Are you REALLY going to sow now?

[tim]

Our soil temp 2" down is 33F.

Have a look at this - http://tomclothier.hort.net/page11.html

[tim]

[MikeB]

I measured mine on monday and here in south norfolk it's 3.6C.  Thats 38.5F

[Mrs Ava]

I visited on of 'my' gardens today and I was planning to start some serious digging on their veg patch...but I couldn't get the fork or spade into the ground.  Frozen solid! bbbrrr

[simon404]

Yes I noticed it's still winter too   ;D that looks like a good site Tim,

[mat]

Still winter??? we have a layer of snow now where I live - very pretty and as it's the first snow I have seen this winter, so I am happy  ;D 

mat

[MikeB]

Cloched my carrot bed on Feb 26th and measured the temperature as above, 3.6C.  I'd placed a min-max thermometer under the cloche and the temperature has got as high as 30C.  Today I thought the ground should be ready, but thought I would check the soil temp.  4.4C,  I guess I'll have to wait a little bit longer.  I suppose to be fair the rest of the ground is frozen.

[robsa]

Don't be fooled by high thermometer readings. If you want to measure true air temperature then you need some sort of makeshift Stevenson screen (the white louvred boxes you see on weather stations) to shield the thermometer from direct sun.

I use a little white cardboard box with the open side facing away from the sun. I was getting 30degC in my mini-greenhouse, now I'm reading a much more believable 22degC.

Robin

[derbex]

In the day it's getting up to 25 in the greenhouse and the vents are opening, at night it's been down to -4 in there.

[fbgrifter]

with what type of thermometres are you measuring your soil temps with and where do you get them from?

[MikeB]

It's one I borrowed from work, with a probe.  I beleive a cooking thermometer with a probe is more than good enough.

[tim]

Whichever - wherever!

[DaveM]

With regard to soil temperatures i use a rather less scientific approach.

bare some flesh.....sit on the soil......if you find it uncomfortably cold then so will the seeds :o :o

just make sure no one sees you ;D

[flowerofshona]

>>>>>>>fainted.
Now dread to go up the lottie incase there are men all sat naked on the soil  :o

[RSJK]

Tim that is a very useful site you have put me onto there.... Thanks

[supersprout]

he he flowersofshona, what a lovely sight that would be ::) tis also the method used by some lay-dees too :-[ but since I don't tread on my beds I don't sit on them either, just use a bare arm ;D

[MikeB]

A reminder of why we are checking soil temp.

Seed Germination Temperatures
Soil Temperature the rate affects both the rate of germination and growth of the seedlings. The
higher the tempeature the greater the rate of water absorption, nutrient uptake, translocation of
hormones, and many other physiological processes. Too high or too low of a temperature can
prevent germination or greatly reduce the rate of seed germination. Some cool season crop seeds
such as lettuce may become dormant at temperatures of 30 ºC ( 87 ºF ) or higher. At low
temperatures, seed may actually germinate but due to slow growth may never emerge from the soil

The following is a list of seed germination temperatures The temperatures given are the optimum
range for germination.

Agerium (70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 ºC )
Annual Alyssum ( 70 ºF or 21 ºC )
Beans, Bush or String ( 60 to 80 ºF or 15 to 27 ºC )
Beans, Lima ( 65 to 80 ºF or 19 to 27 ºC )
Beet ( 50 to 60 ºF or 10 to 15 ºC )
Begonia ( 65 to 70 ºF or 19 to 21 ºC )
Broccoli ( 50 to 85 ºF or 10 to 30 ºC )
Cabbage ( 50 to 85 ºF or 10 to 30 ºC )
Carrot ( 50 to 85 ºF or 10 to 30 ºC )
Coleus ( 70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 º C )
Corn ( 65 to 85 ºF or 19 to 30 º C )
Cucumber ( 70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 ºC )
Eggplant ( 70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 ºF )
Lettuce ( 40 to 75 ºF or 4 to 24 ºC )
Impatiens ( 60 to 70 ºF or 15 to 21 ºC )
Marigold ( 70 to 75 ºF or 21 to 24 ºC )
Melons ( 70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 ºC )
Onion ( 50 to 85 ºF or 10 to 30 ºC )
Pansy ( 70 ºF or 21 ºC )
Parsley ( 50 to 85 ºF or 10 to 30 ºC )
Peas ( 40 to 75 ºF or 4 to 24 º )
Peppers ( 70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 ºF )
Radish ( 50 to 85 ºF or 10 to 30 ºC )
Salvia ( 70 ºF or 21 ºC )
Squash ( 70 to 85 ºF or 21 to 30 ºC )
Tomato ( 70 to 80 ºF or 21 to 27 ºF )
Verbena ( 70 ºF or 21 ºC )
Vinca ( 75 to 80 ºF or 24 to 27 ºC )
Zinnia ( 80 ºF or 27 ºC )

[Curryandchips]

I must recheck my allotment contract to verify that this sitting method is allowable under our terms and conditions ...  ;D

[tim]

Lettuce is the interesting one, Mike?

[MikeB]

Lettuce is the interesting one, Mike?

Yes, but somehow I can't believe that if I sow lettuce outside at the moment it will grow.  I'll continue starting it inside for the rest of this month at least.

Regards

[Ceratonia]

Lettuce is indeed the interesting one.

Clever stuff, lettuce seed. It germinates at much lower temperatures than most veg, but not when it gets too hot

Fresh seed won't germinate unless it gets the right kind of light. Red light makes it germinate, darkness or light from the far infrared part of the spectrum stops it germinating. Older seed stops caring about the light, though and germinates anyway.