Courgettes, tomatoes - container growing
LoopyBC
Posts: 27
Hi!
First year growing anything really and we are hitting the fruit and veg pretty hard growing everything I can think of that I like! BUT I have no knowledge to back anything up really!
Our tomatoes and courgettes have come on really well, getting quite big and at some point I'd quite like them to go outside so I can have my one windowsill back for growing more things, but I'm not sure when they should.
All I have outside is one small, unheated, plastic greenhouse https://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B00BN8KIVY/ref=oh_aui_search_detailpage?ie=UTF8&psc=1 not sure if that will be appropriate? I've been leaving them all out during the day for the past couple of weeks (and overnight last night by accident, hope I haven't upset them too much?!). Any ideas when I should put them in their final larger pots and can leave them out? I live in London, for weather/temperature purposes!
Thanks in advance 
LB
Posts
Ive got a load of tomatoes of different varieties in my living room next to the window. Im eager to get them outside (as the are all getting big) but we only need one night of frost and they will die. I am aiming to get them planted up outside by the middle of May I think. Hopefully all chances of frost overnight will pass by then.
I was thinking of getting a mini greenhouse like that but might just make do with the open air this year instead due to space and landlord issues. I would imagine it will be good when it starts to heat up in late spring summer but wouldn't risk leaving your plants in them overnight quite yet.
When they do go out, tomatoes and courgettes are best in the ground, tomatoes a couple of feet apart and courgettes at least three, If you have to grow them in containers toms need a pot of about 10 - 15 litres (a good-sized bucket) or two or three to a growbag. Courgettes need, if possible, a cubic metre of soil, but they're not going to get that in a container! One of those big garden buckety type things with a few holes in the bottom would do. Or an old compost bag, maybe.
If you're in London, I'd be surprised if you get any more frost now (he said, setting himself up for a fall) so I'd put them out as soon as they're fully hardened off. Many will disagree, but I always was over optimistic!
If they're in pots then you can always bring them in overnight if there's chance of a frost (unless you have a silly amount if them!) but close to a wall I'd think it'd be unlikely frost will get them now.
That said, they'll grow better in your mini-greenhouse so the longer you can spare them space in there the better.
I've had a close call with my tomatoes, aubergines and courgettes this week - I've been hardening them off in the greenhouse due to the increasingly sunny, warm weather, however the close-to-freezing night time temperatures have caused some leaf damage on all mentioned above.
I'm now making sure I bring them in at night until the night time temperature significantly increases, (I'm in the midlands). I will then be putting the tomatoes and the aubergines in the ground in the greenhouse, but I'll be growing the courgettes in a raised bed.
Absolutely Scroggin - I won't be planting them this early again (early March)! They bolted and then started flowering!
Any one got any suggestions why they've gone limp?
I've put them outside over the past few days when it's been so warm and sunny then into a greenhouse over night. But today they look even worse ????
Loopy if you're in central London your temps will be about 2 degrees higher than the surrounding counties, if you're in the outer boroughs you'll be at least a degree above surrounding counties. So base any planting out on forecast temps.
Ahh didn't realise I'd planted them a bit early, might be the same case for the tomatoes! This being our first of growing things we just got over excited and whacked everything into seed pots! I also have a firetongue bean that is absurdly large on the kitchen windowsill and I'm not sure what to do with him either! :P
tomatoe seeds about a month ago in a heated summerhouse.
I then moved them to a unheated greenhouse..This last weekend I have pricked them out into small pots and now so far they look ok.
the next time I move them should be early June into large pots {their final resting place} I tend to grow half in the greenhouse and the rest outdoors.
I would imagine living in London you should be about four weeks ahead of me
so you should be ok for frost by next week.
It looks like your really going for it on the veg front, Good Luck.