What Does Checking Mean?

Hi,

I have read numerous posts about planting seedlings out when its too cold, often they say this will check the plant, or stop it growing...

My question is...If you plant out seedlings too early, if no frosts are about but it is a little cold what damage will this actually do, will the plants just go into suspension and start growing again when it warms up?

I have planted out sweetcorn, peppers, squashes and french beans already, they were all hardened off before planting but if Im honest they dont seem to have grown a great deal in the last couple of weeks!!  Im in the south west so frosts now are unlikely (although not guaranteed!)

All advice, comments welcomed

Cheers

I agree with mumofstig, fleece over the plants will certainly heelp their chances.

Here in the South East we've had hail today!

Checking means a variety of things for different plants, sometimes its just that they don't like the extremes of the temperatures, 20 + degrees C in the day and near to 0 degrees at night- this causes the plant to just stop growing and it takes a long time to recover. Other times the plant will actually turn blue/purple and again take a long time to recover.

Last year my sweetcorn didn't grow above 2ft because I planted too early, other years tomatoes have been a month later than others on lottie just becasue I was impatient. A guy on our allotment always starts a month after the rest of us, has the biggest healthiest looking plants with an XS of produce. I'm afraid I'm too impatient, and probably 1 year in 4/5 I can say that my planting out early has paid off.

So in conclusion, the less checking (to slow the growth or progress of, retard) of the plant the stronger and quicker the plant will grow away and produce veg!

best of luck!