Greenhouse temperature

Please could someone tell what what is the right temperature in the greenhouse for seedlings i have a good few very small plants and i dont wont them to bolt or be too cold, i have some fleece and also a heater which is thermostat controlled,any help would be gratefully appreciated. PS I did say the other day i was fairly new to this so i apologise if im back on asking questions again ..... regards Chris

 

Ask away.
Here's one What are they seedlings of?

 

They are beetroot, cabbage,sprouts,tomatoes,cucumbers, peppers, lettuce and rocket quite a few

 

Beetroot, cabbage,sprouts, lettuce and rocket are fine in an unheated greenhouse

peppers, cucumbers and tomatoes need a bit of heat

i start the heat lovers in my house and then move them down to the greenhouse

 

Thanks Craig i think i will set the thermostat at around 12 degrees and see how things go

 

Yes, that is a good temperature. I have alarms that signal either at the 5 or 13 degree mark and the manufacturers didn't pick those numbers out of thin air. 13 is for the peppers and other heat loving plants do fine at that temperature. I have a little greenhouse jam packed with seedlings sitting at 13 or better.

Hope all of your seedlings stay happy!

 

Hi Lori tried the heat setting at 12 last night all seems well, thanks for your imput much appreciated, happy gardening...... regards Chris

 

Hi JWK ive only been using the heater over the last few nights getting the thermostat at the right temperature, its working out at around 45p so not too bad.Yes i have insulation too.As for the whole winter i dont use the greenhouse i start around middle of February so usage is just a couple of months. I appreciate your imput and its duly noted will keep what you have said in mind if i decide to use the greenhouse over the winter.... regards Chris

 

There can be some 8 deg C or so difference between temps at low level greenhouse staging and that constructed at a higher level. Use a couple of max/min thermostats to check it out.

If seedlings are at lower level the temperature around them can be enhanced if they're sitting in heated propagators.

 

Hi Scrungee the heat sensor for the thermometer is about a foot from the floor so thats the reading ive been taking,there was a frost last night and the lowest reading i got was 6.2c,i have taken all that you have said on board and really appreciate your imput and advice..... regards Chris

 

I'll stick another max/min at low level tonight, I've done it before but can't remember how much lower temps were down there, but if I put stuff inside on the floor if it's going to be too cold outside overnight I always raise it up using stacking crates.

 

All of my seedlings and plants are at least 18" off of the floor, i dont take any chances at all with my tomatoes and cucumbers as i cover them with fleece to be on the safe side and they are on the top shelves as are courgettes

 

One of my data-logger batteries died Thursday night, so re-did experiment last night. NB Times are GMT. Temps went down to nearly freezing outside and dipped below 10degC on the staging for about 2.5 hours, so when I've got tender stuff on the lower staging I'll increase the gas heater setting, but everything down there at the moment is seeds in 50w thermostatic propagators and the soil temp went down to 68degF (sorry about mix of units, but I tend to think of air temps in Centigrade and soil temps for seed germination in Fahrenheit).

Top staging minimum was 17degC (63F) and adequate for all the seeds up there, seeds requiring higher temps are in my indoor & greenhouse propagators.

 

Trying to take all of this in Scrungee just hope im doing things ok thanks for the info its not so easy this growing etc