@Latimer it’s quite a good size for a beginner (or anyone with a smallish garden) and I’m happy to know the wood is still in good condition! You could even have a few I guess but for my budget this was ideal 🙂
My tomato seedlings are still on the kitchen windowsill in small pots. They look healthy enough and a root is just starting to peek through the bottom of each pot. Everything seems so far behind this year, but l'm sure it will catch up eventually.
In an average year, my toms would be out there around now, and would be about a foot or so in size. However, mine are currently about 2 or 3 inches at best as I had to start again. The compost I used was a disaster, so I had to use a made up mix of my own and re sow in early April, and that was great. Should have known The house isn't as warm as it normally would be either, as we haven't had the heating on nearly as much. The kitchen, where I usually have them, only gets hot once the sun's high enough to have an effect too, but it's light they need early on, as much as warmth, and we have lower light levels in winter up here, and the opposite in summer. You could have them out there in the daytime, but it may not be worthwhile. If you have room in the house, I'd save myself the bother and just keep them there for now. They aren't very big. Aquilegias are hardy, so you can have them outside, depending on what size they are. In the frame at night, then out completely after a few days of that. Marigolds are half hardy, so pretty much treat them the same as the toms.
It's a place where beautiful isn't enough of a word....
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
Hi, i have a very similar greenhouse and the exact same thermometer. With the lid closed they can get very, very hot, well upwards of 40c. On a warm sunny day you'll need both top doors open almost fully.
I've just been out for 30mins at lunchtime and it's reading 24c with one of the top windows half open. Outside conditions are sunny, breezy and 15c.
At night time i find it bottoms out around 2c warmer than the outside temperature. I like to get an early start on my tomatoes as April and May are generally sunnier here, so last week when the night time temp was forecast at 4c, i lit a couple of 6hr firelighters in hurricane maps and left them at the bottom. Min temp overnight was 7.8c.
This summer I'm planning to try and base a Shirley plant in there permanently once all my seeds are done, from mid June onwards. Interested to see if it makes it more productive, although it will mean capping it at approx 1.4m high.
@Fairygirl my kitchen is the same, takes times to warm up! We have flooring in the kitchen (some weird thing put down by the previous owners) but original floorboards everywhere else downstairs - Edwardian house and sometimes warmer outside I feel 😅
When can I plant out the marigolds? End of this month?
I have one very similar to that with a single lid which I bought from Amazon last year for around twice the price! I don't have a thermometer though so don't have a clue what the temperature is. I don't find the lower two shelves very useful for plants as as soon as I put anything on the top shelf, it blocks out the light to them! It's been very handy for seedlings and plug plants though. Last summer I made the mistake of not opening the lid on a hot day and everything was frazzled. Lesson learned! I haven't used it for my tomato seedlings, those I started in the south facing upstairs window and since potting on they're technically downstairs on the kitchen windowsill. Whenever we have a good dose of rain or a sunny day, I put them outside so they get plenty of rainwater and plenty of sunlight then bring them in at night (except for the other night when I forgot🤦♀️). My garden is south facing and they appreciate the warmth!
Sorry, only just seen your question @Escapetothegarden, personally l would bring them in overnight. Maybe l'm just paranoid. They should be fine out there during the day at this time of year.
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Everything seems so far behind this year, but l'm sure it will catch up eventually.
The house isn't as warm as it normally would be either, as we haven't had the heating on nearly as much.
The kitchen, where I usually have them, only gets hot once the sun's high enough to have an effect too, but it's light they need early on, as much as warmth, and we have lower light levels in winter up here, and the opposite in summer.
You could have them out there in the daytime, but it may not be worthwhile. If you have room in the house, I'd save myself the bother and just keep them there for now. They aren't very big.
Aquilegias are hardy, so you can have them outside, depending on what size they are. In the frame at night, then out completely after a few days of that. Marigolds are half hardy, so pretty much treat them the same as the toms.
I live in west central Scotland - not where that photo is...
I've just been out for 30mins at lunchtime and it's reading 24c with one of the top windows half open. Outside conditions are sunny, breezy and 15c.
At night time i find it bottoms out around 2c warmer than the outside temperature. I like to get an early start on my tomatoes as April and May are generally sunnier here, so last week when the night time temp was forecast at 4c, i lit a couple of 6hr firelighters in hurricane maps and left them at the bottom. Min temp overnight was 7.8c.
This summer I'm planning to try and base a Shirley plant in there permanently once all my seeds are done, from mid June onwards. Interested to see if it makes it more productive, although it will mean capping it at approx 1.4m high.
When can I plant out the marigolds? End of this month?
Thanks 🪴
Thats a good idea - the shelves are removable in mine too
Thank you for sharing, very interesting! 🙂