Seedlings and cold snaps

baggins11

Hi All

I have been busy this afternoon pricking out a load of seeds that needed it and got to wondering about how cold they can survive. I remembered reading that seedlings need more light than heat so have moved what I can to the greenhouse.

I have moved out melon, cucumber, courgette and tomatoes but have just brought them back into the house for the evening as I am worried they will get too cold!

Our greenhouse is very old and there are gaps around the door so its probably a little warmer than outside but not much. I noticed in our area it is looking like it might go down to 0 degrees temp wise over the weekend. Should I keep bringing them in each evening or will they be ok outside?

They have so far had a heated propagator and then were inside a mini greenhouse in my lounge (bought it from Aldi, built it but it was too windy to put out!). So they are used to being fairly warm.

They have survived my over-watering so far so I will be damned if jack frost gets them

-taff

The tomatoes will probably be alright but the other three are warm weather plants and can't stand the cold. The other problem with them is that they grow really quickly, so you may have trouble with them being too big before your last frost has passed.
I would be prepared to lose them and have to sow more, and keep them in for now.
you might see some purpling on the underside of the tomato leaves, I used to see it on mine, but I don't know whether that was because of the type of tomato or it happens to all of them, because mine were almost exclusively black. They bounced back afterwards though. They used to get sown into modules in the greenhouse about now, covered with plastic and then left to their own devices. I have a lean to now so they'll go in there this year.
I would be sowing courgette and cucumber about mid april. Melon, I don't have a polytunnel so can't comment on that one.

Suffolk_lass

Just to add that if you have had your tomatoes indoors so far, they need to be "hardened off" before they will cope in either your greenhouse or outdoors, especially in 0 degrees. If you have a spare bedroom, you could turn off the radiator and relocate them there for a few days - just turn them every day so they don't grow towards the light. Then they can venture outdoors in the day and back to the unheated indoor location overnight. I tried to skip a step last year and ended up killing 2/3 of my seedlings

baggins11

I think I have sown everything but the toms too early and will prob re-sow some of it. I just went by the packet instructions that said I could sow from March. I wasn't considering regional variations as we have recently moved from the south to the midlands.

The tomatoes should hopefully be fine as they don't get out of hand too quickly. I usually do these every year. The courgette is new to me and i was shocked when i saw the root when pricking out - these boys grow quickly!! Sensible thing is to probably re-sow in April.

On a positiive note my greenhouse is going great guns! I have onions, lettuce, spinach and loads more coming along nicely.