[Broadhaven]

Could anyone advise as to what I do with all my veg that needs hardening off whilst its cold and wet. I was begining to  harden them off whilst it was warm but not sure if I should continue to do this or leave them in the greenhouse until it warms up again.

Thanks for any replies

[Trebor]

Depends what type of veg you are talking about? Generally I would carry on unless there is a frost due. Put them out in the day, bring them in at night. Also depends where you are – if you fill in the location part of your profile then advice can be a bit more specific for you.

[SnooziSuzi]

I'm fortunate enough to have 2 gh's so one I keep nice and warm and the other I leave the door open on, so when stuff needs to be hardened off I put it in the second one for a few weeks before bringing them outside for a real hardening.

I realise this may not be applicable to you, so why not build a cold frame?   4 wooden / brick sides with an openable sheet of glass or heavy perspex on top.  On very cold days keep it only just open if at all, and on nicer days open it wider to let more air in but remember to close it up when a frost is forecast.

[Broadhaven]

Thanks for the advise. Firstly I have now added my location, took me a while to find out where to do it Secondly I have one of those plastic greenhouses I don't use now as I have invested in a glass one, so I could use that for the hardening off. 

[oldbean]

Alternatively make a cover from water pipes and fleece (30gram) You can lift it up in the day (or not) and drop it down at night.

[RichardA]

depending on the plant I move from propogator to greenhouse shelf to greenhouse floor to my other greenhouse with door/vents usually open and then to cold frame and finally out in day away at night and finally several days out at night before planting. Fiddly -- yes, prone to me forgetting -- yes, bit over the top -- probably. Do the plants appreciate it -- don't know really -- they stopped talking to me when they were expelled from the warm propogator !!!!!!!!!!!!!
R

[Broadhaven]

That looks like a Geoff Hamilton cloche Oldbean, very good. Not sure my other alf's diy skills are up to that!!
Wow Richard do you have any time for gardening with all that!! But if you get the end result then its worth it.
Should I be keeping my windows/doors open all day?
I have toms, beet, (lettuce in tub) leeks, beans and peas all growing in pots inside the greenhouse. I put my carrots(which I started off in toilet rolls) out yesterday alongside my onion sets.

[RichardA]

bit puzzled - my onion sets went directly in the ground about a month ago. I have carrots in pots but I don't put out as later in season they will be at risk of carrot fly. So all carrots in greenhouse this year until I get polytunnel finished and then they will go up there.
I am lucky as my garden is at home, about an acre in all, and I work from an office at home so I can sneak out whenever I want. Perhaps that is why I will be working late tonight to catch up on accounts etc etc etc.
R

[Broadhaven]

Sorry for the confusion Richard just to clarify my onions did go directly in the ground. My carrots that were grown  in pots in the greenhouse went out into the ground yesterday. It looks like I may have put the carrots in too soon though!! I have covered them  over with a fleece so fingers crossed.
My plot is also in the garden. This is my first year of growing. Its a learning curve for me.

[Christine]

Well I sow my carrots straight into tubs outside, leave them to it and thin for salads to allow some of them to get larger.  I find that they are fairly happy to manage frost for themselves though I don't sow till first week of April anyway and they catch up.

We are north east and frost is something that still turns up in May sometimes so it's a case of being prepared to move indoors sometimes of a night when hardening off depending on what is happening locally.

[Eatyourgreens]

All my stuff is hardening off in a cold frame with the top off, no problems till last night, we don't really get frost, but we do get lots of wind but none forecast for last night so the top was left off.

I had also pretty much emptied my greenhouse of even the smaller seedlings as it's getting too hot in there so space was at a premium in the cold frame and the overspill was up the path and round the corner.

At midnight the hail and wind was not sounding very nice.

Surprisingly no real damage this morning except for the parsley seedlings that got put at the back of the cold frame, the rain/hail had run off the greenhouse roof and fallen on the seedlings and washed half of them out of the trays.

Luckily I have tons of the stuff 


Bob

[Trebor]

Alternatively make a cover from water pipes and fleece (30gram) You can lift it up in the day (or not) and drop it down at night.

Wow! I am so having one of those next year...if I don't do the usual and forget!