises may become very slippery. Dispersing road salt or thaw grains, you ensure that it is not or hardly slippery and, as such, less tripping or even serious accidents. Make sure you have road salt and/or thaw grains in store, so you can use them at once as soon as it starts to freeze.

During frost periods, ice formation may occur in a water tank or basin. An anti-algae tarp delays the freezing of the water in the water tank or the basin. For that reason, for the winter period, we recommend pulling an anti-algae tarp over the  water tank or the basin and cover it.

At most of the horticulture companies, the winter is a relatively quiet period. During winter machines are more likely to stand still than during other periods of the year, which makes it an excellent opportunity to have periodic maintenance and inspections of, for example, spraying equipment, electrical installations and silos carried out.

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