Cold Frame Space and Potting On Advice Please!

rholden_82

Hi all,
I have a small cold frame that is full to bursting and some seedlings that need potting on. I have got 2 dhalias in the cold frame that are showing growth and have been out there for maybe 10 days? Would they be ok to place outside to make space for other things?

I also have some sunflowers - single giants and some dwarf sunspots in toilet rolls. Shall I pot them on individually before planting out?? 

I have also put my hardwood rose cuttings in there that i took last autumn and they are showing great growth. I have been advised to leave them this year as the roots may not be good enough even though they are showing great growth on top. I could probably move those out - to be fair they have been out there all winter so shouldn't do any harm?

I do have some space in our greenhouse so would any of them benefit being in there or would it be too warm now they are hardening/hardened off?

Any advice would be gratefully received!!

Thanks,
Rebecca.

Nanny Beach

Did you move stuff from the green house to the cold frame? Dahlia,signs of growth, sunflowers unless a good size get scoffed by slugs. I wouldn't risk it. We are (also,,) SE only 10 minutes from the sea, protected by South Downs,we had frost this morning. I have just been forced to pot on courgettes because they were in cells, it's too cold to plant out the Dahlias,and they are in the pots I use for courgettes, cucumbers and tomatoes. I don't want to waste money buying more that size,plus storage is s problem. I have 2 dustbins and half a green house full of different size pots

JennyJ

The dahlias should be hardened off gradually. You could move them out in the daytime if it's reasonably mild and back into the frame at night for a while, then leave them out when nights get milder (forecast next week here). I think the rose cuttings would be OK outside but a few days out in the daytime and back in the frame at night might be a good idea. Perhaps you could put your potted-on seedlings in the greenhouse instead of the frame, until you get the other stuff from the frame hardened off and moved out. I think the sunflowers could be potted on and then gradually hardened off when they've had a few days to start getting roots out into the new compost.

It's always a juggling act in spring and this year is worse than most.

rholden_82

I'm thinking that I may pot on the seedlings and put them in the greehouse for the time being (it isn't a very big space and I have zinnias and courgettes in there at the moment). I can then pot on the sunflowers and put them back in the cold frame and gradually harden them off before planting out late May/early June weather dependent. 

It's such a space juggling act at the moment isn't it! Will be worth it in the end!