Best time to put peppers outside?
Joe Brown2
Posts: 63
in Fruit & veg
Last year my attempt with peppers was abyssal, I think due to be putting them out way too early and cold stunting their growth.
I germinated these in Feb and some are about 1ft high, others just a little behind but all looking much healthier. My windowsill is getting rather full of them and tomatoes (more recently started off) and so I'm wondering when nights will be warm enough for peppers to go outside into an unheated plastic greenhouse? I'm guessing about mid May though? Might put the small tomatoes out there first since they're likely more forgiving.
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Plastic greenhouses offer very little protection at night Joe- they're not the same as a proper glazed greenhouse. You get huge variation between night and day temps so you have to be careful about what you put in them and when. Tomatoes need decent night time temps of above ten to thrive, otherwise they'll stall. Light is important for them so you could put them outside for a while during the day only, and bring them back in at night.
I expect peppers are similar. You'll have to try and judge it - it does depend whereabouts you are and what your own conditions are.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
They'll get checked at anything under about 10C so keep an eye on your minimum temps (this is where a max/min themometer comes in very handy) and the local forecast. I agree about the toms which get checked at about 5C so those can go out in your GH a bit sooner than sweet peppers.
Yeah I appreciate the plastic ones are nowhere near as good at holding temps as sealed glass ones.
I'm in the East Midlands, so I guess I'll just keep checking the weather until 10+ degree nights seem to be becoming the usual and bring them in if there's a sudden expected drop.