Seedlings safe to move to unheated greenhouse?

Hi Peeps

I have some seedlings on an east facing windowsill.
Toms:
Cherry & some type of beefsteak.

Some bell peppers, small cucumbers and runner beans.

I have a cheap tomato greenhouse in my west facing garden, unheated.

Am I best leaving them on the windowsill or would they benefit from a bit more light in the greenhouse.

Would the low evening temperatures shock them too much?

All advice appreciated.

 

Can you move some out during the day and back in at night.
I think some low night temps are forecast.

 

I'm shuffling my toms and cucs in and out.....greenhouse in the day, windowsill at night....toms don't like the temp to drop below double figures, but I'm hoping they can stay out from the beginning of May; cucumbers want more heat so won't stay out till the night time temp is reliably around mid-teens. Runner beans are still to germinate on the windowsill, I'll do the same shuffle till the end of the month then they can stay in the greenhouse. Low night time temps will give all these too much of a check I think.

 

Would be a bit of a chore. Currently got a silver foil emergency blanket on the windowsill behind the seedlings to reflect the light.

May try your idea this weekend when time in the morning is not an issue.

Have some terracotta pots that I could customise into tea light heaters (8 hour burners).

Anyone had experience using those? Would they generate enough heat?

 

I think it is too early, there are quite a few nights with low single figure temps. coming up.

 

I think it's too early too. I'm in SW France and I wouldn't leave my tender plants in an unheated place yet.

 

Probably being a bit too eager. Want to take the emergency blanket down. Don't want any misunderstandings.

"You're growing what sir?"

Roll on double figures.

 

I think its really a good example of not sowing seeds too early, TBH.
Timing is everything.

 

Hare and tortoise springs to mind.
Can't help myself

 

My tomatoes and chillis are out in the greenhouse and have been for a few weeks. If it's going to be a cold night they get covered with fleece and several sheets of newspaper over the top.

 

I actually left a chilli plant outside by mistake for three nights - I was surprised that it seems unharmed.
Some eggplants however are clearly not happy outside even in the day.

I'm also suffering with too many plants on the windowsills (tomatoes, chillis and egg plants) - started later than normal with the tomatoes, but still too early.

I had them out all the time in the cheap plastic poly-tunnel/greenhouse from mid may last year. Aiming to experiment and put a few out early May this year. Getting very tiresome carrying them all in and out almost daily now.

 

I have a small section on the end of the greenhouse that I can put a tempory door on, so a small 6x6ft area, I crank the heater up to come on at 12c, its only really needed for a couple of weeks hopefully.

 

It is my understanding that under 50f about 10c, things will not grow but they don't die. I've had seedlings in my greenhouse now for a few weeks but I have the luxury of being able to switch on a heater which runs on mains natural gas. It refuses to let me set it lower than about 46f 7c so I only use it on nights going below 4c 40f. I haven't lost anybody yet at this setting.

That said, the guessers are predicting a couple more nights below freezing so I'll probably light the pilot sometime tomorrow.

As I say, 4c is the lowest I dare go.

The plants get so much sun and even if there is only an hour or so of sunshine, it really warms things up in there and keeps the plants happy. And when it is cloudy, it is still better quality light in the greenhouse than most grow lights can provide.

 

Unless you have somewhere heated to keep seedlings/small plants when they're pricked out and potted on, it's always a mistake to sow too early

I'm sure most of us have been there though, and it's very easy to sow too many of everything - just in case...

 

As I was completely new to gardening 2023... I bought my tomato plants from a garden centre
This year I have grown them from seed:

Sown on 17th March - photos shown below are at 4wks today.
They were re-potted into 5 inch pots when 2rd true leaves had grown. The height of each differs from 3 inch to 6 inch which I believe will be down to being cordon or bush.

LOL - I sowed 8 altogether, doubling up in case some didn’t germinate and have ended up with 7

1 cordon will be grown in cold frame with a bush cherry and a cucumber (La Diva). The others (6 bush and 1 cordon) will be outside open to the elements with a light fleece covering when needed, and will be placed under an awning in case we have a bad downpour.

As you will be able to see I have been watering them on membrane matting which has been place on each tray – my reason is… I have a weakness in my arm along with arthritic fingers so lifting anything to water my plants can at times be painful, plus there is an added factor that I’m now encouraging the roots to grow downwards in search of water with roots filling out their pots.

There’s no set of rules to follow in watering this way, so I just chose to cover the matting with just enough water to be able to get my finger wet in the morning and checking water height throughout the day - whilst at night IF the matting is still wet I kind of mop up the rest in case it turns cold. “I know I could put a type of wicker tape going from tray to a container of water, but you have to bear in mind I’m doing this on my kitchen table so there is very little space to play around with!

As soon as I see the roots from the bottom of the pots they will go into 9L ones / buried deep up to first true leaf (or maybe second if they are too leggy) Watering will be exactly the same until they go outside to harden off through day and back in at night.
Re-potting into their final pots in JUNE?

I am itching to put the tall toms into their medium pots now! - but I have a heavy feeling that the compost will fall apart so dare not take the risk- may be in another 2 weeks
“ I’m sure their taunting me”


Cold frame is directly outside the patio doors just waiting to be filled!