When to put Aubretia seedlings outside?

I planted some Aubretia seeds about 2 weeks ago in tiny pots on the kitchen windowsill, and about a week ago I put half of them outside and kept half of them on the kitchen windowsill, as I wasn't sure whether they would be better off sheltered from being squashed by heavy rain or getting the better light outside. Aubretia are hardy, so I think once germinated they can cope with the current mild temperatures, and I can easily bring the little pots indoors overnight if frost is forecast.

At the moment the indoor ones look in better shape. The outdoor ones did get laid flat by recent heavy rain, but have perked up a bit. The problem with indoor seedlings is they don't get enough light and can get leggy and are prone to damping off.

I already have some Aubretia but I was given a packet of three different colours, red, violet and blue, and I like Aubretia a lot.

Here are some photographs to compare. First the indoor ones.




And here the outdoor ones.

 

I'm moving all my seedlings ,once germinated, out into the greenhouse during daylight hours so that they can benefit from the much better light levels. They still come into the house at night. I also keep an eye on the temperature out there as it's surprising how quickly it can drop in the late afternoon and ,on the other hand, turn into an oven when the sun comes out.

 

They are going leggy by the looks of it.
They need more light and cooler temperatures, sorry, just stating the obvious, I think I'd would not have sown them until April or May to be honest.

 

The seed packet says sow February, March, April, in a cold frame or directly into a well-prepared flowering site. Aubretia are hardy and where I am the climate is mild, they could probably survive the occasional dip below 0 degrees centigrade at night, which hasn't happened for a while, but the heavy rain just flattens them.

Last time I grew Aubretia from seed, they flowered quite well the first year, and obviously a lot more the year after. The ones that have a big pot to trail from do a lot better than those in the flat ground.

Maybe on balance I would be best trying them outdoors in different sites. It isn't the temperature, it is the rain.

 

Yes they are hardy, but unlikely to be germinating outside this early, mainly because of the weather.
I agree you could put them in a cold frame which would mean they would be protected from rain, but if you don't have one, or a greenhouse, its often better to wait for better conditions before sowing.

 

@groundbeetle , I'm a great one for getting my money's worth out of plastic bottles . I ask friends and family for donations at this time of year. If you cut out the base from large fizzy or fruit squash bottles they are then great for placing over young plants/ seedlings as protection from cold/ wind/ rain and slugs. Just make sure to leave the top of, although if slugs are the problem then I do tend to replace them at night. I find that once plants get to a certain size not only do they withstand adverse weather conditions better but the slugs leave them be too.

You could even use the upturned plastic containers that grapes/ tomatoes etc come in to cover very tiny seedlings in your borders. If it's windy then I place a stone on them to secure them in place.

 

Thanks, that sounds like a good idea to give the seedlings some temporary protection from heavy rain. I will do that. I have some plastic bottles.

 

would have had better results if you had fully filled the pots or used shallow trays. The seedlings have grown tall just to get to the rim.
I am surprised nobody has suggested that you prick these out into individual 4" pots, planting so that much of the stem is supported.Pick each up gently by a leaf. Do not touch the stems.
Water with a seaweed extract stimulant, place in good light and a sheltered position.Its wind that is the greatest threat to small plants , March is likely to be windy(In like a lion?) Protect from slugs etc. You have a lot of plants there, did you sow all from the packets, if not perhaps sow a second batch late March as reserves.

 

My aubrieta was sown on New Year's Day in a 1 litre food container that had drainage holes poked in the bottom with a soldering iron. They were then placed in a clear storage container (known in the US as Totes I believe), again the container had holes poked in the bottom and also the lid. The container was then stored outside, in the open, and not shaded by walls or fences; 'open to the elements'. The seedling were left to do their 'thing'.

I'll probably leave them until the cold snap we're supposed to have this weekend is over, then they'll be planted in clumps, probably 8 or 10 clumps, just as nature intended. Any little seedling left behind will get plant ICU treatment. They've got their 2 pairs of true leaves so I think they are ready for the big wide world. They've been brought up the hard way so I've really got no fear of them having a bit of frost on them, providing it's not obsessive of course. I might even protect them a little bit like @Upsydaisy suggests.

 

The problem with info on packets is that it doesn't take into account your location and conditions.
I learned that the hard way.
I don't sow anything until about this time of year, and I take into consideration what the temps and weather will be once they're at the stage of going outdoors, or into a greenhouse.
The biggest problem with sowing early is often light more than warmth, and that's also dictated by location.
The pots - they're a bit deep for that kind of seed, and you end up with a lot of wet compost which can cause problems too. They're far too small for pricking out IMO, as those are just seed leaves, but this often the problem with etiolated seedlings, and sometimes you just have to go for it. Sowing as pete describes - sowing a bit later, and just sheltered from the worst weather, is the best method, regardless of where you live too.
It depends on the plant too, of course, and @Jenny_Aster 's conditions will be quite different from mine, so things can be done a good bit earlier. Hers are a very good example of how much sturdier, and shorter, the seedlings should be.
Try some more in a week or two, and you'll be able to see the difference @groundbeetle.

 

The pots of Aubretia seedlings I had kept on the kitchen windowsill I planted in bigger pots outside, and some survived a bit but others just seem to have got obliterated by the heavy rain. The ones that I put outside but kept them in their small pots have done well, though they grew slowly and I think they have their second pairs of leaves now.

I am tempted to transplant those in the tiny pots to their permanent home in bigger pots. (Not entirely permanent, the Aubretia I have I constantly take cuttings from to get it to grow in other places, just I have lost some of the mixed colours). Maybe I should wait another couple of weeks, until the beginning of April at least?

The first photograph is some that I put in a bigger pot which survived a bit, and the other 3 photographs are the little pots that I just put outside. All taken today.