Too cold to use blow-away?

[JaniceH]

Hi all
Having just had to pot on all my cosmos (16 pots), have now completely run out of room indoors, what with leeks, French beans, peas, some lupin plugs (half price bargain), a tender raspberry bush in a tiny pot plus a couple of auriculas my mum bought me. I literally have plants sitting on my draining board lol. I don't have a greenhouse so had ordered a four shelf blow away to go on my patio against my garden fence.

Now we've been forecast frost this weekend and some nights next week. Argh!

Should I put them in the grow house at all? The beans especially are very leggy as I think it's too warm inside but I don't want to kill anything especially my show auriculas.
Help 

[mothhawk]

I ran out of room when I potted on my cosmos 2 weeks ago, so they've been outside under a plastic cloche since then, and are perfectly OK. I had to do the same with the morning glory seedlings. I really wasn't sure they would survive the change from heated house to under a cloche on a north facing patch with no sun but they are fine and growing too.

[WendyC]

Leeks, peas, lupine, raspberries and auriculas are all hardy. However they will have soft growth as they have been growing in the warmth. You'll need to hardened them of first by perhaps putting in your blowaway during the day and bringing in at night. French beans will really sulk if they get cold. I don't know where you are but I won't be planting out until the last week of May so haven't sown yet. I guess you'll have another couple of weeks before they can be left out in the blowaway.

[mothhawk]

Auriculas and lupins are hardy perennials and should be OK outdoors, beans and peas will be OK under cover because any frosts we have now will be light in comparison to hard winter frosts.
(I'm assuming you don't live half way up a mountain in Scotland you understand )

edit - beat me to it Wendy. I can't be doing with the "hardening off" fetching in and out business. I stick things out and tell them to survive or die. Mostly they live

[Alison]

beans and peas will be OK under cover because any frosts we have now will be light in comparison to hard winter frosts.

I'd agree for peas but think it's too early for tender crops like French beans. Not sown mine yet.

[JaniceH]

Brilliant thank you, I don't think I should have sown my French beans either :face palm: this is my very first season and just went by the packet for the French beans, which said 14 days to germinate, well they sprouted in three days and were 20cm tall by 14 days oops. I've got plenty left to resow.

They are all out there today and will bring in the more tender things tonight. Thank you for your advice.

[Scarlet]

French beans dos sulk if in the cold BUT I did an early crop in theGH last year. I started mid march and planted out in the GH border. Ive done the same this year, it's a gamble. They get wrapped up at night. They are ok at the moment, though this weekend is really cold fingers crossed. My usual date for sowing all my beans is in mid May - so if you loose them there is plenty of time yet.

[Stan79]

Another alternative for you... Could you put the blowaway up in your house without the cover on and use it as shelving for your plants?

[JaniceH]

Another alternative for you... Could you put the blowaway up in your house without the cover on and use it as shelving for your plants?

Small problem with that idea as have three dogs and they would think all their breakfasts had come at once haha. I've even had to put a barricade around the blow away to prevent nosey noses. Plants are all indoors for the night as I think we are in for a frost.