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An Amateur Gardening report published Nov. 4, 2026, outlines seasonal maintenance for greenhouses and polytunnels, including removing foliage from covers and allowing some ventilation in colder weather. Editor Kim Stoddart also recommends keeping lower areas suitable for overwintering wildlife and says container cleaning can depend on concerns about pests or disease.
Amateur Gardening editor Kim Stoddart has published an autumn tidy-up guide for greenhouse and polytunnel growers, recommending that they remove plant debris from covers, store reusable containers and continue brief periods of ventilation as temperatures fall. The seasonal advice is intended to help maintain light and plant health while protecting growing spaces through winter.
Stoddart says tall-plant foliage, including leaves from grapevines and tomatoes, can stick to plastic coverings and rot. If left in place, it may block light and, over time, erode the plastic. Falling leaves can also cling to the outside. She recommends prioritising the inside of the structure first, using a hose spray and a sponge or soft brush to clear foliage and wipe surfaces.
For the outer cover, Stoddart suggests waiting until most leaves have fallen, since more may accumulate over the coming weeks. Her method for a polytunnel is to tie bedsheets together and pull them back and forth across the cover with another person to reach the top. She also says that prompt repairs and keeping the cover clean can help prolong its useful life. Stoddart reports that one of her own polytunnel covers is at least 16 years old and still working well; this is her personal experience, not a guarantee of cover lifespan.
Container preparation is presented as a matter of judgement. Stoddart says she empties spent compost onto beds or borders, shakes planters and stores them without routinely washing trays or modules. She advises more care if a grower is concerned about a particular pest, disease or eggs. She also describes doubling up split plastic trays and saving yoghurt pots and supermarket trays for planting next year.
Keeping Covers Bright Through Winter
Debris on a greenhouse or polytunnel cover can reduce the light reaching plants during a season when daylight is already limited. Clearing it helps growers maintain the growing environment, while repairing damage may extend the period a cover remains usable. Stoddart’s account of a long-lasting cover illustrates the potential value of maintenance, but does not establish how long other covers will last.
The advice also addresses a winter trade-off: growers may want to retain warmth by keeping doors and windows closed, but still need some air movement. Stoddart recommends opening them briefly a few times during the week to help limit conditions associated with fungal disease. The guide presents this as practical seasonal advice, rather than a measured guarantee of disease prevention.
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Seasonal Jobs in Protected Growing
The report, titled “Growing under cover: Autumn tidy up,” was published by Amateur Gardening on Nov. 4, 2026. It focuses on maintenance for the weeks and months ahead, as the main growing season ends and colder weather approaches. Its recommendations apply to both greenhouses and polytunnels, though the specific cleaning method described for hard-to-reach areas is for a polytunnel cover.
Stoddart’s guidance combines cleaning the growing structure with decisions about what to leave in place. She says she removes debris from the plastic but may retain some foliage or ground cover lower down to provide an overwintering refuge for wildlife such as spiders and ground beetles. The report does not identify a particular location or provide research data; it is an editor’s practical advice based on her gardening experience.
“The more you look after your polytunnel or greenhouse, the more productive it will be for the longer term.”
— Kim Stoddart, Amateur Gardening editor
Limits of the Seasonal Advice
The report does not specify how often a particular cover should be replaced, how to assess damage that needs repair or which cleaning products, if any, are suitable. Stoddart’s 16-year example is based on her own polytunnel and should not be read as a lifespan estimate for all materials or conditions.
It also offers no fixed schedule for ventilation or a quantified estimate of how much brief opening reduces fungal disease risk. The advice is to provide airflow a little each day if possible, with doors or windows opened a few times during the week. Individual growing conditions and concerns about specific pests or diseases may affect how readers apply the guidance.
Tasks for the Coming Weeks
Growers following the guide can start by removing foliage and other debris from inside their structures, then clear the outside once the main leaf fall has passed. They can check covers for damage, decide whether trays need cleaning in light of any known pest or disease concerns, and store reusable containers. As temperatures drop, the report advises balancing closed doors and windows for warmth with brief ventilation periods.
Stoddart also recommends removing yellowed lower leaves and continuing to pick suitable leaves from plants to support further growth and production over winter. The article does not set a follow-up date or describe a formal program; these are recurring seasonal tasks for the weeks ahead.
Key Questions
What should growers clean first?
Stoddart recommends cleaning the inside of the structure first, removing plant foliage and wiping surfaces with a hose spray, sponge or soft brush.
When should the outside cover be cleaned?
She suggests waiting until most leaves have fallen, since leaves may continue to accumulate for several weeks. She describes pulling tied bedsheets across a polytunnel cover with a helper to reach higher areas.
Do plastic trays and modules need washing before storage?
Stoddart says she does not routinely wash hers, but advises growers to consider cleaning if they are concerned about a particular pest, disease or eggs. Her approach is a personal practice, not a universal rule.
Should greenhouse doors and windows stay closed in winter?
The guide advises keeping them closed more often to retain warmth but opening them briefly a few times during the week to allow airflow. Stoddart says this can help avoid a buildup of conditions associated with fungal diseases.
Source: amateurgardening.com
