[arugula]

Hi All,

I started some Cerinthe seeds indoors in a room with a tube heater, along with the chillis a couple of weeks ago and the Cerinthe (Purpurescens) are really taking off now. 

My question really, is will they go safely from that environment into the coldframe now as very young plants, or should I keep them indoors for a little longer, perhaps a little further from the heat source? The coldframe is regularly reaching 8 - 10 deg. during the day, even with the cold wind.

[Yorkie]

I wouldn't put them outside yet as we still have freezing night temperatures.

I don't think they are hardy?

Mine die every year but they self-seed so prolifically I've never bothered sowing them again!

[arugula]

I wouldn't put them outside yet as we still have freezing night temperatures.

I don't think they are hardy?

Mine die every year but they self-seed so prolifically I've never bothered sowing them again!

Thanks Yorkie, I haven't found anywhere to tell me how hardy they are, but I have read that they self-seed very well, so that's always one less job to do!

[zazen999]

They do self seed and we've got seedlings coming up now; and last year's survived snow and only just died out since the snow has melted.

[arugula]

Any ideas then, how long should I leave it before they can live in the coldframe? As I mentioned, it attains 8 - 10 deg. in the daytime now and at 9 pm yesterday (when we were out looking at the Moon and Mars ) it was at 2 deg. whilst the outdoor thermometer was registering -5.

[mumofstig]

Can you cover the frame with a bit of old carpet/sacking/anything at night to keep them from freezing? Cover them with a piece of fleece inside the frame?

[arugula]

Hi Mos,

We haven't got plant fleece, but I could probably cover the whole coldframe with something.... How about bringing them back indoors to just by the kitchen door where they wouldn't be anywhere near a source of heat?

[mumofstig]

  That's where all my tender fuschias and pelargoniums are at the moment  It's a bit of a struggle when I actually need to use the door

[stephenprudence]

My pelargoniums used to get through every winter, in fact some flowered all winter occassionally... until last year and this year, they're stone dead. Fuchsias are bone hardy, so we tried some tropical varieties like triphylla, and they're stone dead but they carked it after 0C. It might return from the base though - I'll be mightily impressed if it does!

[mumofstig]

After last winter I learnt that some of my fuchsias were were fully hardy, but the double flowered ones were not

So this year I am taking no chances

[arugula]

That's where all my tender fuschias and pelargoniums are at the moment  It's a bit of a struggle when I actually need to use the door

Well I might give that a try then MoS. They surely are behaving as though they are too warm where they are now, so daytimes in the sunshine ( ) and nighttimes indoors could be just the right thing.

Thanks All!