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How cold is too cold for seedlings?

madoldbatmadoldbat Posts: 22
in The potting shed

Hi all

Just hopped over from the (now dead) BBC website so hope I've arrived at the correct forum for this query.....

I have recently sown loads of seeds (flowers: stocks, sweet peas, cosmos, plus some thyme) which have all come up beautifully and really should be outside now on my balcony (south facing in London).  My question is, as it has been very nippy of late, is it still too cold to put them outside? Now that they are developed and growing nicely, are they hard enough to weather the weather?  Is there a minimum night temperature I should be aware of, say, 5 degrees or so - I can't take them out and bring them in again every day, there are just too many.

All replies gratefully received,

MOB

Posts

  • torsitorsi Posts: 9

    I would check when the last day of frost is in london and put them out after that, it would be such a shame to lose them to the cold when you have wroked so hard to keep them growing or if you have a cold fram that would help you

  • kate1123kate1123 Posts: 2,815

    I am in exactly the same position. I thought that the problem was that the cold stopped them growing and it was then difficult to start them off again.

  • ItalophileItalophile Posts: 1,731
    madoldbat wrote (see)

    <blockquote>Is there a minimum night temperature I should be aware of, say, 5 degrees or so - I can't take them out and bring them in again every day, there are just too many.

    All replies gratefully received,

    MOB</blockquote>

    Mob, I have 50+ seedlings that I'm carting outside and inside at the moment. I use the low-sided crates that greengrocers receive their produce in. Each crates fits a dozen or more seedlings depending on pot size. The bigger pots fit three or four to a crate.

  • madoldbatmadoldbat Posts: 22

    Hi there - yes it's a dilemma isn't it?  My thought is that the shock might do them in at such a tender stage and I don't want to risk it.  Maybe best to leave it till the temperature is at least normal for the time of the year.  Ha! Might be a long wait...

  • madoldbatmadoldbat Posts: 22

    Good for you on carting them in and out every day - I have done that in the past and just wondered if I might save some time by putting them out and letting them get on with it.  I've a feeling your method is the failsafe one.  Thanks for your response.

  • Green MagpieGreen Magpie Posts: 806

    Some seedlings are tougher than others. I've put my sweet peas out in the garden now and they've survived temperatures of close to zero, maybe even the odd ground frost. My petunias seem OK out of doors now too but the fuchsias don't seem to like the cold and I'm keeping them under cover - I lost some fuchsias to frost at about this time a couple of years ago. .And the New Guinea Busy Lizzies that I bought as plug plants are not happy at all  - well, to be brutally honest, most of them are dead, so I'm resigned to keeping the two survivors in the house for several weeks more.  I think thyme should be pretty tough, but cosmos and stocks might be a bit more delicate. There's still not much sign of guaranteed mild temperatures.

  • jude5jude5 Posts: 65

    The only things I've got outside are sweet peas and leeks (in modules).Everything else is indoors, the house looks like Kew Gardens and if the weather stays as cold as it has been seems like it will remain so for a while yet. Husband not impressed image

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