Topic: temperature tolerance. Beans etc

[strawberry1]

13th may in somerset and next week it is likely to be 2-3 degrees at night. I had to put an emergency fleece covering around the bean wigwams last friday and it doesn`t look as though it will be coming off this week. Does anyone know how low runner and french beans can tolerate? I know I`ll have to factor in the wind strength but I really want to get the fleece off

Also courgettes? I have re-potted but it won`t last long as they are growing like crazy, outside in just a mini polycarb greenhouse

My chillis are surviving, even the ones ouside and against a wall, sheltered from rain

Burpless cucs, in and out daily at the moment. When is 24/7 ok for them?

[goodlife]

Runners will cope with 2-3 degrees..though fleece is good idea as it is nearly frost temperature and there is chance they get 'burned' if it drops even degree lower. Under fleece they will be fine..they are tender perennials after all. French beans are not as hardy as runners so those definately need some extra care.
Courgettes are quite tender too..but should survive under fleece.
Cucumbers.. :-\..I would not attempt to keep them 24/7 outside for another couple weeks yet.

[Robert_Brenchley]

They can survive temperatures just above freezing, but they'll be set back. I had a fair amount of frost damage last year, and it took ages before they all started growing again.

[strawberry1]

Thank you, it is good to read about experience. Fleece will remain around the beans all week as we are now forecast 1 degree and I`ll continue to carry stuff in and out.  I hope june is better

[betula]

Every year we have this conversation.

Don't even think about putting tenders outside till June.

[pigeonseed]

Every year I have this conversation with myself! I always hope I'll discover I can put things out in April  ;D

It does depend on location though - when I had a sheltered site in London, all tender things went out in May and lack of water was their only worry. Now I'm perched on a hillside overlooking the sea, they get blown to shreds if they go out even in early June without protection.  :(

[woodypecks]

Sheets of newspaper weighted down with a few stones ,ll do the job on the odd cold night .
Sheets of newspaper will also protect just watered in seedlings from being scorched by the sun too .
Such extremes of weather this time of the year !

[strawberry1]

Every year we have this conversation.

Don't even think about putting tenders outside till June.

It obviously depends on where people live. We are sheltered between hills so gardening with an eye on the forecast is the way to go. Allotment is windy, home is very sheltered and tenders are coping well with the weather, depends where you choose to keep them. Any tenders put out at home in the last two weeks are under protected solar shading verandahs sheltered by the house. In case of very very cold, then I will run around with fleece. Cucs are in and out as per my op. The bean plants arrived early and HAD to go on the allotment, so are sheltered by fleece

Luckily, I have hardly had any losses in the last 35 years but I err on the side of caution. I never bothered with cucs before, hence my question. Newspaper was always a great standby in my previous house

[Deb P]

I agree, every year we have this debate and I do a different thing every time depending on the weather! ;D 
This year my dwarf French beans are currently residing in rootrainers and are being hardened off by being left outside all night. They are sulking slightly but seem ok, so I shall probably put them out under cloches in a week or two. Climbing ones a bit later this year and I haven't sown my runners yet!

[pigeonseed]

I've made myself be very late sowing this year. My climbing French beans are only just poking up and I hope that means they won't have to get too out of control before they go to the allotment in June. Otherwise they get damaged when you transport and plant them.

It's been quite hard though, to hold off sowing!
 
I think I set my tender plants back last year by trying them too early. The crops still ended up being small and late anyway. (I'm trying to boost my confidence  ;D)

[strawberry1]

I have just been up to see my beans and the runners look good but the frenchies are floppy and don`t look healthy, so I am not waiting around and will sow some `old` seed at home. Tbh I never realised how tender frenchies are but then I also think I was lucky last year when I grew them for the first time. The plant seller is partly at fault though as the french beans were floppy when they arrived them and didn`t have much of a chance. It is hugely windy on the allotment and we have even put an enviromesh tunnel over the parsnips as they are getting a battering. Strong wind + cold are not good

I am going to ask everyone to please not get me plants as I much prefer to sow my own as and when

[Digeroo]

Courgettes like a temp above 7C.  They will tolerate slightly lower but it tends to hold them back.  They also hate wind.  I grown a windbreak of tall peas to grow them behind, since we are very exposed to the North West wind. 

I have one set of dwarf beans out under bottle cloches which look ok, and I put out four courgettes also under bottles but they have died. 

[Deb P]

Courgettes I have a good method with now that seems to work. I sow a few seeds at the beginning of May and they go out to the lottie at the end of May with my home made plastic walled cubes around them. This keeps the wind off them to get early crops, and I sow a later batch to go out in mid June. If you have a look in my gallery pics there is a photo of last years plants snug in their cube shelters!

[Alex133]

Like your cubes - where do you buy the plastic squares?

[Deb P]

OH made them for me, they were made out of the remains of someone's porch which was double walled plastic. One of the very few perks of being married to a carpenter ! ;D

[saddad]

That and that Snazzy shed!  ;D

[antipodes]

I put all my toms, peppers and aubergines out last week. Toms and peppers seem very happy but the aubergines don't like the temperature variations much. hopefully they will pick up with our nice sunny days here.  The courgettes haven't germinated yet, they are still on top of the piano next to the sunny window!  ;D maybe this week some time...

My runners are starting to come up and I expect the french beans to be up in the next few days.

[Dandytown]

All my beans have been out for about 4-5 days.  I am painfully aware that it is a little early I just couldn't sit on my hands any longer and they outgrew the root trainers to give extremely healthy green plants.

They are doing fine and showing new growth although that vibrant green colour has given way to a pale lime green one, probably a sign of cold soil temperatures preventing nitrogen uptake.  Should change as the temps warm up and fingers crossed for no frost.