What temperature to plant out delicate veg

[CubanBenny]

What is the minimum nightime temperature that you would recommend for planting out delicate veg. Currently I still have my courgettes, squashes, peppers, sweetcorn, melon and fennel sitting indoors waiting to plant out.

Night time temperatures over the following week are forecast to drop as low as 8 degrees, so that is too cold for all of them I think.

Normally I wait until the end of May (or even mid June for the fennel). However I think sometimes I leave it too late, and I should be more focused on forecast temperatures as opposed to rules based on the time of the year.

What do other people do/think?

[Thelma Sanders]

You need a minimum of 10C, so keep an eye on overnight temperatures for a few weeks til the temps look stable (ish) Always make sure plants have been well hardened off before final planting.
You can always cover plants with fleece of polysheet for the first week or 2.

[SarrissUK]

I'd look at both forecase figures and actuals in the location where you want to plant them. Microclimates can work both above AND below temperatures nearby.

[Derbydal]

ho dear iv'e put tomatos out yesterday ! lol atb Dal

[Penellype]

Temperatures below 10C won't kill them but may result in a check to growth. If it gets very cold the plants may struggle to recover and never be as strong as plants that have not been checked. If it drops below freezing the plants will very probably die.

I have a cucumber and 6 tomato plants in an unheated greenhouse and they are ok, although some of the tomatoes are looking a bit cold (they develop a purplish colour when cold).

[Bren In Pots]

My toms are in a unheated GH I fleece them at night, the Courgettes get the same treatment but then go outside during the day. Cucs are still indoors on a window sill but they'll be going in the GH soon.