Shading the greenhouse is the most important task that you will need to do right now since the weather has been really hot this week. With current temperatures reaching 33 degree celcius outside it gets even hotter in the greenhouse hence the need to shade it. In fact last night I recorded 40 degree celcius (104 degree Fahrenheit) even though the door and the window were open all day.

In my greenhouse I grow tomato plants, basil, sweet peppers, chili peppers and cucumbers, and despite the fact that these plants appreciate the heat, if it gets too hot they may start shrivelling and the soil is also likely to dehydrate too quickly.

You have a few options when it comes to shading your greenhouse. Personally I use a white shading powder which is cheap and available through any garden centre.

You just need to dilute the powder with some water according to the instructions on the packet and apply this liquid with a wide brush externally on the glass panels of your greenhouse.

I usually focus on shading the top glass panels of my greenhouse since they are most exposed to the sun. It is best not to do this job if rain is forecast since it may wash away the product.

This job only takes 15 minutes so it’s really worthwhile. Alternatively you can buy some greenhouse shading kits and I guess that the advantage of this is that you won’t need to clean your glass panels when you need to allow for more light into your greenhouse again.

It’s all looking good in the greenhouse right now so a little extra care will go a long way.