Moving Tom's into an Unheated Greenhouse

[Carls3168]

Ok, so I'm now running seriously short of space on the kitchen / bedroom windowsills...  :-\

I have a 6' x 6' greenhouse on the allotment, glass and unheated, the temps in the daytime can get up to 25 degrees, but recently we have been having frost on a night. Cabbages, lettuce, leeks etc all fine, but the question is when can I move my toms, peppers, cucumbers etc into the glass house? All have just got their first true leaves.

NB: I cant get to the allotment every night to light the heater, or cover in fleece.... work tends to get in the way!!!!!  >:(

Anyone in the 'North' got their toms out yet???

[Carls3168]

[saddad]

I have my seedlings in the big greenhouse, but under fleece the big greenhouse allows me to keep them away from the glass which isn't poss in a 8x6...  :-\

[caroline7758]

I've got mine out in my unheated greenhouse, but it's in the garden at home so I was able to fleece them at the weekend.

[AndrewB]

Put a few of mine out into a cold greenhouse e weekend frost - dead now!!  I am keepiong the others on the kitchen windowsill for a few more weeks. (Rochdale)

[Twoflower]

are some tomatoes hardyer than others? I have had mined out all march in a unheated greenhouse.

[saddad]

Not really... some will recover better/quicker from a near death experience... but they all keel over fairly quickly below 4C... it's that anomalous expansion thing that makes ice float... the swelling ruptures the cells. Hardy plants increase the sugar content to lower the freezing temp, which is why parsnips are sweet...  :-\

[cleo]

No idea about the science but at no lower than 4C they don`t keel over-just sulk a bit

[Twoflower]

Maybe it' because i am really near to the coast, can hear the boats horns in the fog at night!. We don't really get much snow either( oh no shouldn't of sad that it'll snow for easter now :'()

[realfood]

I put my toms out into an unheated greenhouse over a week ago, but they were in a homemade mini greenhouse, (made from bubblewrap) inside the greenhouse. They are fine even though the temp fell to below freezing.

[lewic]

at no lower than 4C they don`t keel over-just sulk a bit

That describes mine pretty well!

Unless they perk up a bit I am giving up on growing the b@ggers from seed. as the two small plants I bought at the same time have doubled in size.

[saddad]

Once they get going they seem to have more resistance... I have 40 varieties for you to choose from...  ;D

[PurpleHeather]

I agree, they are safe now to put in to a greenhouse.

If you want to take extra precautions by double wrapping them. Then do so but you could actually get them too hot if you leave additional plastic on during a sunny day.

[Deb P]

Overheating is a worry, I put a bit of fleece over the tomatoes and peppers with the mini greenhouse front open, it seems to shield them from the worst of the sun and the main greenhouse vents ensure good ventilation. You have to remember to shut them up at night though........!

[tim]

I thought that there was some helpful information in the long spiel here.

http://faq.gardenweb.com/faq/lists/tomato/2005015135020413.html