Lugging trays in at night

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I have several trays with toms, chillis, peppers, cucmbers, courgettes.

During the day they are in the greenhouse, currently I have been lugging them all in at dusk or when the temp has dropped through the floor. Is it still too cold to leave things in the greenhouse at night? What sort of night temp will be too low? I have parrafin heaters and parrafin!

Thanks

[rustylady]

They do best with a night time temperature of 10 degrees.

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Thanks rustlady.

Hmm, our night temp is for the next two nights is supposed to be 6/7 deg c. Not sure if the parrafin heater on 2 wicks will keep it 4 deg higher. Plus the forecast is just a forecast and we are often 2 coats colder here!

I might put the digi min/max out there tonight and test it out with the plants safe indoors. Though hardly the lap of luxury as the kitchen sills rarely stay warmer than 11/12 deg c

[PyreneesPlot]

I'm still lugging in and out too, but we are due 9 tonight to I may just chuck some fleece over. But probably not - too much risk for a bit of work.

[Scarlet]

I'm fleecing my toms tonight and crossings fingers...but my chillies and peppers will stay inside

[bramble]

I still have mine indoors. I think the night time temp might be a bit too low just yet to leave them in the greenhouse.

[Shadylane]

Left our Toms out last night by mishtake, but they were fine. They're out for the duration now except 3 Galinas which will be brought in at night in the hope of getting some earlyish toms. Toms are pretty tough, they survived pretty low temps last year, think they were out from late Feb maybe - bit of an experiment. They sat doing nothing for ages, but soon picked up once the warmer weather kicked in. The chillies will be molly coddled though, what with their tendency to sulk for months if they get even the hint of a chill

[Chef_uk]

All of my tomato and mixed pepper plants are indoors day and night right now along with the sweetcorn and cucumbers. Still too frosty in the mornings here for me with only unheated greenhouses.

[SarzWix]

While they prefer to be kept at 10c or above, they will survive anything above 5c really. A greenhouse will generally provide at least 1c of protection, a layer of fleece another 1-2c. So if you have a paraffin heater on as well, I think your plants would be fine.

If, by any chance, you had 2 thermometers and could compare the temp outside with that inside the g/house and what was forecast, that would help you plan ahead for fleecing/heating based on the forecast.

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Thank you for the replies.

You are making me feel guilty now. All my plants (toms/chillis/peppers/courgettes etc) are back out in the greenhouse and it is < 10 deg c. Perhaps I should go and spark up the heater. It is overcast, raining and windy.

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

I should add;

I got one of these:

http://www.amazon.co.uk/LCD-Digital-...ax+thermometer

It took an age to arrive - so long in fact that I had forgotten I ordered it. Came direct from Hong Kong. Seems pretty accurate. Wish I had purchased 2 now.

Any recommendations for min/max? I previously had the ones they do in Wilko, but they don't like being dropped.... and I dropped both of mine lots.

[rustylady]

I wouldn't heat during the day, specially if it's overcast. Plants need light as well as warmth, and if it's dark and warm they grow leggy.

[daviddevantnhisspiritwife]

Phew lucky I am a bit slow acting eh. Will let em chill

[bikergirl]

Glad i found this thread

I've got toms, cucumbers and peppers currently on the kitchen windowsill. Was going to put them in the greenhouse (unheated) but worried that the night time temps are still too low here in Yorkshire. The last few days seem fine, but the forecast night time temp for the weekend is 0-8 degrees, so I was thinking that it would be too cold for them. What do you think?

I will add that I have an AGA and the kitchen has been at a steady 18-20 degrees (day and night) since I planted the seeds and they are on a bright windowsill.

I've also noticed today that my cucumber plants which are about a foot tall now are flowering - I wasn't expecting it this soon!

So..... when do I dare put them into the greenhouse???

[rustylady]

Bikergirl, you may need to do the in/out shuffle, but do put your plants in the greenhouse at least during the daytime. They need the extra light.