Admit it... did you plant out too early?

[Kittypickle]

No I didn't sow too early but this is the first time DH has been interested in gardening and he started courgettes off weeks ago in pots indoors. Luckily out of 4 pots he forgot to put seeds in two and one didn't germinate so there is only the one.

I've popped it into a bigger pot and it is rapidly resembling a triffid on the kitchen window sill. The tomatoes have just gone out on the deck for a sunbathe and when I put the washing out, to my horror I found the courgette triffid out on the deck as well, apparently he is hardening it off ! It was -1 on my ipod when I woke up this morning despite being down south.

[Herbie]

I need to book a spell on the norty chair! I have put my sweetcorn out as its 2ft high and the roots are coming out of its second pot. Its wrapped in 2 layers of fleece at night but seems to be ok. Last year I didn't get them off to a good start as they didn't go in until the end of June so this year they were sown too early. Keep looking at the seed packet and thinking should I or shouldn't I!
I have shallots, onions, carrots, beetroot, radish, lettuce and peas growing and they all seem to doing well at the moment. Pumpkins and courgettes have been planted into coldframe. Tomatoes in hanging baskets have been hardening off, all other tender stuff is in unheated greenhouse. Our last frost date is mid May.

[GardeningMike]

Planting out early - little advantage

Assuming adequate water supply, temperature is the main factor limiting what can be safely planted out early in the year (February to April) - light intensity & daylength is also a key factor at this time of year affecting growth. There is no significant advantage in providing warm & snug conditions in February to March in a greenhouse if low light and/or short days only result in leggy weak seedlings.

For temperature sensitivity you can divide plants into two main categories, i.e:

1) 'Cool season crops' (chill-tolerant - not damaged by temps in the range 0to 12C): peas, broad beans, lettuce, brassicas, carrots, parsnips, caulis & brocollis, most herbs, fruit bushes, etc. These crops are often described as 'hardy', and will tolerate a light frost (safely down to -2C)

2) 'Warm season crops' (chill-sensitive - are damaged by temperatures in the range 0 to 12C to varying degrees, depending on crop, e.g. melons are very chill-sensitive): french & runner beans, sweet corn (maize), curcubits (cucumbers, courgettes, melons, marrows, pumpkins & other squashes), sunflowers. Chilling damage is more severe in the light than in the dark. These crops are killed outright by any level of frost.

If Zazen wants, I'd be more than happy to write a review article for 'Grow your own Veg' on the topic of chilling injury in veg crops (in time for next spring of course!) and how to effectively protect chill-sensitive crops against low temperature exposure.