Allotment Gardening Advice Help Chat

Growing => Growing in Greenhouses & Polytunnels => Topic started by: A Reyt Tayty on April 17, 2012, 19:19

Title: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: A Reyt Tayty on April 17, 2012, 19:19
Toms I've set in the house are just showing first true leaves. How big should they need to get before putting into unheated greenhouse? Or, what sort of date would be the favourite to put them in the greenhose?
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: sunshineband on April 17, 2012, 19:26
It's more a case of them being warm enough than big enough, to be in an unheated greenhouse tbh

I am a bit further south than you, and will not be putting any tomatoes in our unheated minitunnel at the plot until the second week of May.

If we get a very cold spell then I shall wait a bit longer, and if I get caught out I shall end up covering them with fleece inside the tunnel as well.



Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: DD. on April 17, 2012, 19:30
I'll be aiming for late May here, early June outside.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: mattwragg94 on April 17, 2012, 19:32
as soon as mine poke their heads up in the house - out to the greenhouse they go - most have been in there around a week and ive had no casualties - however my unheated GH keeps the heat in and the temps always in the mid - high teens.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: sunshineband on April 17, 2012, 19:32
as soon as mine poke their heads up in the house - out to the greenhouse they go - most have been in there around a week and ive had no casualties - however my unheated GH keeps the heat in and the temps always in the mid - high teens.

Mine couldn't manage that at night without any extra heat :blink: :blink:
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: mattwragg94 on April 17, 2012, 19:39

Mine couldn't manage that at night without any extra heat :blink: :blink:

mine have - all of my chillis have been in there around a month and all survived too - and so have the cuc's and aubs that have been in there a few weeks. maybe im just lucky! :lol:
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: A Reyt Tayty on April 17, 2012, 19:45
The reason I ask, is because I've got some seed which I set in the greenhouse some weeks ago which are just showing their faces. They look quite healthy. Do you think that tomatoes are a little bit hardier than we give them credit for?
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: sunshineband on April 17, 2012, 19:48
The reason I ask, is because I've got some seed which I set in the greenhouse some weeks ago which are just showing their faces. They look quite healthy. Do you think that tomatoes are a little bit hardier than we give them credit for?
 

Weather dependent -- we can take risks and be lucky, we can take risks and be unlucky, and me, I try not to risk too much as I hate disappointments  :D :D

A couple of hard frosts here in the last couple of days mean I am glad the toms are still safe and warm.

Hope yours grow well  :)
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: Willow_Warren on April 18, 2012, 14:00
I don't have any advice to give, but wanted to thank you for asking the question and for the answers given.

My tomatoes plants are growing well in the conservatory (unheated as is the rest of the house, but warmer overnight than a greenhouse!).  They are growing quite well, I just hope they don't get too leggy before they can go out side!  There's 10 of the little beauties and my conservatory is very small and starting to get over crouded!

Hannah :)
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: LilacSandy on April 20, 2012, 08:21
The reason I ask, is because I've got some seed which I set in the greenhouse some weeks ago which are just showing their faces. They look quite healthy. Do you think that tomatoes are a little bit hardier than we give them credit for?

I think it all depends on your greenhouse, mine is under the shelter of a large apple tree (I have a plastic roof) so it gets a lot of frost protection and the sun does not hit it until mid morning and I have had a lot of my toms and peppers in there for a couple of weeks now. 

The plastic greenhouses at the top of my garden next to the house, which I would have thought very sheltered as they are in a fairly enclosed area, are not at all frost free and I have lost a couple of things that I thought were much hardier.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: compostqueen on April 20, 2012, 11:11
My toms, chillies and aubs have been in the cold greenhouse for weeks but I fear for the aubs, which I forgot to bring into the house after potting on.   The toms and chillies look fine
Oh, and the cucumbers  :)
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: Robster on April 20, 2012, 11:37
I am going to take the plunge this weekend and put some of the tomatoes in my unheated greenhouse.  I have sowed plenty so I can afford it if they don't make it. I grow in the borders and the path down the middle is full of chipped stone so has quite a heat capacity. Was ok last year at this time and this is three weeks before our last frost here.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: andyw on April 20, 2012, 11:46
I've been running an electric heater in mine until now and cannot wait until it's warm enough to leave unheated.  We can't have many nights left where it's going to be too cold can we?
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: DD. on April 20, 2012, 11:50
I am not holding my breath.

I remember the June frosts a few years back.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: andyw on April 20, 2012, 14:19
we're away for a week from the 3rd of May so I will have no choice but to remove the heater then, for now I will give them the best chance and leave the heater in there.  I think next year I will just start them off later.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: sunshineband on April 20, 2012, 17:35
I shall be waiting until at least next weekend --- and then see the forecast before deciding
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: compostqueen on April 20, 2012, 20:10
I've got no heat on in mine and they're generally ok. The aubs look a bit floppy but everything else is doing fine.  I keep pieces of fleece handy and listen out for frost warnings, which reminds me I've forgotten to close the greenhouse door!  Byeeeeeeeeeeeeeee
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: shokkyy on April 20, 2012, 21:18
Yes, aubergines do tend to be more tender than tomatoes or courgettes and often peppers, don't they. This year I did two varieties of aubergine, Moneymaker and Black Beauty, and I've been surprised how much stronger Moneymaker are than Black Beauty. They grew faster and stand up strong even if they do catch a draught, but the Black Beauty immediately start looking sorry for themselves and are much slower growing. I'll see how they do crop wise, but if Moneymaker give me a decent crop I think I'll stick with them in future. I've found the same with the two varieties of sweet pepper I did and the three varieties of chilli, always one variety that stands out as being more robust and hardy.

I've got tomatoes in my unheated polytunnel now, though I'm still putting fleece on them overnight at the moment.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: compostqueen on April 20, 2012, 22:29
I do try and grow some unusual aubs but they're often disappointing.  I've done well with Bonica in the past.  I like the violet, rose and blush pink ones but they're not very prolific  :D
I've given up on sweet peppers as I'm short of space and I'd rather grow more chillies, which I love to grow.  I grow different ones every year and I think the hardiest last year was the cayenne and Biala Shipka (which was as hot as blazes  :tongue2:)

Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: New shoot on April 21, 2012, 08:25
We have a display greenhouse at work under a poly tunnel roof in our veg area and we planted up a grow bag with 3 heritage tomatoes and 2 tall pots with tumblers yesterday so I'll let you know how they look on Monday  :)

I had reservations, but my right hand girl was mad keen and was determined to get going (although I suspect her motives as she was picking toms that she thought would go well in her lunchtime sarnies  :lol: )
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: sunshineband on April 21, 2012, 08:55
Noticed that though:

under the growing roof = double frost protection though  :D
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: shokkyy on April 21, 2012, 09:10
I've given up on sweet peppers as I'm short of space and I'd rather grow more chillies, which I love to grow.  I grow different ones every year and I think the hardiest last year was the cayenne and Biala Shipka (which was as hot as blazes  :tongue2:)


Next time you've got space for another chilli variety, try Superchilli, if you haven't tried them before. It's really not worth keeping them over winter because they grow away so fast from sowing that the new plants very quickly catch up, much faster than other chilli varieties I've tried. They're always robust and easy to grow and always give me an enormous crop of lovely little chillis.
Title: Re: toms in unheated greenhouse
Post by: jrko on April 21, 2012, 11:29
My toms and pepper plants/seedlings have been in my unheated greenhouse since mid March with no harm suffered.  Potting them all on is todays job