Topic: When can you plant your seeds in an unheated greenhouse?

[northener]

Yup i confirm its too early for Toms. Put about a dozen in on sunday went this morning and half of them have been zapped dead with the frost. Not to worry just put another dozen seeds in the propogator.

[MrsKP]

all tender babies are inside on the spare room bed for a week.  they're going to be home alone !!!!

have had to leave various stuff in the greenhouses (unheated cos at christmas bessie mate ruined one of the heaters and can't be trusted with gardening things) lol.

the sun actually killed some of my radishes which were started off in the g/h, fried them to death.   :'(  so them and some salad leaves are now in a raised bed under some fleece.

at least if everything's deed when i get back, i can start some more ! 

i really am worried about my toms though, hope they behave themselves.

 ;D

[caroline7758]

Got the same problem- away for a week from Sat & daren't put stuff in the greenhouse yet but think they'll get too hot in the sunny kitchen & not enough light in other rooms. May have to take everything up two flights to our bedroom  which is cool but light (seed potatoes are already in there!) and hope for the best!

[Good Gourd2]

Yep, Start everything in the conservatory, then into unheated greenhouse, I do cover everything up at night with fleece though.

[carolinej]

I start everything off in the conservatory too. Then I decide which plants are going to take the risk of the cold greenhouse, as I need the space. So far, the poor plants that drew the short straw of the greenhouse are onions , leeks,lettuce, globe artichokes, and several flowers.

More will face eviction in the next few days, as, yet again, I have run out of space, and more seedlings need pricking out or potting on. I think the tomatoes will get it next, but I will keep 1 of each type in the conservatory just incase. You've got to be tough to be one of my plants!

cj :)

[kt.]

In my unheated greenhouse, I have PSB, Calabrese broccoli, Kelvedon wonder peas, Salad bowl, Lolla Rossa, Saladin lettuce, Tender & True Parsnip, Avorn resister parsnip, Primo cabbage, Moneymaker tomato, Mussleburgh leeks. All sown 9 days ago. Most have germinated, except for the parsnip.

[Paulines7]

I moved all my 2inch high tomato plants into my unheated greenhouse about four days ago.  At night I cover them with 4 layers of fleece.  I forgot to uncover them this morning as I went out early and didn't return until 1pm.  However, the fleece must have given them protection from the heat for when I took it off, the plants looked fine.

[knbsallotment]

As I only have an unheated greenhouse, and very limited space at home (can only use my kitchen window sill, as this is the only room the cats don't go in, and they very happily eat seedlings of any description, if they can get their paws on them!) We have spinach, loads of different beans and squash, broccoli, lettuce, spring onions, peas, leeks, tomatoes, loads of stuff! All have germinated and are doing brilliantly. Have made myself a DIY greenhouse, using metal poles and a double layer of bubble wrap, as I ran out of space, and this actually seems to be much warmer than my regular one!

[Jeannine]

My squash have been moved to the cold greenhouse now.XX Jeannine

[mc55]

I've only got an unheated greenhouse, so brought my tomatoes and aubergines home to germinate, but once they arrived they were back to the greenhouse.  Everything is doing really well, although plants would definitely be bigger if they were at home or the greenhouse was heated.

[OliveOil]

Everything of mine is in unheated walk in plastic green house. Bbeans, squashes, courgettes, 4" tomatos, herbs, brassicas - the lot basically. So far so good. The squashes etc did take 3 weeks to poke their heads up but probably a good thing as i was a bit ahead of myself.  Sunflowers are in cells outside as no room in the inn. 

[saddad]

We have unheated greenhouse only, anything described as Hardy gets a day or so in the propagator and as soon as they are up out into the g'house. Half Hardy don't sow them so soon! Our Toms are out now but things like squash and CF or Runner beans can wait... they grow so fast and so large you end up having to put them out too soon, not fully hardened off or before the last frosts. G Centres and "Home base" type outlets sell them out hoping they die so you buy some more!
 :-X

[tim]

What I just HAVE to see is where does all this get one? All the worry & TLC for how much earlier?

Can we have a report back thread - esp for cold houses or outdoors.

My first Peppers are just germinating.

[mc55]

for me Tim, it's not so much about getting produce earlier, but rather making room for everything - I've only got limited space so have to stagger my sowings, throwing those out that are a bit tougher as soon as possible, ie cabbage, sunflowers, sweetpeas etc

[plimsoll plot2]

Well i started sowing my seeds in my unheated green house on the plot over a month ago, with no problems.

i have toms, beans,flowers,peas, spinch, the list goes on.

I put the very tall and big beans outside today fingers crossed.
i have toms in grow bags inside the green house there doing just fine.

started sowing sweetcorn and more peas today and lemon cucumber.

 ;D :D ;) :) :-*

[tim]

Yes - yes - BUT......

1. Cabbages, Spinach? No need to sow indoors.

2. Beans? Should not go out until end May - so?

3. Toms? Not sown yet. Ours cannot go into the cold 'house until end May. But - if everyone else does it - I have a lot to learn.

[Jeannine]

I do my squash early because I grow a fair few types that need a longer growing season that nature gives us here.  By growing them inside, cooling them off and putting an eighteen inch high plant out as soon as possible I can get most of the varieties I want.  That's my only reason. With my toms I grow varieties that mature at from 55 days to 100 days so I start some early. Tumbler is one,only a couple of plants but we are eating the fruit in June. Then I grew a keeper to extend into January. Gives me a bigger window and I hate store bought toms


XX Jeannine

[tim]

Wish I had your patience!

[Barnowl]

I'm sort of halfway between the two approaches. My greenhouse heater only cuts in to stop the temp going below 5degC so it's not really a heated GH, more of a frost free one. Usually open the side windows during the day and the top vent is auto. There's probably a correct term for this - is it a cool GH?

Anyway, the chilli and tomato seedlings are quite happy out of the heated propagator once they are about 1" high. Marigolds, which we use for bed edging are just given a kick start in a heated propagator in late March then moved out into the GH almost as soon as they show.

Tim, I sowed half our runners into pots in the GH last weekend because we can chance putting them out at the beginning of May (I direct sow the second  lot towards the end of May).

[Deb P]

Nearly lost my melon seedlings this morning....my fault, had a lie in, hot sunshine meant the temperature was 80 degrees in the greenhouse at 9am, hotter in my two plastic mini greenhouses :-\ This is with automatic vents as well! I didn't get these high temperatures this early last year, I'll have to get the shading up fast at this rate! 8)

I'm starting some French beans off in pots, first lot of sweetcorn are in, I'm also staggering sowings of various brassicas and legumes which are in modules or pots as required, won't be putting them in the ground for a few weeks yet. Runners, squash, courgettes all planned for May sowings, fennel in June...where is the time going!