Seedlings - putting them in unheated greenhouse

[Dynamite]

Hi everyone, I want to get my seedlings into my unheated greenhouse and out of the house as they are getting too big.

Both my Cucumbers and Toms are about 8 inch tall. Obviously I don't want them to die if its too cold.

What temperature at night is the lowest I could get away with before I put them in there. I also want to do it without having to put them out and bring them in everyday as due to work commitments, I go too early and get back too late to do that.

Advice on this is much appreciated.

Kind Regards ..........Rob

[mic]

I have a few cucumber plants in the unheated greenhouse from when they first sprouted, largest is barley 3 inches but they seem to be happy enough. Haven't grown tomatoes.

[Thelma Sanders]

This thread should help
http://www.growfruitandveg.co.uk/gra...ml#post1520066

mic it would help if we knew whereabouts you are - your greenhouse could be somewhere warmer than Hull?

[Twynyrodyn]

I am waiting until the forecast says double figures at night.

[fon]

My Toms are already out in the greenhouse over night.

My Cucumbers are coming in every night, until I can guarantee the greenhouse is at least 15 over night.

Fon

[Penellype]

Tomatoes will survive cold temperatures as long as they don't freeze, but the growth will slow right down and they may turn a purplish blue. You may find that they never really recover if they repeatedly get cold.

You could try putting up a plastic cloche or tomato house inside the greenhouse to give an extra layer of protection - I do this for potatoes early in the year and it does seem to help, although to be fair we haven't had any really sharp cold spells while I have been doing this. Last year I took some tomato plants to my friend's greenhouse in early April and they were fine.

[Dynamite]

I have just ordered a max/min thermometer for my greenhouse and will take it from there. I might pop them in the greenhouse if its double figure temp over the next week.

Regards........Rob

[Dynamite]

I just put my new thermometer in the greenhouse and will monitor until Saturday morning. Will keep you posted.

Regards........Rob

[rary]

I have quite a number of seedlings and small plants in my greenhouse, pansies, marigolds, petunia, begonia, fuchsia busy lizzies, pelargoniums, peppers and tomatoes, and was away from home last week and the temperature had dropped to -2c, I covered everything with fleece before going away and the only loss has been with the busy lizzies I also have potatoes in leaf and they are usually a good indicator of being too cold but they look fine, I couldn't wait till the temperature reaches double figures at night or the greenhouse would stay empty, one other tip I can give you, if you have electricity in your greenhouse you can run a fan (cold air) as moving air in the greenhouse will help keep the frost at bay

[jackarmy]

Im a regular carrier back and forther from the gh to the kitchen and the best advice i can give is simple, invest in some fleece and a thermometer . Myself , if the given forecast is around 6.7.8 i leave them out, but its all down to knowing your gh and its fluctuations.

[Penellype]

Carrying them in and out is not really an option at my friend's - her windowsills are full of her own plants. Therefore it is one-way traffic and anything that gets put in the greenhouse has to cope.

So far I've lost plants to slugs and snails and rats/squirrels digging things up and eating them, but I've not lost anything to frost.

[Jonnyt]

People have already planted tomatoes out in unheated greenhouses where I live so they must be confident, or stupid.

[Scarlet]

Lyme Regis is a little warmer than hull...also coastal areas don't seem to get the hard frost that you get further inland. I live in Wiltshire, unfortunately my GH is in a dip and backs straight onto fields and I can get a prolonged frost. A friend that lives just two mins away can keep put her tomatoes out much earlier than me!
As Jack says, "it's all about knowing your GH and its fluctuations"

...and even though tomatoes don't die of frost, tomatoes that have been grown on in cold condition don't perform as well as the pampered ones. I don't leave mine out until the temps get consistently into double figures. A little dip for an hour or two is ok.

[Penellype]

Scarlet is so right about location. My back garden has several distinct areas where it is warmer and colder. The sunniest part, which is hottest during the day, gets coldest at night because it is furthest away from the buildings and walls which act like radiators. Last year it made the difference between potato foliage being damaged even under a plastic cover and not, and the areas concerned are only about 12 feet apart.

[TrysHard]

Depends where you are in the country - A Greenhouse will not protect from prolonged cold but a little dip overnight expect around 2-3 degrees higher you could then fleece up the seedlings for added protection.

I am in Kent and early get a significant frost in Apr so from Late March I risk my seedlings in the greenhouse around 200 plants I fleece up as well plus if the forecast was a frost I would have to bring them in.

Your last frost date for Hull is normally early May but can be earlier or later. I would risk it and only bring in if a frost is predicted - next year sow seeds q few weeks later Tomatoes tend to catch up even if sown in Apr as do Cucumbers.