Topic: Seeds in my greenhouse

[meg_gordon]

Hello everyone

I have just realised that I've left my seeds in the (unheated)  greenhouse, toms, peppers, chillies, lettuce, herbs, runner beans etc.  Temperature has dropped to -11 deg.c  Do you think the cold has damaged them? 

Meg

[saddad]

They will be fine, assuming they were dry... seed banks store them at lower than that..  :)

[meg_gordon]

They will be fine, assuming they were dry... seed banks store them at lower than that..  :)

Phew - thanks for that Saddad - can put the seed catalogue back down  :)

Meg

[lottiedolly]

My seeds are in the greenhouse, it is heated with a parafin heater but just to take the edge of the chill off and i never thought about them having problems until now. Thank you saddad for confirming that they are ok

K  ;D

[saddad]

Be careful with that heater... they give out a lot of moisture... are the seeds sealed ina tin or something? If not they might get damp and go mouldy.. damp is far more of a problem than just cold..  :-\

[tonybloke]

any damp can start germination, as well as cause mould. they are better off in the fridge than in a paraffin-heated greenhouse.

[lottiedolly]

right, i shall check them when i get home from work tonight, thanks ofr letting me know that, hopefully they are ok they are in a number of ice cream tubs so fingers crossed.

[saddad]

If the tubs have closed lids they will probably be fine
 :)

[tonybloke]

If the tubs have closed lids they will probably be fine
 :)

ditto that, david !

[emmy1978]

Always keep my seds in sealed tubs in shed and they're fine. I kept them indoors after my first growing year-opened the tub to find sprouting bean seeds!  :-[

Meg-Calvin!!! How ace-but where's Hobbes?  :(

[lottiedolly]

yes the lids are closed and to be total nut, they are labeled with a Jan-Dec and each tub holds what seeds gets sown that month and the theory is for successional sowing you move a pack from one month to the next. Well that is the theory, sorted them all out and packed them up early Dec, lets see if this system works  :-\ all my other good intentions completely go to pot normally.

have not even looked at Jan yet, weather too rubbish at the mo.

K  ;D

[saddad]

Try not to keep them there all year as the really high temps in Summer (40c+) in a closed greenhouse is as bad for the seeds...  :-X

[sunloving]

Before i reined in my seed buying habit i used to keep a tupperware box of spares in the freezer never noticed any difference in germianation sucess and in fact some things like clematis need a cold spell to do well still getting very good sucess with some sweet peas i saved in 2005 . So a cold shed should be alright for all but the tender plant types.

But if you need to top up on basics netto have now got their seeds in at 19p a packet usually good stuff.

x sunloving