Topic: planting new stuff

[Maidenheadtaff]

I am growing loads of 'stuff' in my greenhouse and want to plant it down the allotment but wonder whether it will cope with the change.

You are always told to acclimate thpease plants befor planting them out but how do you do this.?

I have peas and beans and parsnips along with onions and leeks

I also have courgette's and cucumber but figure these won't cope with the cold at the moment as it's cold enough in my unheated greenhouse without being outside

Everyone always says don't plant till the frost has gone but the allotment site is full of good looking veg ?
Whats the deal there should you just plant and hope

Rob

[star]

Even in an unheated greenhouse young plants will need hardening off before being planted outside. You havent said how big yours are. As that can be relevant too, have you got a cold frame you can put the plants in for a week or so to acclimatise?

If not just put them all outside in a sheltered spot and cover with fleece if its going to be unduly cold or a frost is forecast. After that as they are hardy they should be ok 

[kt.]

You could assist acclimatization by leaving the greenhouse door open during the day and closing it at night.  This would obviously be dependant on what else you have in the greenhouse though, and not something I would do personally.   Some gardeners put the plants out in daytime and return them at night.  Though the best option is the coldframe as previously mentioned.  If it has a lid; prop it open when it is not so cold.

[PurpleHeather]

At this time of year

The least tender plants I start by putting them outside during the day then back to bed at night. If in doubt put them out and watch them, if they look at all stressed then take them back in straight away.

Wind is an enemy. I Never start them outside on a windy day unless you can keep them sheltered. It can do more damage than the drop in temperature. A sudden heavy shower can cause harm too.

I Keep my cucumbers inside they seem to be the ones effected most by temperature change. Sometimes our summers never get mild enough to have them out.

Varieties vary too and some people grow hardier ones and will tell you that because theirs were fine yours will be.

Plants that will over winter like leeks, winter broc' and parsnips are going to be hardier than things which are known as hot house plants like tomatoes, peppers, chillies and cucumber.

I also like to harden off as soon as possible because I think it strengthens the plant and will put them outside for an hour or two during the day if the conditions are good.

Hardy plants started off in doors will be more tender than the same variety started outdoors.

You need to find out for yourself what is best but if you are like me and grow too much then you can always test one not your entire crop.

After transplanting them, give them a chance to get used to their new pot before putting them out side.
















 

[Maidenheadtaff]

Thanks for the advise

I have one of these plastic four tier greenhouses which is full up with broad beans peas an runner beans that are due to go into the allotment on tuesday so i might put some of the others in there to start acclimating

Rob

[growmore]

Your broad beans and your peas should be ok . But be careful with your runners. Runners and dwarf beans won't tolerate  much cold at all...

[GrannieAnnie]

I learned the hard way to watch like a hawk how the seedlings are doing on their first journey outside and check on them hourly. Even well watered ones don't fair well on windy days and strong sun can scald quickly. It is too easy to lose them in careless babysitting.
Anytime I transplant outside on a sunny day it works well to shade the plants, sometimes with boards propped up if it is really bright.

[bupster]

I don't have anywhere to harden off plants, as I live in a flat and it's a twenty minute bicycle ride to my allotment - where there's no greenhouse. However, I've started a load of plants indoors as the weather's a bit rubbish. Any ideas on how to harden them off under these circumstances? There must be others who have no gardens?

[tim]

I admire your committment! No easy way.

A spare room with window open?

Cloches on the lottie?  Fleeced to start with. Get pinched?

[albacore1854]

See if you can get some blue water pipe, and construct a cheap cloche out of polythene.

Alternatively just cover them with fleece on the plot.

Might be worth beginning to plan how you will counter this next year.Is it possible to build a coldframe ready, or a nursery bed you can cover with fleece.

[betula]

I don't have anywhere to harden off plants, as I live in a flat and it's a twenty minute bicycle ride to my allotment - where there's no greenhouse. However, I've started a load of plants indoors as the weather's a bit rubbish. Any ideas on how to harden them off under these circumstances? There must be others who have no gardens?

I live in a flat and I have kept the heater off in one room and Put my small plants in there.I put them as close as possible to the window.

They will eventually go to the cold frame on the allotment. :)

[bupster]

A fleece cloche or something might be the way forward, I've loads kicking about in the shed. Come to think about it, the temperature in my upstairs room must be pretty freezing at the moment - though of course it'll warm up at the same time as outdoors does, so not a lot of use! My first full year I got a great crop of tomatoes without doing much to them, but it was very warm by the time I planted them out and I'm doing a lot more than just toms this year.

I shall let you know how my fleece origami works out...

[Rhubarb Thrasher]

remember hardening off is not just to acclimatise plants to cooler outside temperatures, but also to get them used to direct sunlight, which will quickly scorch the leaves of plants grown under glass

[Tee Gee]

I don't have anywhere to harden off plants, as I live in a flat

Do you have a balcony or verandah?

If you have you could put them on this in the morning (if weather conditions allow) and take them in in the evening.

I know if you have lots this can be a bit of a pain but if you can get hold of a bread tray or similar and put them on this first you might be able to move them in one go.

Even with my facilities I use bread trays where I can get up to sixty plants on each one making moving them around much easier.

You can take this a bit further with the aid of some straightened wire coat hangers and PVC or Fleece.

Form a hoop over the tray with the coat hangers then drape polythene or fleece over these and you have your very own movable cloche to harden your stuff off in.

[bupster]

No balcony, no veranda, and the front is shared with the bookies downstairs - I doubt that the smokers who colonise our shared drive will take care of baby plants. So they're going straight from the flat to the plot.

I have one window that opens sideways so that'll be a daytime hardening off place before the fleece Taj Mahal that I'm going to construct with bamboo poles, string and sellotape. Though the forecast for May looks warm, so if I can cover the earth with black plastic and largely plant into mounds of warm compost and manure then they might not be too shocked.  :o

Surprised that this is not an issue for many others. I sort of assumed that a lot of plots would be used by people living in flats with no other access to the outdoors.

[allaboutliverpool]

The big problem is knowing what the weather is going to be like!

Last year, after the 10th April, the lowest night-time temperature on my plot in Liverpool was 8.3.

this year it has struggled to get above 5, dropping to 1.1 recently.

http://www.allaboutliverpool.com/allaboutallotments1_homepage.html