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Keepplantscoolintheheat

THE longest day will soon be here and if the hot weather continues, some of your plants will suffer heat stress. Daytime greenhouse or conservatory temperatures can exceed 40c surprisingly rapidly, even with vents or windows open.

With a greenhouse, the easiest way to cool plants is with a ‘ paint- on’ shading material. These resemble whitewash for glass, but can be wiped away in the autumn when the risk of overheating has passed.

Paint the material on to dry glass. You may need a long handled brush to reach the roof apex. Do take care if you use a step- ladder; falling through a greenhouse roof could be disastrous.

The best products are rainproof and easy to paint on. They are also easy to wipe off again and that’s important.

In autumn, you’ll need to increase light levels in your greenhouse, especially if you’re still harvesting tomatoes and other crops.

You can also use shadeforming netting material (pictured), which is best if fixed internally. With small numbers of vulnerable seedlings or young plants, you can even use horticultural fleece as a temporary shelter.

Another sensible measure is simply to move heat-sensitive plants outside; place them somewhere shaded.

Escape: UK Break

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2021-06-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

2021-06-12T07:00:00.0000000Z

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