Q from newbie about sowing

ph1109

Hi
I have planted some seeds a while ago, kept them on my window sill, and now they are in seperate pots in my cold frame. Question: do I need to keep them there over winter untill spring or can I plant them in full ground? They are hardy annuals scabiosa chamomile euphorbia and the biennial honesty.
 The seedpackets tell you which seeds need to be sown under cover and which in full ground but never what to do when the under cover seedlings become larger?
Thanks!

pansyface

You will have a better chance of bringing them through the winter without being eaten by slugs or rotting in wet soil if you leave them, monitored from time to time, under glass.

Fairygirl

You may also have to pinch them out. They'll possibly get a bit leggy unless they have adequate light. Make sure you open the cold frame now and again when weather permits, especially if you're in a warm part of the country, to help prevent excess growth. 

ph1109

Thank you! Will it in general be better to overwinter all hardy annuals under glass after you've sown them in seed modules on a window sill? Or is this just the case for some of them.

ph1109

Fairygirl I pinched them out when they were still in my kitchen, they are in separate pots now. They became leggy in my kitchen, especially the scabiosa, hopefully they will recover now that they are in the cold frame. I should have put them there sooner, but only got a cold frame just now. Thanks to tell me to open it now and then, even in winter, didn't know this.

Fairygirl

You just have to work with your condition, and that's an impossible thing to advise on. You learn from experience. Sometimes you can open it right up, and sometimes you just want it open a little to keep the airflow
The important thing to remember is - if you've had a sunny day, and the lid's closed, it can still get surprisingly warm in a cold frame, so make sure to close it early enough in the afternoon/early evening if there's going to be a big drop in temps. That would mainly be in frosty/icy conditions. It's easy to trap excess cold inside [ in the same way as trapping heat ] and it can create moisture and dampness inside, which isn't healthy for plants. A good airflow is what they need
Damp, milder weather is less of a problem with temps, and most annuals only need basic protection from the worst winter weather - ie heavy rain and wind, as that knackers them when they're little. 
Your own local climate will dictate. Some areas of the country get hardly any frosts, and some get lots, some get lots of rain, and some don't 

ph1109

Great info, thank you so much!
I have a thermometer somewhere, maybe it would be handy to have that inside the cold frame?

Fairygirl

It isn't really necessary, and may make you worry!
Better to just go by your temps generally. Most gardeners watch weather reports, and use various online sites too. It's important to just get to know your local climate. At altitude, the temps forecast can be quite different from the reality.

ph1109

Thanks Fairyfirl good advice!!!