Courgette wilts in first day in greenhouse

JesseD

My beautiful courgette seedlings moved out to the greenhouse today. I wasn’t watching the heat and after a few hours the temperature in there hit 30 and the courgettes now look devastated. I’ve brought them in and watered but the main leaves still look drooped and are very soft. Will they recover or have I ruined them?

Womble54

Just got a bit parched. Hopefully should recover nicely. Mine have often gone floppy on sunny days and picked up nicely in the evening once they’ve cooled down. As the plant gets bigger it will become more resilient to sun and heat. It looks very healthy.

JesseD

philippa smith2 said:

Check the roots - that compost looks very wet and maybe too big a pot.  Courgettes are funny beggars and best inched up in potting size until ready to plant out - another month or more for most of the UK I would think

Thank you. I’d just watered it so it looks quite wet. It was moved into that pot a few days ago and has been looking in superb health until it come out of the very hot greenhouse this afternoon. I think they just got too hot? I’m hoping they recover now they’re in the cooler house.

This is my first greenhouse and Im still learning how to make best use of it. Today I learned not to cook courgettes in it. I don’t  think I’ll take them outside to the greenhouse again until I recover from this trauma 😊

JesseD

Womble54 said:

Just got a bit parched. Hopefully should recover nicely. Mine have often gone floppy on sunny days and picked up nicely in the evening once they’ve cooled down. As the plant gets bigger it will become more resilient to sun and heat. It looks very healthy.

Thank you. I’m hoping that is what’s happened. The soil was still slightly damp which I hope is good as it will have gotten too hot but at least not over-dry as well. 

In the past hour the floppy leaves have perked up ever-so-slightly. I think I’m more traumatised than they are. 

Would you recommend keeping them indoors again now until I plant them out in a couple weeks time, or try the green house again, but with some ventilation this time? I’m not really using the greenhouse to keep any of my seedlings and it seems a shame not to be using it?  Also my house is over run with seedlings...

Womble54

I’d give it a try with ventilation to keep it a bit cooler and see how it goes. It’s a real pain moving seedlings in and out every day. I wish I had a green house. I keep mine in plastic green houses during the day and in my shed (also my gym) with a small electric heater overnight to keep it around 15oC.

JesseD

Womble54 said:

I’d give it a try with ventilation to keep it a bit cooler and see how it goes. It’s a real pain moving seedlings in and out every day. I wish I had a green house. I keep mine in plastic green houses during the day and in my shed (also my gym) with a small electric heater overnight to keep it around 15oC.

Wow your seedlings look amazing! Yes I seem to spend most of my day moving trays of seedlings around the house, and in and out of doors. I’ll try the greenhouse again in a day or two when I’m feeling brave... it’s a tiny greenhouse. Essentially a wooden shell unit with zippy cover. It’s incredible how hot it gets and it’s not even situated in full sun. I have no idea how to use it yet (clearly 🤦‍♀️)

Thanks for the advice!