How often and how should I water my seedlings??

Have now got myself one of those plastic sheet greenhouse things, have planted some lettuce, spinach and radish out in those seed tray things and put them on the shelves in this 'greenhouse' with no cover on them, can someone please tell me how often I should be watering the seedlings...?

Also, I haven't owned a greenhouse before - basic question (I think!) lol, but do I raise the plastic door during the day to let some air circulate around and then close it at night to keep it warm? I did this yesterday and opened it up this morning to find it surprisingly warm in it , but I am assuming this is okay as the seedlings would have been kept warm last night......

Cheers k-l

 

The plastic sheet will warm up quickly during the day, but won't provide any real protection from cold at night - but it will keep the draughts off of course.

It needs to be open during the day (although just unzipping may be enough if the weather is overcast), but if the sun comes out the plants will cook if the door isn't rolled up.

Water the plants when the soil is starting to dry out - that may well be every day (unless the seedlings are very small)

 

Thanks Kristen, just read your blog on your greenhouse and the plastic greenhouse I have is the same as yours.... , if frost is forecast - which looks as though it won't be (famous last words!) I will bring the seed trays indoors

Thanks Kristen!

 

Hi there noidea. The seedlings should be fine in your greenhouse. Spinach and radish are pretty hardy so shouldn't need too much mollycoddling. The lettuce should be kept frost-free, but I would open the cover during the day as it can get very hot in there.
I water them as soon as the surface of the soil starts to dry out. The other method is to stand them in a tray of water for about 10 minutes. This soaks the compost really well and means less watering. When you lift them out you will feel how heavy the tray is, and so next time you can lift the tray and it feels light, water again.

 

"When you lift them out you will feel how heavy the tray is, and so next time you can lift the tray and it feels light, water again"

Very good advice. Learning what "weight" a pot should be is a very important skill - after all these years I can push on a pot enough to make it lean slightly and know [from its weight / resistance to being pushed] whether it needs watering, or not.