Indoors Outdoors

[Iamhanuman]

When instructions say Sow Outdoors I get it

BUT when they say Sow Indoors, and give no further direction temperature-wise, am I safe to assume that my little greenhouse (unheated) would be too cold right now?

Do I need to make space on my window-sills for hundreds of seedlings and plug plants?

[Eyren]

It really depends on the plant. Some packets helpfully give germination temperatures, but a lot are pretty useless!

There are basically two groups of veg: the really frost-tender ones and the hardier sort. The frost-tender ones need warm temperatures to germinate (typically above 15C and often above 20C) and cannot go out into the garden until the last frosts are past; the hardier ones will germinate at around 5-10C and so can optionally be started off "indoors" when it's still very cold outside, to get an earlier crop.

* Frost-tender - tomatoes, runner beans, French beans, squash, sweetcorn, peppers, chillies, aubergines, cucumbers, basil
* Hardy - onions, garlic, lettuce, cabbage family (including broccoli, kale, cauli), carrots, peas, broad beans

Basically if it's "Mediterranean" or otherwise exotic, it needs warmth, whereas if it's a traditional British veg it prefers cool conditions - easy really!

So, yes you will need to start your tomatoes and similar off on windowsills, but your leafy veg will actually be happier in the unheated greenhouse.

[Oleander]

That is possibly the most useful posting I have read, so thanks to Iamhanuman for asking a question that had been puzzling me too, and to Eyren for the answer!

I've got lots more sowing to do now!

[Eyren]

Thanks, Oleander *blushes* I guess there's been some benefit to all my obsessive poring over reference books and note-taking!

TBH I hadn't even though about the frost-tender vs hardy thing until I started writing it down, then it all became blindingly obvious. There are a few exceptions, of course - when I started out with my lottie a couple of years ago, I didn't realise traditional British runner beans were a tender plant! - but it's a good place to start.

[Iamhanuman]

guit happy to have been of assistance!!!

[FionaH]

That is possibly the most useful posting I have read, so thanks to Iamhanuman for asking a question that had been puzzling me too, and to Eyren for the answer!

I've got lots more sowing to do now!

Couldnt agree more! Off to sow some kale in the very chilly greenhouse now

[BrideXIII]

my mum asked me this same question this week, and to be honest, i came the the conclusion that if the packet says sow indoors, they do not mean in a nice warm centrally heated house.
they mean, in propogators or greenhouses, unheated or it would say otherwise.

so if a packet says sow indoors in march, then an unheated greenhouse will be fine, and a lidded propogator even better

windowsills are used because not everyone has a greenhouse, and they have the most light coming in, not ( only) because its warmer indooors.

if you have a greenhouse even an unheated mini get those seedlings in especially those early salads, radishes and spring onions.
save your windowsills for the tenders like toms.

[SarzWix]

Just to stick my two penn'orth in..
In Surrey, Essex, Cambridge and Jersey, you will probably get hardy veg to germinate in an unheated greenhouse.
Up here in the frozen North, it's probably easier to at least germinate them in an unheated room/porch/conservatory, then move them outside later. It's still bally cold up here!
This is a really useful post by the lovely Two_Sheds, about the minimum temperature required to germinate certain veg. It's very useful indeed I'd also recommend getting yourself a max/min thermometer so you can see just how cold it gets in you g/house overnight.
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...res_15025.html

[spennysaint]

I was wondering the same thing, having read the thread i'm off outside to build my mini greenhouse so i can sow some more seeds!!

Claire